But the Milesians had druids also.[60] As soon as they suspected the agency which had caused the storm, they sent a man to the topmast of the ship to know “if the wind was blowing at that height over the surface of the sea.”  The man reported that it was not.  The druids then commence practising counter arts of magic, in which they soon succeeded, but not until five of the eight brothers were lost.  Four, including Donn, were drowned in the wild Atlantic, off the coast of Kerry.  Colpa met his fate at the mouth of the river Boyne, called from him Inbhear Colpa.  Eber Finn and Amergin, the survivors of the southern party, landed in Kerry, and here the battle of Sliabh Mis was fought, which has been already mentioned.

The battle of Taillten followed; and the Milesians having become masters of the country, the brothers Eber Finn and Eremon divided it between them; the former taking all the southern part, from the Boyne and the Shannon to Cape Clear, the latter taking all the part lying to the north of these rivers.

This arrangement, however, was not of long continuance.  Each was desirous of unlimited sovereignty; and they met to decide their claims by an appeal to arms at Geisill,[61] a place near the present Tullamore, in the King’s county.  Eber and his chief leaders fell in this engagement, and Eremon assumed the sole government of the island.[62]

[Illustration:  ANCIENT FLINT AXE.]

He took up his residence in Leinster, and after a reign of fifteen years died, and was buried at Raith Beothaigh, in Argat Ross.  This ancient rath still exists, and is now called Rath Beagh.  It is situated on the right bank of the river Nore, near the present village of Ballyragget, county Kilkenny.  This is not narrated by the Four Masters, neither do they mention the coming of the Cruithneans or Picts into Ireland.  These occurrences, however, are recorded in all the ancient copies of the Book of Invasions, and in the Dinnseanchus.  The Cruithneans or Picts are said to have fled from the oppression of their king in Thrace, and to have passed into Gaul.  There they founded the city of Poictiers.  From thence they were again driven by an act of tyranny, and they proceeded first to Britain, and then to Ireland.  Crimhthann Sciath-bel, one of King Bremen’s leaders, was at Wexford when the new colony landed.  He was occupied in extirpating a tribe of Britons who had settled in Fotharta,[63] and were unpleasantly distinguished for fighting with poisoned weapons.  The Irish chieftain asked the assistance of the new comers.  A battle was fought, and the Britons were defeated principally by the skill of the Pictish druid, who found an antidote for the poison of their weapons.  According to the quaint account of Bede,[64] the Celtic chiefs gave good advice to their foreign allies in return for their good deeds, and recommended them to settle in North Britain, adding that they would come to their assistance should they find any difficulty