<Dl> <Dd> The island is triangular in its form, and one of its sides is opposite to Gaul . One angle of this side, which is in Kent, whither almost all ships from Gaul are directed, (looks) to the east; the lower looks to the south . This side extends about 500 miles . Another side lies toward Hispania and the west, on which part is Ireland, less, as is reckoned, than Britain, by one half: but the passage from it into Britain is of equal distance with that from Gaul . In the middle of this voyage, is an island, which is called Mona: many smaller islands besides are supposed to lie there, of which islands some have written that at the time of the winter solstice it is night there for thirty consecutive days . We, in our inquiries about that matter, ascertained nothing, except that, by accurate measurements with water, we perceived the nights to be shorter there than on the continent . The length of this side, as their account states, is 700 miles . The third side is toward the north, to which portion of the island no land is opposite; but an angle of that side looks principally toward Germany . This side is considered to be 800 miles in length . Thus the whole island is about 2,000 miles in circumference . </Dd> </Dl> <Dd> The island is triangular in its form, and one of its sides is opposite to Gaul . One angle of this side, which is in Kent, whither almost all ships from Gaul are directed, (looks) to the east; the lower looks to the south . This side extends about 500 miles . Another side lies toward Hispania and the west, on which part is Ireland, less, as is reckoned, than Britain, by one half: but the passage from it into Britain is of equal distance with that from Gaul . In the middle of this voyage, is an island, which is called Mona: many smaller islands besides are supposed to lie there, of which islands some have written that at the time of the winter solstice it is night there for thirty consecutive days . We, in our inquiries about that matter, ascertained nothing, except that, by accurate measurements with water, we perceived the nights to be shorter there than on the continent . The length of this side, as their account states, is 700 miles . The third side is toward the north, to which portion of the island no land is opposite; but an angle of that side looks principally toward Germany . This side is considered to be 800 miles in length . Thus the whole island is about 2,000 miles in circumference . </Dd> <P> No information about harbours or other landing - places was available to the Romans before Caesar's expeditions, so Caesar was able to make discoveries of benefit to Roman military and trading interests . Volusenus's reconnaissance voyage before the first expedition apparently identified the natural harbour at Dubris (Dover), although Caesar was prevented from landing there and forced to land on an open beach, as he did again the following year, perhaps because Dover was too small for his much larger forces . The great natural harbours further up the coast at Rutupiae (Richborough), which were used by Claudius for his invasion 100 years later, were not used on either occasion . Caesar may have been unaware of them, may have chosen not to use them, or they may not have existed in a form suitable for sheltering and landing such a large force at that time . Present knowledge of the period geomorphology of the Wantsum Channel that created that haven is limited . </P> <P> By Claudius' time Roman knowledge of the island would have been considerably increased by a century of trade and diplomacy, and four abortive invasion attempts . However, it is likely that the intelligence gathered in 55 and 54 BC would have been retained in the now - lost state records in Rome, and been used by Claudius in the planning of his landings . </P>

Who tried to invade britain 100 years before claudius