his troops in the confusion occasioned by its capture, and some
also in the flight, for the cavalry pursued them closely while they
were dispersed, he made his escape with a few attendants. During these
transactions on the river Baetis, Laelius in the mean time, sailing
out of the straits into the ocean, came with his fleet before Carteia,
a city situated on the coast of the ocean, where the sea begins
to expand itself, after being confined in a narrow strait. He had
entertained hopes of having Gades betrayed to him without a contest,
persons having come unsolicited into the Roman camp to make promises
to that effect, as has been before mentioned. The plot was discovered
before it was ripe, and all having been apprehended, were placed by
Mago in the hands of Adherbal the praetor, to be conveyed to Carthage.
Adherbal, having put the conspirators on board a quinquereme, sent
it in advance, because it sailed slower than a trireme, and followed
himself at a moderate distance with eight triremes. The quinquereme
was just entering the strait, when Laelius, who had himself also
sailed out of the harbour of Carteia in a quinquereme, followed by
seven triremes, bore down upon Adherbal and his triremes, feeling
assured that the trireme, when once caught in the rapid strait, would
not be able to return against the opposing current. The Carthaginian,
alarmed by the suddenness of the affair, hesitated for some little
time whether he should follow the trireme, or turn his prows against
the enemy. This very delay put it out of his power to decline an
action, for they were now within a weapon's cast, and the enemy were
bearing down upon him on all sides. The current also had rendered
it impossible to manage the ships. Nor was the action like a naval
engagement, inasmuch as it was in no respect subject to the control
of the will, nor afforded any opportunity for the exercise of skill
or method. The nature of the strait and the tide, which solely and
entirely governed the contest, carried the ships against those of
their own and the enemy's party indiscriminately, though striving in
a contrary direction; so that you might see one ship which was flying
whirled back by an eddy and driven against the victors, and another
which was engaged in pursuit, if it had fallen into an opposite
current, turning itself away as if for flight. And when actually
engaged, one ship while bearing down upon another with its beak
directed against it, assuming a