Ebook The History of the Ancient Britons and Their Descendants

Map No. 1 is intended to aid the reader in tracing the routes taken by the several branches of the Aryan race in their migrations from their original and primitive home, to where we now find them located and fixed. This would be easier understood if it had been done on a map of a larger scale, with fewer names omitted. But this will be plain to most readers, with only ordinary knowledge of geography; and any desired assistance can almost anywhere be obtained.

Our history assumes to treat of this Aryan migration from the cradle to the several places where their descendants are now nationally located.

Now, we have assumed that the Aryan race had its primitive home in the valley watered by the Euphrates and the Tigris; in the upper part of that interesting valley, while the Hamitic and Shemitic races occupied the lower part, immediately above the head of the Persian Gulf There the residue of the Aryans had been fixed for many centuries, until their civilization and language had been cultivated to that extent, that it is traced in their descendants to this day. What was the cause of their emigration is not known to history, but it is more than probable that it was an attack by the southern people on the Aryans of the north. Whatever may have been the cause, it seems that they departed thence in three different streams, to settle and cultivate other portions of the world. The first of these departed directly to the west, and occupied Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy; and have been generally denominated the Javan or Pelagean family, and more recently, the Greek and Latin races. The second stream is that which has been denominated the descendants of Gomer, who went north, and fixed their residence on the northern shores of the Euxine sea, near the mouth of the river Tyris, now in Southern Russia, and near the city of Odessa, where they were known to the Greeks as Cimmarians: and everywhere claimed to have been the progenitors of all the Celtic people; and it is there, on the shores of the Euxine or Black sea, we will leave them for the present.

The third stream passed off to the east, along the northern declivity of the mountains which separate the valley of the Caspian sea from those of the great valley of Persia, until they arrived in Bactria, where they fixed their residence, for a considerable time. But, sometime in early history, we know not when, these residents of Bactria separated into two divisions; the one to the south, and the other to the northwest. That which went to the south passed over that extremely elevated pass, known as Hindoo-Koosh, to tne valley at the headwaters of the Indus, in which Cabul now stands. Here they again divided, and one division went west, and became known as the Persians; while the other went to the valleys of the Indus and Ganges, and became known as the Brahman and their language was Sanskrit of India. Those who departed from Bactria to the northwest, again divided, one taking the most northern route through Russia, crossing the northern extremity of the Baltic sea into Scandinavia; and then the main body of the Baltic into Germany; this was known as the Gothic line. The other passed on, directly west, into Germany; and this line was known as the Teutonic.

We will now turn our attention to the descendants of Gomer, known to the Greeks, as the Cimmarians; whom we left settled on the northern banks of the Euxine. From time to time these had sent out colonies by the way of the Danube to northeastern Italy, - known as Umbria, and to France, then known as Gaul. About seven hundred years before the Christian era the remainder of the Cimmarians remaining in their original home, were driven thence by a Scythian horde, to the east; and followed around the eastern extremity of the Euxine sea, and took possession of a large and much civilized country in Asia Minor, Lydia There they remained sixty or eighty years, when they were driven out by the united efforts of the kings of Lydia and that of Neneveh. They crossed the Dardanelles, and went to the Danube, and then to the Elbe, and down that river to its mouth; and were there known to the Romans, as the Cimbri. The main body still passed on along the sea shore, through Gaul to Armorica, and from thence to Britain. This line may be traced from their home in Cimmaria, to their final settlement in Britain, and is known as the Cymric line. And here it is to be observed that the Cimmarians of the Greeks are the progenitors of all the Celtic race; whether known as Celts, Gauls, Gaels or Cymry, French, Welsh, Scots, Irish, or Britons. When the reader has traced these several lines on the map, he will be prepared to duly appreciate what is said in my history on this subject.