irst encounter.

20. The Romans, though the enemy was master of the shore, and they saw
armed troops lining the whole bank, promptly pursuing the discomfited
fleet of the enemy, towed out into the deep all the ships which had
not either shattered their prows by the violence with which they
struck the shore, or set their keels fast in the shallows. They
captured as many as twenty-five out of forty. Nor was that the most
splendid result of their victory: but they became masters of the whole
sea on that coast by one slight battle; advancing, then, with their
fleet to Honosca, and making a descent from the ships upon the coast,
when they had taken the city by storm and pillaged it, they afterwards
made for Carthage: then devastating the whole surrounding country,
they, lastly, set fire also to the buildings contiguous to the wall
and gates. Thence the fleet laden with plunder, arrived at Longuntica,
where a great quantity of oakum for naval purposes had been collected
by Hasdrubal: of this, taking away as much as was sufficient for their
necessities, they burnt all the rest. Nor did they only sail by the
prominent coasts of the continent, but crossed over into the island
Ebusus; where, having with the utmost exertion, but in vain, carried
on operations against the city, which is the capital of the island,
for two days, when they found that time was wasted to no purpose upon
a hopeless task, they turned their efforts to the devastation of the
country; and having plundered and fired several villages, and acquired
a greater booty than they had obtained on the continent, they retired
to their ships, when ambassadors from the Baliares came to Scipio to
sue for peace. From this place the fleet sailed back, and returned to
the hither parts of the province, whither ambassadors of all the
people who dwell on the Iberus, and of many people in the most distant
parts of Spain, assembled. But the number of states who really became
subject to the authority and dominion of the Romans, and gave
hostages, amounted to upwards of one hundred and twenty. The Roman
therefore, relying sufficiently on his land forces also, advanced as
far as the pass of Castulo. Hasdrubal retired into Lusitania, and
nearer the ocean.

21. After this, it seemed probable that the remainder of the summer
would be peaceful; and so it would have been with regard to the Punic
enemy: but besides that the tempers of the Spaniards themselves are
naturally restless, and