Hannibal, who had been paying a visit to the ramparts, returned highly gratified with what he had seen. He informed me that all the forts were built upon cisterns, and that the rubble-work of the walls was twenty-four cubits thick at their base, and eighteen at their top; that the soldiers' quarters were on the second and third storeys, out of the reach of the battering rams, and built in the thickness of the walls; also that about three-quarters of a bowshot in advance of the inner line there was a wall half the height, and outside this again a strong palisade, with a moat and intrenchment. He thought, however, that his eye had been keen enough to discover one weak point to the right of the city, where the arsenal was overlooked by an adjacent hill, and I concurred in his opinion that another fort ought to be built upon the wall to cover any attack from the eminence.
The sundial on the Admiralty palace marked the hour of noon when, having made my roll-call, and satisfied myself that my men were all on board, I went to take leave of Adonibal. The aged suffect bade me a kind farewell, and wished me a prosperous voyage. I lost no time in giving the signal for departure, and as we left the harbour we raised a hearty cheer for the admiral, who was watching us from his balcony. Four other vessels, heavily freighted and bound for Massalia, at the mouth of the Rhone, left Utica immediately after us.
The distance from Utica to the Straits of Gades is 8800 stadia, and by fast vessels can be accomplished in about a week. A strong west wind, however, had made the sea so turbulent that all navigation was very difficult, and it was not until after four days that we sighted the Cabiri (or the Seven Capes), a point which is usually reached in two; and even then, in order to clear the promontory, we were obliged to make such long tacks that we quite lost sight of land, and were carried far towards the north. But at length, on the seventh day, I recognised the first great cape[37] on the mainland, south of the Pityusai Islands.
"Tarshish!" shouted Himilco, who had been so fully occupied that he had scarcely spoken before. "Tarshish at last!"
There was a rush to the deck; but so blinding were the rain and the spray, that it was impossible to distinguish anything on shore.
I had taken in enough water to last us for a fortnight, and it was well that I had done so, for we found ourselves experiencing the difficulty, not at all infrequent, of approaching this dangerous coast, and had to continue to make very long tacks.
After three days' perpetual struggle with the elements we were still off the Libyan coast, but the wind then moderated, and the rain gave place to sunshine. In the course of the next night Himilco and I, whilst well-nigh every one was asleep, recognised the tall perpendicular peaks of Calpe and Abyla, and soon afterwards we passed under the wall of rock that forms the southern limit of Tarshish; by the morning we were within sight of the level tongue of land south of the magnificent bay of Gades. All along the headland rose the white domes and terraces of the town, imbedded in luxuriant foliage; high above all was the semaphore beside the temple of Ashtoreth. As we entered the basin of what serves equally for trade-harbour and war-port, our trumpets were sounded, and we saluted the town with three ringing cheers.
We had reached our goal, and were in Tarshish at last.