hat the Carthaginian fleet was stationed in the
mouth of the river, and that the camp was pitched upon the bank. In
order, therefore, to overpower them while off their guard and
incautious, by a universal and wide-spread terror, he weighed anchor
and advanced. In Spain there are several towers placed in high
situations, which they employ both as watch-towers and as places of
defence against pirates. From them first, a view of the ships of the
enemy having been obtained, the signal was given to Hasdrubal; and a
tumult arose in the camp, and on land sooner than on the ships and at
sea; the dashing of the oars and other nautical noises not being yet
distinctly heard, nor the promontories disclosing the fleet. Upon
this, suddenly one horseman after another, sent out by Hasdrubal,
orders those who were strolling upon the shore or resting quietly in
their tents, expecting any thing rather than the enemy and a battle on
that day, immediately to embark and take up arms: that the Roman fleet
was now a short distance from the harbour. The horsemen, despatched in
every direction, delivered these orders; and presently Hasdrubal
himself comes up with the main army. All places resound with noises of
various kinds; the soldiers and rowers hurrying together to the ships,
rather like men running away from the land than marching to battle.
Scarcely had all embarked, when some, unfastening the hawsers, are
carried out against the anchors; others cut their cables, that nothing
might impede them; and by doing every thing with hurry and
precipitation, the duties of mariners were impeded by the preparations
of the soldiers, and the soldiers were prevented from taking and
preparing for action their arms, by the bustle of the mariners. And
now the Roman was not only approaching, but had drawn up his ships for
the battle. The Carthaginians, therefore, thrown into disorder, not
more by the enemy and the battle than by their own tumult, having
rather made an attempt at fighting than commenced a battle, turned
their fleet for flight; and as the mouth of the river which was before
them could not be entered in so broad a line, and by so many pressing
in at the same time, they ran their ships on shore in every part. And
being received, some in the shallows, and others on the dry shore,
some armed and some unarmed, they escaped to their friends, who were
drawn up in battle-array over the shore. Two Carthaginian ships were
captured and four sunk on the f