INTERNAL COMMUNICATION. 21 )

lization, and commerce required the trans-portation of bulky articles, this mode of con-veyance would be inconvenient and inappli-cable to the purpose. It is probable the nextchange of interior communication would be theintroduction of sledges, where the articles to beconveyed was placed upon a square frame ofwood, which was dragged along by the horse,and when the goods were very bulky the unitedelfort of several horses could be then employed,which could not be done when it was laid upontheir backs.

It is very uncertain at what period wheel-carriages were first introduced into GreatBritain ; the war-chariots of the ancient Britonsformed a species of wheel-carriages, but it doesnot appear that at that period they were usedfor the purposes of conveying goods.

The Romans would, no doubt, introducemany of the Eastern articles of trade and of thearts ; but such is the force of habit, that itappears, long after the invasion of the islandby that people, the ancient inhabitants retainedtheir native habits and customs.

% degrees, however, when civilizationreached a higher degree of perfection, and com-merce became more extended, the occurrenceof articles of trade or comfort in the interior