oaken pins and nails of metal. The more elaborate of these boats were 18 feet long.[1] Vegetius, in his treatise on military art, tells us that the British ships were painted blue, in order that they might escape notice.[2]
On the subjugation of Britain by the Romans, which followed the expeditions of Claudius and Agricola, a considerable trade, as we have seen, existed with Gaul.[3] Agricola sent his fleet as far as the Orkneys, which he discovered and subdued. "Thule" was seen in the distance, but was not approached,[4] and Great Britain was circumnavigated. He may have sent his ships to the Isle of Man, as inscriptions and remains testify to the presence of the Romans there.[5] At the same time he made preparations to attack Ireland, where, he had learnt from traders and merchants, there were excellent harbours. It is thus to be inferred that there was, at this date (A.D. 81), intercourse between Ireland and Great Britain. London is noticed by Tacitus as now very much frequented by traders, which again is evidence of travel. The commerce was apparently in oysters, slaves, dogs, tin, and lead, and was carried on from the ports of Southampton and Richborough, besides London. Strabo tells us that the favourite ports in France for the traffic with England were Boulogne, and the mouths of the Rhine, Seine, Loire, and Garonne.[6] To reach the last two some very difficult and dangerous navigation would be necessary past Ushant and the Raz de Sein, demanding seaworthy ships. In the reign of Julian (A.D. 360) we are told that there were eight hundred ships engaged in the corn trade between Briton and Gaul. The Britons of that time had, however, to suffer terribly when the Romans withdrew.
The budding civilisation of the island was abandoned to bar-
- ↑ Elton, 'Origins,' 231. The stem of the larger boat was a triangular piece of oak, fitted in as in our day. In one boat was a fine axe of greenstone. The prow of the larger vessel was galley shaped. Early representations of ships are also found on Scotch sculptured stones. In these the rigging is quite complicated. Burton, 'Scotland,' i. 308. No such early representations are, however, to be found in the 'Spalding Club Book.' Jas. Stuart, Aberdeen.
- ↑ 'De Re Militari,' iv. 37.
- ↑ Claudius gave by law privileges to those who built ships of 10,000 modii, or about 60 tons burden. Suet. Claud. 18.
- ↑ Tacitus, 'Agricola,' 10. "Thule" was probably the Shetland group. Tacitus alludes to the strong tides and races thus: "The waters are heavy and yield with difficulty to the oars; they are not raised by the winds as on other seas."
- ↑ Train, 'History of the Isle of Man,' i. 43.
- ↑ The passage is given. 'Monumenta Britan.' Scriptores, Gr. atque Lat. vi.
