ROMAN DEVON. 
239 
shortly reached Totonesiimi Littus, now Torbay, where he disembarked 
his troops without opposition, as the Britons, not expecting him in that 
quarter, were unprepared for resistance. Having effected his landing 
without loss, he marched with all haste to Caer Penhulgoite, the capital 
of Dumnonii, in expectation of surprising it before the news of his 
arrival could reach. In this he was mistaken ; for whether the citizens 
were apprised of his arrival or not, they were prepared for a vigorous 
resistance. The Britons not paying the least attention to his summons 
to surrender, he closely invested it, supposing in a few days he should 
compel them to open their gates. In the meantime the inhabitants, 
who were resolved to hold out to the last extremity, contrived to send 
intelligence to Arviragus of the landing of the Romans and the block- 
ade of their town. Arviragus immediately marched to their relief ; 
and Vespasian, who was informed of his approach, prepared to give him 
battle. After a long and bloody engagement, the victory remaining 
doubtful, a truce was agreed on between the two generals, and by the 
mediation of Genwissa, the queen of Arviragus, who was daughter to 
Claudius, a permanent peace was established after the siege had con- 
tinued eight days/ 
" For the whole of this circumstantial statement there is not the 
slightest historical evidence. But still there is a line of truth 
running through it, and the traditions thus preserved support the 
argument that the Dumnonii were not conquered as the other tribes 
were, but that the Eomans, from the nature of the country and the 
valour of the inhabitants, were compelled to conclude a peace on 
terms which the other tribes were unable to obtain. 
" The ultimate results of this war are thus summed up by Beale 
Poste : 1 The Belgse were made part of the province of Britannia 
Prima, and subdivided into two subordinate native governments ; 
i.e. the Belgra and Durotriges, which division we find in Ptolemy, 
and which we may connect with this period. The Dumnonii 
appear to have been better treated, as they retained their nationality 
under their native princes. Thus we find they were called the 
Gens Dumnona a century after. They enjoyed their territory un- 
molested by the Eomans as far as we know, and there is no record 
in ancient authors that there was ever a Eoman garrison among 
them ; the only apparent instance to the contrary the Legio 
Secunda Augusta noted in Ptolemy as stationed at Isca Ditm- 
nonum but this is not the case, as we shall see, if Exeter is not 
Isca Silurum, and is therefore another proof of what I am saying, 
(p. 332.) ' The defence of the coast, too, was evidently left to the 
