Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . d their forcesin their own territory in expectation of invasion. Hehad other designs in hand ; and returning to thebridge, which he had left strongly guarded on bothbanks, he recrossed it, broke it down, and turned hisback on the Rhine with a full sense that he had doneall that he had intended to do. He had seen the white cliffs of Britain the yearbefore in his expedition against the Morini. Hehad been hearing of the island ever since he came toGaul, and knew it to be a refuge for his enemies anda secret source of their strength.^
Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . d their forcesin their own territory in expectation of invasion. Hehad other designs in hand ; and returning to thebridge, which he had left strongly guarded on bothbanks, he recrossed it, broke it down, and turned hisback on the Rhine with a full sense that he had doneall that he had intended to do. He had seen the white cliffs of Britain the yearbefore in his expedition against the Morini. Hehad been hearing of the island ever since he came toGaul, and knew it to be a refuge for his enemies anda secret source of their strength.^ He had now afleet which could navigate the ocean ; and as hefailed to obtain any satisfactory information aboutthe nature and inhabitants of the country from thetraders and merchants Avho alone were acquaintedwith it, he determined to go and reconnoitre itfor himself. Every precaution was taken, for theenterprise was perhaps the most hazardous ever yetundertaken by a Roman general. Volusenus, anofficer whose command of the Gallic cavalry made *B. G. iv., BRIDGE BUILT BY C/ESAR ACROSS THE RHINE. 54 ] Invasions of Germany and Britain. 195 him a fit person to land on a strange Celtic shore,had been sent with a ship of war to discover a suita-ble harbour, and to make inquiries as to the strengthand warlike capacity of the natives. Envoys sentby British tribes to whom the rumour of Caesarscoming had floated, were warmly received, and sentback with promises of his good-will and protection ;and a Gaul of distinction was sent with them, whowas already known in the island and in some degreeinfluential there. This person was one Commlus,of whom we shall hear more hereafter. Caesar hadmade him King of the Atrebates, and could rely uponhis intelligence and fidelity. Volusenus returned without having ventured toland, and therefore without any very useful informa-tion. Caesar had by this time assembled eightymerchant ships in one port, to transport two legions,and eighteen in anoth
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