led his army into a region watered by the river Ba- 

 grada, near which an unlooked for misfortune awaited 

 them, and at once affected the Roman camp with con- 

 fiderable lofs, and with apprehenflons ftill more terri- 

 ble ; for a ferpent of prodigious lize attacked the foldi- 

 ers who were fent for water, and while they were 

 overwhelmed with terror, and unequal to the conflict, 

 engulphed feveral of them in its enormous mouth, and 

 killed others by writhing round them with its fpires, 

 and bruifing them with the ftrokes of its tail: and fome 

 were even deftroyed by the peftilential effluvia pro- 

 ceeding from its breath ; it caufed fo much trouble to 

 Regulus that he found it neceffary to conteft the poffef- 

 iion of the river with it by employing the whole force 

 of his army; during which a conliderable number of 

 foliTiers were loft, while the ferpent could neither be 

 vanquished nor wounded 5 the ftrong armour of its 

 fcales eafily repelling the force of all the weapons that 

 were directed again ft it 3 upon which recourfe was had 

 to battering engines ; with which the animal was 

 attacked in the manner of a fortified tower, and was 

 thus at length overpowered. Several difcharges were 

 made againft it without fuccefs, till its back being 

 broken by an immenfe ftone,- the formidable monfter 

 began to lofe its powers, and was yet with difficulty 

 deftroyed ; after having diffufed fuch a horror amongft 

 the army, that they confefTed they would rather attack 

 Carthage itfelf than fuch another monfter. Nor could 

 the camp continue any longer in the fame ftation, but 

 was obliged to fly ; the water and the whole adjacent 

 region being tainted with the peftiferous effluvia. A 



moft 



