which shows the esteem in
which the Gauls held their women, was that all complaints on the part
of the natives against Carthaginian troops should be carried to Hannibal
himself or the general representing him, and that all complaints of the
Carthaginians against the natives should be decided without appeal by a
council composed of Gaulish women. This condition caused much amusement
to the Carthaginians, who, however, had no cause to regret its
acceptance, for the decisions of this singular tribunal were marked by
the greatest fairness and impartiality. The greater part of the tribes
through whose country the army marched towards the Rhone observed the
terms of the treaty with good faith; some proved troublesome, but were
wholly unable to stand against the Carthaginian arms.

The exact route traversed by the army has been a subject of long and
bitter controversy; but, as no events of very great importance occurred
on the way, the precise line followed in crossing Gaul is a matter of
but slight interest. Suffice that, after marching from the Pyrenees at
a high rate of speed, the army reached the Rhone at the point where
Roquemaure now stands, a short distance above Avignon.

This point had been chosen by Hannibal because it was one of the few
spots at which the Rhone runs in a single stream, its course being for
the most part greatly broken up by islands. Roquemaure lies sixty-five
miles from the sea, and it was necessary to cross the Rhone at some
distance from its mouth, for Rome was now thoroughly alarmed, and
Scipio, with a fleet and powerful army, was near Marseilles waiting to
engage Hannibal on the plains of Gaul.

During the last few days' march no inhabitants had been encountered.
The Arecomici, who inhabited this part of the country, had not been
represented at the meeting, and at the news of the approach of the
Carthaginians had deserted their country and fled across the Rhone,
where, joined by the tribes dwelling upon the further bank, they
prepared to offer a desperate opposition to the passage of the river.
The appearance of this mass of barbarians, armed with bows and arrows
and javelins, on the further side of the wide and rapid river which had
to be crossed, was not encouraging.

"It was bad enough crossing the Pyrenees," Malchus said to Trebon,
"but that was nothing to this undertaking; it is one thing to climb a
precipice, however steep, to the assault of an enemy, another to swim
across at the head