e, and slept at night on skins or thick rugs. Fortunately
the weather was fair. It was early in March, but the nights were not
cold.

The fleet hugged the coast, anchoring at night, until the northern
shores stood out clear and well defined as Spain stretched down towards
Africa. Then they crossed and cruised along until they arrived at
Carthagena. Short as was the time which had elapsed since the foundation
of that city, its aspect was already imposing and extensive. It lay at
the head of a gulf facing south, about a mile in depth and nearly double
that width. Across the mouth of this bay was an island, with but a
narrow passage on each side, protecting it from the southern winds, and
forming with it a magnificent harbour.

On a bold hill at the head of the harbour stood the town. This hill rose
from a wide lagoon, which communicated on one side with the sea, and
was on the other separated from it only by a strip of land, four hundred
yards wide. Through this a wide channel had been dug. Thus the hill,
which was of considerable extent, rugged and precipitous, was isolated,
and could only be attacked by sea.

The town was built in a sort of amphitheatre facing the sea, and
was surrounded by a strong fortification two miles and a half in
circumference, so that even should an assailant cross the lagoon, which
in summer was nearly dry, he would have before him an almost impregnable
defence to carry. Here, in buildings whose magnitude surprised the
newcomers, acquainted as they were with the buildings of Carthage,
were stored the treasures, the baggage, the ammunition of war, and the
provisions of the army.

It had been the aim of the great Hamilcar, and of Hasdrubal after him,
to render the army of Spain as far as possible independent of the mother
country. They well knew how often the treasury of Carthage was empty
owing to the extravagance and dishonesty of her rulers, and how
impossible it would be to obtain thence the supplies required for
the army. Therefore they established immense workshops, where arms,
munitions of war, machines for sieges, and everything required for the
use of the army were fabricated.

Vast as were the expenses of these establishments, the revenues
of Iberia were amply sufficient not only to defray all the cost of
occupation, but to transmit large sums to Carthage. These revenues were
derived partly from the tribute paid by conquered tribes, partly from
the spoils taken in captured cities,