e Britons,
and the large ships of the Romans not being able to approach very near the
land. It was however successful, and the Britons sued for and obtained
peace.

This they were soon induced to break, in consequence of Caesar's fleet
being greatly injured by a storm; and the violence of the wind raising the
tide very high, the Roman sailors, unaccustomed to any tides except the
very trifling ones of the Mediterranean, were still more alarmed and
dispirited. The Britons, after attacking one of the legions, ventured on a
still bolder enterprize, for they endeavoured to force the Roman camp: in
this attempt they were defeated, and again obliged to sue for peace. This
was granted, and Caesar returned to Gaul. But the Britons not fulfilling
the conditions of the peace, Caesar again invaded their country with 600
ships and twenty-eight galleys; he landed without opposition, and defeated
the Britons. His fleet again encountered a storm, in which forty ships were
lost, and the rest greatly damaged. In order to prevent a similar accident,
he drew all his ships ashore, and enclosed them within the fortifications
of the camp. After this, he had no further naval operations with the
Britons.

It will now be proper to consider the state of Britain at the period of its
invasion by the Romans, with respect to its navigation and commerce. It is
the generally received opinion, that the Britons, at the time of the
invasion of their island by Caesar, had no ships except those which he and
other ancient authors, particularly Solinus and Lucan, describe. These were
made of light and pliant wood, their ribs seem to have been formed of
hurdles, and they were lined as well as covered (so far as they were at all
decked) with leather. They had, indeed, masts and sails; the latter and the
ropes were also made of leather; the sails could not be furled, but, when
necessary, were bound to the mast. They were generally, however, worked
with oars, the rowers singing to the stroke of their oars, sometimes
accompanied by musical instruments. These rude vessels seem not to have
been the only ones the Britons possessed, but were employed solely for the
purpose of sailing to the opposite coasts of Gaul and of Ireland. They
were, indeed, better able to withstand the violence of the winds and waves
than might be supposed from the materials of which they were built. Pliny
expressly states that they made voyages of six days in them; and in the
life of St Col