the first time saw the bands of Gaulish mercenaries.

The Spanish troops had excited the admiration and astonishment of
the Carthaginians by their stature and strength; but the Gauls
were a still more powerful race. They belonged to the tribes which
had poured down over the Apennines, and occupied the northern
portion of Spain long anterior to the arrival of the Carthaginians.
Their countenances were rugged, and as it seemed to Malchus, savage.
Their colour was much lighter than that of any people he had yet
seen. Their eyes were blue, their hair, naturally fair or brown,
was dyed with some preparation which gave it a red colour.

Some wore their long locks floating over their shoulders, others
tied it in a knot on the top of their heads. They wore a loose
short trouser fastened at the knee, resembling the baggy trousers
of the modern Turks. A shirt with open sleeves came halfway down
their thighs, and over it was a blouse or loose tunic decorated
with ornaments of every description, and fastened at the neck by
a metal brooch. Their helmets were of copper, for the most part
ornamented with the horns of stags or bulls. On the crest of the
helmet was generally the figure of a bird or wild beast. The whole
was surmounted by immense tufts of feathers, something like those
of our Highland bonnets, adding greatly to the height and apparent
stature of the wearers.

The Gauls had a passion for ornaments, and adorned their persons
with a profusion of necklaces, bracelets, rings, baldricks, and
belts of gold. Their national arms were long heavy pikes -- these
had no metal heads, but the points were hardened by fire; javelins
of the same description -- these before going into battle they set