CESAR'S FORCES 221 



place, and, weighing anchor, sailed seven miles onward 

 to Deal. The British, however, were ready for him 

 when he reached the site of that town, and it was only 

 after a stubborn fight on the beach, and half in the 

 waves, that the Roman legionaries effected a landing. 

 The decks of Caesar's triremes were crowded with men 

 who slung stones, threw javelins, and worked great 

 catapults against the Britons, in order to cover the 

 advance of the heavily armoured soldiers as they 

 waded through the shallow water. When once these 

 men, led by the intrepid standard-bearer of Caesar's 

 favourite Tenth Legion, had gained the beach, their 

 discipline, their helmets, armour, shields, and short 

 swords speedily prevailed against the ill-protected and 

 undisciplined hordes of the brave islanders. The day 

 was won, and the Romans, having put the Britons to 

 flight, encamped by the shore. Three weeks of 

 battles, ambushes, skirmishes, and negotiations for 

 peace followed this landing, and then Caesar left Britain. 

 The equinox was at hand, and storms raged. Half his 

 fleet was destroyed by a tempest, and he was anxious 

 to be away. So, accepting any terms that he might 

 with honour, he patched up his vessels and sailed for 

 Gaul ; and thus ended the first attempt of the Romans 

 to conquer Britain. 



The following year Caesar determined to invade the 

 island on a larger scale. His first expedition had been 

 obliged to remain ingloriously within sight and sound 

 of the waves ; but this time the general resolved to 

 push into the heart of the country. Sailing from his 

 former harbour, his force numbered five legions and 

 two thousand horse, roughly 27,000 men, and with this 

 army, considerable as times went, he landed, unopposed, 

 at Deal on the morning of July 22. Caesar tells us that 

 the Britons were frightened by the great number of his 

 ships seen sailing across the Channel, but the truth 

 seems to be that he had been sowing jealousies and 

 dissensions among the petty chiefs and kinglets of 

 Kent, and that a secret understanding was arrived at 



