Ossian, the Tyrians and Carthagenians, visited not only South Britain, but carried on a trade with the most northern parts of the island. Among other articles, Strabo mentions, in particular, bits made from the teeth of the Walrus, or sea horse. Now boats made of wickers covered with skins, were ill calculated to navigate the frozen seas where those animals are generally found,* and which require the strongest ships, built in these days. Their intercourse with the people just mentioned, supposing they were ignorant in these matters before, must have given them an insight into shipbuilding. But from whatever quarter they obtained the knowledge, the northern inhabitants have, time out of mind, been expert navigators. Their ingenuity in this art far surpasses any thing recorded of the Phoenicians, Carthagenians, Greeks, or Romans. Observing * They inhabit the coast of Spitzbergen, Nova Zemḥla, Hudson's Bay, &c. Are very fierce-if wounded in the water, they attempt to sink the boat, either by rising under it, or by striking their great teeth into the sides; which weigh sometimes twenty pounds each. Wickers covered with hide would be a sorry defence against such animals. Observing that birds of passage crossed the German ocean twice annually, from the British isles to the continent; they shaped their course according as these birds took flight in their emigrations. If the voyage was to make discoveries, or to any distant. parts, they took with them on board several birds; sometimes hawks, but generally ravens. When out of sight of land, if doubtful of what course they steered, or were desirous to reach the nearest coast, they let fly one of these birds, after mounting high in the air it made directly for the nearest land; which the sailors discerning, always directed their course the same way. We are told of one Flacco, a chief of the Orcades, who setting sail with a design to reach Iceland, having some of these pilots, as they used to call them; after proceeding a good way north, he dismissed one of his ravens, it flew back to the Orcades. Continuing still his course, he after a while let go another, this ascended aloft, but perceiving no land, returned again to the vessel. Still persisting, he turned out a third; this went off directly north, and Flacco G Flacco following, found land. The ships in which they made these excursions, were navigated both by sails and oars. The least carried twelve rowers, and as many fighting men, others an hundred, and some an hundred and fifty. The use of the pilot-raven was common to the Danes and Norwegians, some of whose ships were very large. Their chronicles mention one of an extraordinary size belonging to Harold Harfagre, called the Dragon. Olave Triggueson possessed another named the Serpent, long and high, having thirty four banks of rowers.* When Ingulph, in 874, settled in Iceland, he found there wooden crosses, and other little pieces of workmanship. These were left by fishermen from Ireland or the Hebrides, who were then catholics, and left these effects behind them. A proof, that the natives of those islands were then daring adventurers by sea. We find the same people See Mallet, vol. i. p. 258. + Ibid, p. 270. ས་ people early infesting the coasts of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. In 945, North Britain had such powerful fleets, that according to Matthew of Winchester, Edmund of England gave Cumbria to Malcolm of Scotland, on condition of defending his northern territories from the depredations of pirates.* Ossian's omission of wolves and bears, is no argument, as Mr. L. asserts, of modern fabrication. A poet is not a Zoologist. It cannot be expected he should enumerate all the birds and beasts of the country. He only mentions those which answer his purpose. Neither Homer nor Virgil introduce the rhinoceros, or even the elephant, nor many other ferocious beasts, though inhabitants of the same regions that produce lions and tygers. The Highland bard seldom notices animals. His attention seems wholly occupied with hills, woods, floods, lakes, clouds, storms: the sun, moon, stars, and other magnificent objects of nature. He never compares his heroes in battle to beasts. G2 Man, * Pinkerton, vol. i. p. 93. 17659A Man, the most noble and intrepid of creatures, greatly loses, instead of gaining, by having his courage put in competition with the savage ferocity of a wolf or a bear. In the Literary Journal for August 1804, is a spirited reply to Mr. Laing's dissertation against the authenticity of Ossian's poems. As many of his arguments are solid, and he possesses a knowledge of the Gael, the reader will excuse my quoting them here: taking at the same time the liberty of adding, and remarking, where we differ in opinion. "Mr. Laing," he observes, "divides his de"tections," (so he terms his objections,)" into eight general heads, under which he introdu 66 66 ces numerous minute detections, a species of "small sword thrusting of which he is very fond. "We must beg the indulgence of our readers "while we follow him through the mazes which "he has traced: to ascertain such an important point in the history of literature, must be an "object highly interesting to every reader. "Mr. Laing's first detection is from the Ro man |