12.
The interior portion of Britain is
inhabited by those of whom they say that it is handed down by tradition that
they were born in the island itself: the maritime portion by those who had
passed over from the country of the Belgae for the purpose of
plunder and making war; almost all of whom are called by the names of those
states from which being sprung they went thither, and having waged war,
continued there and began to cultivate the lands. The number of the people is
countless, and their buildings exceedingly numerous, for the most part very like
those of the Gauls: the number of cattle is great.
They use either brass or iron rings, determined at a certain weight, as their
money. Tin is produced in the midland regions; in the maritime, iron; but the
quantity of it is small: they employ brass, which is imported. There, as in
Gaul, is timber of every description, except beech and fir. They do
not regard it lawful to eat the hare, and the cock, and the goose; they,
however, breed them for amusement and pleasure. The climate is more temperate
than in Gaul, the colds being less
severe.
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