Thus it can be seen that the most ancient, aboriginal inhabitants of Britain and the surrounding islands were dark skinned, and wooly haired, and were part of an “Indo-European speaking people who inhabited the lands from India to Britain.
“The Jews - the Phoenicians - the Chaldee - are all stated to have visited our islands [Britain] at various periods, and perhaps to have colonized them. ...There seems little doubt that the Phoenicians, at any rate were here. They, indeed, appear to have been as great navigators as the British ever were. They are said to have crossed the Atlantic, and planted a settlement in Florida. They are believed to have sailed far into the Eastern seas, and to various parts of Africa, and they are admitted to have visited all the western coasts of Europe, and in the time of Hiram, King of Tyre to have voyaged far and wide in search of treasure, at the bidding of Solomon the Great. They are supposed to have traded at this time with the metal-workers of Cornwall, and to have colonized some parts of Ireland, and presumably, it was during this period that the Seal of Solomon was carved upon the Scottish stones.”
“So then the Druids and Druidesses “who had colleges in an island near the coast of Brittany,” who “professed a knowledge of the future,” who were figured as “bearded like goats,” and who “worshiped the gods,” were dark-skinned, curly haired Iberians, of the tribe of the Silures or Damnonii? This seems a fair inference.” “But at any rate, if the “small dark Highlander” and the Black Celt to the west of Shannon” be assumed to be the descendants of Iberians, it may fairly be argued that, with so much intermixture with fairer races during the last two thousand years, the stock must now be lighter skinned than then, and it’s representatives of the first century must of have been actually as black as Negroes. As a matter of fact, Pliny characterizes their complexion as aethiopian, that is, as black as an Ethiopian, and it may be that the “curliness” of their hair was of the same nature as a Negro’s also. Thus the Negritos of Huxley, the owners of such skulls as those found in Caithness, may have been allied to the ancient Iberians. That the wild tribes of Ireland were black men is hinted by the fact that “a wild Irishman” is in Gaelic “a black Irishman” (Dubh Eireannach).” “Ancient and Modern Britons”, by David MacRitichie, p.44-45
“When one learns that the people who are understood to represent the oldest known inhabitants of our islands [Briton] are thus classified under a denomination which covers the descendants of a supposed blending of “fair whites” and “Australoids,” -one naturally enquires further as to the position and characteristics of these “Australoids.” On looking at the map referred to, it is seen that they consist of the whole aboriginal population of Australia, -of the natives of Interior India (the Dekkan), -and of the inhabitants of Middle and Upper Egypt (the whole area, indeed, that is occupied by the descendants of The Ancient Egyptians). Mr. Huxley depicts the Australoids in the following words: -”The males of this type are commonly of fair stature, with well developed torso and arms, but relatively and absolutely slender legs. The colour of the skin is some shade of chocolate-brown; and the eyes are very dark brown or black. The hair is usually raven-black, fine and silky in texture;” “Ancient and Modern Britons”, by David MacRitichie, p.5
“In the Andaman Islands, in the Peninsula of Malacca, in the Philippines, in the islands which stretch from Wallace’s line eastward and southward, nearly parallel with the east coast of Australia, to New Caledonia, and finally, in Tasmania, men with dark skins and wooly hair occur who constitute a special modification of the Negroid type - the Negritos. ...the skull of the eastern and southern Negritos present, as I have mentioned, a remarkable approximation to the Australoid type... ” “Ancient and Modern Britons”, by David MacRitichie, p.5