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 cold being less severe.

The island is triangular in its form, and one of its sides is opposite
to Gaul. One angle of this side, which is in Kent, whither almost all
ships from Gaul are directed, [looks] to the east; the lower looks to
the south. This side extends about 500 miles. Another side lies toward
Spain,[38] and the west, on which part is Ireland, less, as is
reckoned, than Britain, by one half; but the passage [from it] into
Britain is of equal distance with that from Gaul. In the middle of
this voyage is an island which is called Mona;[39] many smaller
islands besides are supposed to lie [there], of which islands some
have written that at the time of the winter solstice it is night
there for thirty consecutive days. We, in our inquiries about that
matter, ascertained nothing, except that, by accurate measurements
with water, we perceived the nights to be shorter there than on the
continent. The length of this side, as their account states, is 700
miles. The third side is toward the north, to which portion of the
island no land is opposite; but an angle of that side looks
principally toward Germany. This side is considered to be 800 miles in
length. Thus the whole island is [about] 2,000 miles in circumference.

The most civilized of all these nations are they who inhabit Kent,
which is entirely a maritime district, nor do their customs differ
much from Gallic. Most of the inland inhabitants do not sow corn, but
live on milk and flesh, and are clad with skins. All the Britains,
indeed, dye themselves with wood, which occasions a bluish color, and
thereby have a more terrible appearance in fight. They wear their hair
long, and have every part of their body shaved except their head and
upper lip. Ten and even twelve have wives common to them, and
particula