Northern Gaul to Eastern Britain, would he he likely to 
prefer a passage from Southernmost Gaul to Southernmost 
Britain ? In the one case, he would have had his fleet close 
at hand to victual his army ; in the other, he would have 
had weary miles of march, from Kent or Sussex up to 
Yorkshire. Aulus Plautius, who preceded him, I think we 
may safely say did not do so ; for we are told by Dion that 
his army objected to the voyage, mutinied, and were 
with difficulty persuaded to embark; that, when partly over, 
they deliberated about returning ; but were encouraged to 
persevere by a meteor flashing " from east to west." What 
does that mean? How can you explain that statement 
away? Their course was clearly from east to west; and 
the voyage was sufficiently long to allow them to entertain 
the idea of returning. Whence, then, did Claudius set sail ? 
The name of the port at least is known. Suetonius has 
told us it was Gessoriacum. Pomponius Mela tells us it 
was " the best-known port of the Morini." It was near the 
Rhine ; for Strabo says, " To such as set sail from the parts 
about the Rhine, the passage is not exactly from its mouth, 
but from the Morini, which border on the Menapii." Csesar 
says the latter dwelt on "both" sides the Rhine. (Ethicus 
Ister, " The nearest shore of Britain is over against the 
country of the Morini, and Menapii, and Batavi." Pliny 
places next the Scheldt, " Toxandri, then the Morini and 
Menapii," and states they are joined by the place or district 
(l>< /</<>) Gessoriacum. Orosius states that " the Morini, 
Menapii, and Batavi dwelt together opposite Britain." 
Florus tells us that "Drusus joined by bridges (pontibus) 
Bonnam et Gessoriacum.''' Tacitus fixes this causeway, 
joined by three long bridges, at near the outlets of the 
Rhine. Yirgil speaks of the Morini as being the extreme 
borders of the empire, near where the Rhine branches into 
two channels — 
" Extremique houiimun Morini Rkenusque bicomis,"— JS/ieid, viii. 
