THE EARLY BRITONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18496, 23 June 1928, Page 2

THE EARLY BRITONS.

To the Editor. Dear Sir.—ln last Monday's issue of the “Star” there is an account of an address given by Tc Ari-tana Pitama, on “The Future of the Maori Race.” and that gentleman is reported as saying that early Britons were cannibals, and that when the Romans conquered Britain they were so low down in the social scale that their masters could only use them as beasts of burden. It is only natural that the victors would use their subject people in this manner, irrespective of social status, as a studv of ancient history will bear out. Dr Hill Burton, in his “History of Scotland,” declares that there is only one historian that refers to the ancient Britons running naked and with their bodies painted, and that historian is Dion Cassius, who lived two hundred years after the birth of Christ; and he adds that he is the most untrustworthy of all historians. Just imagine people existing in that cold northern climate in a nude condition? There is plenty of evidence that the Phcenecians were trading with the early Britons long before the landing of Caesar, and it is even claimed that certain products were exported from Britain for use in the erection of King Solqmon's temple. We also learn that there were Druidical Colleges of learning, which drew students even from the continent. Excavations of recent years bear testimony to the fact that there was a certain amount of culture in the race which occupied Britain be fore the Romans I had hoped that one of our professors of historv at. the college would have taken this matter up, and shown where our Maori friend ! is mistaken —I am. etc . GP.B.