of the army under such a shower of missiles as we
shall meet with on the other side."

Hannibal, however, had prepared to overcome the difficulty. Messengers
had been sent up and down the river to all the people living on the
right bank, offering to buy from them at good prices every barge and
boat in their possession, promising them freedom from all exactions
and hard treatment, and offering good pay to those who would render
assistance to the army in the passage. Hannibal's offers were accepted
without hesitation. That the army, which could, had it chosen, have
taken all their boats by force and impressed their labour, should offer
to pay liberally for both, filled them with admiration, and they were,
moreover, only too glad to aid this formidable army of strangers to pass
out of their country.

The dwellers upon the Rhone at this period carried on an extensive
commerce, not only with the tribes of the upper river, but with
Marseilles and the ports of Spain and Northern Italy, consequently a
large number of vessels and barges of considerable tonnage were at once
obtained.

To add to the means of transport the whole army were set to work, and,
assisted by the natives, the soldiers cut down trees, and, hollowing
them out roughly, formed canoes capable of carrying two or three men.
So industriously did the troops work that in two days enough canoes
were made to carry the army across the river; but there was still the
opposition of the natives to be overcome, and when the canoes were
finished Hannibal ordered Hanno, one of his best generals, to start with
a division at nightfall up the bank of the river.

Hanno marched five miles, when he found a spot where the river was
smooth and favourable for the passage. The troops set to at once to
cut trees; rafts were formed of these, and the troops passed over. The
Spanish corps, accustomed to the passage of rivers, simply stripped, and
putting their broad shields of hides beneath them, passed the river by
swimming. Once across Hanno gave his men twenty-four hours' rest, and
then, calculating that Hannibal's preparations would be complete, he
marched down the river until he reached a hill, whose summit was visible
from Hannibal's camp at daybreak. Upon this he lit a signal fire.

The moment the smoke was seen in the camp Hannibal gave orders for the
troops to embark. The light infantry took to their little canoes, the
cavalry embarked in the larger vessels, and, as these we