An Island Story | Page 3

too long to tell of them, so we must pass on to
the time when another great warrior heard of the little lonely island and
came to conquer it.
The name of this great warrior was Julius C¾sar. He was a Roman. At
that time the Romans were a very powerful people. They called
themselves the masters of the world.
It is true they were very clever. They had taught themselves how to
fight, how to make swords and armor, and how to build fortresses,
better than any of the peoples who lived then. So it happened that the
Romans generally won the victory over all who fought against them.
But they were a very greedy people and, as soon as they heard of a new
country, they wanted to conquer it and call it part of the Roman
Empire.
Julius C¾sar had been fighting in Gaul, or France as we now call it.

While there, he heard of the little island with white cliffs over the sea.
He was told that the people were very big and brave and fierce. He also
heard that it was a rich land full of tin, lead, and other useful metals,
and that the shores were strewn with precious pearls. So he resolved to
conquer this land and add it to the Roman Empire.
C¾sar gathered together about eighty ships, twelve thousand men, and
a great many horses. These he thought would be enough with which to
conquer the wild men of Britain. One fine day he set sail from France
and soon came in sight of the island. The Britons in some way or other
had heard of his coming and had gathered to meet him. As he drew near,
C¾sar saw with surprise that the whole shore was covered with men
ready for battle. He also saw that the place which he had chosen for
landing was not good, for there were high, steep cliffs upon which the
Britons could stand and shower darts upon his soldiers. So he turned
his ships and sailed along the coast until he came to a place where the
shore was flat.
The Roman ships were called galleys. They had sails, but were also
moved by oars. The rowers sat in long lines down each side of the
galley. Sometimes there were two or three tiers of them sitting one
above the other. These rowers were generally slaves and worked in
chains. They were often soldiers who had been taken prisoner in war,
or wicked men who were punished for their misdeeds by being made to
row in these galleys.
It was a dreadful life. The work was very hard, and in a storm if the
vessel was wrecked, as often happened, the poor galley slaves were
almost sure to be drowned, because their heavy chains prevented them
from swimming.
'THE SHORE WAS COVERED WITH MEN READY FOR
BATTLE.'
As the Roman galleys sailed along the coast, the British warriors with
their horses and war chariots followed on land.
The war chariots of the British were very terrible. They were like light

carts and held several men; one to drive the horses and the others to
fight. On either side, from the center of the wheels, swords stuck out.
As the wheels went round these swords cut down, killed, or wounded
every one who came within reach. The Britons trained their horses so
well, that they would rush madly into battle or stand stock still in a
moment. It was a fearful sight to see these war chariots charge an
enemy.
After sailing along the coast a little way, C¾sar found a good place at
which to land, and turned his vessels inshore. But the great galleys
required so much water in which to sail that they could not come quite
close to land.
Seeing this, C¾sar told his soldiers to jump into the water. But the
soldiers hesitated, for the Britons had rushed into the water to meet
them and the Romans did not like the idea of fighting in the sea.
Although the Romans were very good soldiers, they were not such
good sailors as might have been expected. They did not love the water
as the Britons did.
These fierce "barbarians," as the Romans called the Britons, urging
their horses into the waves, greeted the enemy with loud shouts. Every
inch of the shore was known to them. They knew exactly where it was
shallow and where it was deep, so they galloped through the water
without fear.
Suddenly a brave Roman, when he saw how the soldiers hesitated,
seized a standard and leaped overboard crying, "Leap forth now,
soldiers, if you will not betray your ensign to the enemy, for I surely
will bear myself as is my duty."
The Romans did not