071 
of the borders of the Brigantes. Who, then, first conquered 
these people ? Does it not point to Claudius ? He had 
determined to obtain a triumph, and had fixed upon Britain 
for the scene. His general, Aulus Plautius, had prepared all 
for a campaign against the Britons. What would be his 
course thitherward 1 We are told by Suetonius that he set 
sail from Ostia; was shipwrecked on his voyage to Marseilles; 
and went from thence to Gessoriacum, and crossed over to 
Britain. Where, then, was Gessoriacum ? Let us recollect 
that he was about to undertake an expedition against a 
people, of whom the little that was known had taught the 
Romans they were an enemy not to be despised. Julius 
Cassar had invaded them ; and no one who studies the 
history of his campaigns, but must feel sure that his expedi- 
tions were failures. None had cared to repeat the inva- 
sion. A century had elapsed, and Britain, its harbours, and 
its country, were better known. An important trade had 
sprung up, and was carried on so vigorously, that it pro- 
duced a satisfactory revenue. If, then, Claudius meant to 
attack the Brigantes, is it not probable that he would plan 
to have his fleet as near as may be, and depend for his 
supplies mainly upon that source ? We know, from our 
campaigns in the Crimea and Abyssinia, how impossible it 
is to strike forward into an enemy's country, some hundred 
miles, without keeping open the communication with the 
seaboard. If Claudius had landed in the south, he would 
have had three parts of Britain to walk through, and to 
provision his army on their march, whilst passing through 
tribes, if not hostile, at least but doubtful friends. In 
Abyssinia, with all our modern advantages, we managed to 
accomplish a short ten miles a day. Now Claudius' cam- 
paign was over in sixteen days ! 
Must he not have landed somewhere nearer his work, on 
the eastern coast? If he had the choice of sailing from 
