CHAP. I.
Caesar returneth into Gallia: findeth there great store of shipping made by the souldiers, and comman∣deth them to be brought to the hauen Iccius.
LVCIVS Domitius,* and Appius Claudius, being Consuls; Caesar at his going into Italie, gaue order to the Legats to build as manie ships that winter, as possibly they could; commanding them to be built of a lower pitch then those which are vsed in the mediterranean sea, for the speedier lading & vnlading of thē, and because the tides in these seas were verie great: and forasmuch as he was to transport great store of horse, he commanded them to be made flatter in the bottome them such as were vsuall in other places, and all of them to be made for the vse of Oares, to which purpose their low building serued verie conueniently. Other necessaries and furniture for rig∣ging, he gaue order to haue it brought out of Spaine. Caesar after the assembly of the states in Lombardie, and that he set free Illiricum from the incursions of the Pirustae, he returned into Gallia; where he found 600 ships built, by the extraordinarie indu∣strie of the souldiers, notwithstanding the penurie and want of all necessarie matter, with 28 Gallies ready furnished, which in a few daies might be lanched: hauing com∣mended the soldiers and ouerseers of the worke, he commanded them to be brought to the port called Iccius, from whence he knew the passage into Britanie, was not aboue thirtie mile ouer.
THE OBSERVATION.
THis Iccius Portus Floide thinketh to be Caleis; others take it to bee Saint Omer, partly in regard of the situation of the place, which be∣ing in it selfe verie lowe, hath notwithstanding very high bankes, which incompasse the towne about; and in times past was a verie large hauen. To this maie be added the distance from this towne, to the next continent of the Iland of Britany; which Strabo maketh to containe 320 stadia, which agreeth to the French computation of 13 leages. Caesar maketh it thirtie mile: this is the hauen, which Pliny calleth Britannicum portum Morinorum.
