Only the galley of Germanicus landed upon the coast of the
Chaucians, where wandering sadly, day and night, upon the rocks and
prominent shore, and incessantly accusing himself as the author of such
mighty destruction, he was hardly restrained by his friends from casting
himself desperately into the same hostile floods. At last, with the
returning tide and an assisting gale, the ships began to return, all
maimed, almost destitute of oars, or with coats spread for sails; and
some, utterly disabled, were dragged by those that were less. He repaired
them hastily, and despatched them to search the islands; and by this care
many men were gleaned up; many were by the Angrivarians, our new subjects,
redeemed from their maritime neighbours and restored; and some, driven
into Great Britain, were sent back by the little British kings. Those who
had come from afar, recounted wonders at their return, "the impetuosity of
whirlwinds; wonderful birds; sea monsters of ambiguous forms, between man
and beasts." Strange sights these! or the effects of imagination and fear.
The noise of this wreck, as it animated the Germans with hopes of renewing
the war, awakened Germanicus also to restrain them: he commanded Caius
Silius, with thirty thousand foot and three thousand horse, to march
against the Cattans: he himself, with a greater force, invaded the
Marsians, where he learnt from Malovendus, their general, lately taken
into our subjection, that the Eagle of one of Varus's legions was hid
underground in a neighbouring grove, and kept by a slender guard.
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