Having seen their horses safely stowed below the young men crowded to the side of the ship to exchange adieus with their friends.  The parting was a brief one, for the wind was fair, and the general anxious to be well out of the bay before nightfall.  Therefore the signal was hoisted.  Numbers of slaves seized the hawsers of the ships and towed them along through the narrow passage which connected the docks with the sea.  A shout of adieu rose from the crowd, the sails were hoisted, and the fleet proceeded on its way.

The arrangements for the comfort of the troops at sea were simple and primitive.  Each man shifted for himself.  The whole space below was occupied by cargo or horses.  The troops lived and slept on deck.  Here, on wide flat stones, they cooked their meals, whiled away the day by games of chance, 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.