de bello gallico, 4.30

With these things having been known, the chiefs of Britain, who after the battle had convened to Caesar, having spoken amongst themselves, because they understood that cavalry and ships and grain were lacking for the Romans and they learned the paucity of the soldiers from the smallness of the camp, which were more narrow by this (fact) that Caesar had transported his legions without baggage, they concluded it was the best thing to do, with the rebellion having been made, to prohibit our men from grain and provision and stretch the affair into winter, because, with these men having been conquered or kept from return, they were believing that no one would cross over into Britain afterward for the sake of waging war. And so, with a conspiracy again having been made, they began little by little to depart from camp and led their own men secretly from the fields.

de bello gallico, 4.29

In the same night it happened that the moon was clear, which day accustomed to make the greatest maritime tides in the ocean, and this was unknown to us. Thus at one time both had the tide had filled the war ships by which Caesar had taken care that his army must be transported, and which he had lead up on dry land, and a storm was afflicting the transport ships, which were bound to anchors, and there was not any means given to us either of managing or of aiding (the ships). With very many ships having been broken, and because the rest were unusable for sailing—the ropes, anchors, and remaining equipment having been lost—this which was necessary to happen, a great uproar of the whole army occurred. For neither were there other ships by which they could be carried back and all things were lacking which was for use for repairing ships and, because it was evident to everyone that they ought to winter in Gaul, grain had not been provided for in these locations for the winter.

de bello gallico, 4.28

With peace having been affirmed by these things, after the fourth day which it was come into Britain eighteen ships, about which it was mentioned above, which had carried the cavalry, from a higher port were released by a gentle wind. Which when they approached Britain and were seen from the camps, such a storm suddenly arose that none of them were able to hold their course, but some were carried back to the same place whence they had set out, others were thrown to a lower part of the island, which is nearer to the setting of the sun, with great danger to them; which nevertheless with the anchors having been thrown, when they were filling with waves, by necessity, in the face of the night having been born into the deep, sought the continent.

de bello gallico, 4.27

The enemy having been conquered in battle, as soon as they recovered themselves from flight, immediately sent envoys about peace to Caesar; they promised that they would give hostages and they would do whatever Caesar had ordered. Together with these envoys, came Commius Atrebas, whom I had mentioned above, having been sent ahead into Britain by Caesar. This man, having gotten off the ship, when in the manner of an ambassador carried to them the orders of Caesar, those men had seized and thrown into chains: then they sent (him) back, with the battle having been finished. In seeking peace they threw the blame of this affair onto the multitude, and they asked that it be pardoned on account of ignorance. Caesar, having been asked, because they had waged war without cause, although on their own accord, with legates having been sent to the continent, they had sought peace from him, said he would forgive their ignorance and demanded hostages. Of which those men they gave part immediately, and part, summoned from more remote places, they said they would give in a few days. Meanwhile they ordered their men to move back into the fields and their chiefs began to come together from everywhere and entrust themselves and their states to Caesar.

de bello gallico, 4.26

It was fought by each fiercely. Our men, however, because they were able neither to preserve their ranks, nor to stand firmly, nor follow the standards, and someone from another ship was adding himself with which standards he had run up to, were greatly disturbed; the enemy indeed, with all the fords well-known, when from the shore they had caught sight of some individuals coming out from their ship, with the horses having been spurred on were attacking the impeded men, many were surrounding few, others were hurling weapons from the open side into the mass of men. Which when Caesar had learned (it), he ordered the skiffs of the war ships and likewise the scouting ships to be filled with soldiers, and whom he had seen laboring, to these he was sending aid. Our men, as soon as they stood on the dry land, with all of their own men having caught up, made an attack on the enemy and gave them into flight; and they were not able to follow farther because the cavalry was not able to hold course and to take the island. This one thing was lacking for Caesar to his previous good fortune.

de bello gallico, 4.25

Which, when Caesar learned (it), he ordered the war ships, of which both the type was more unusual to the barbarians and their motion was more fit for the use, to be moved back a little from the transport ships and to be propelled by oars and to be anchored at the open side of the enemy and thence the enemy be driven off and moved back with darts, arrows, artillery; which circumstance was (for) a great use for us. For the barbarians, terrified both by the shape of the ships and by the motion of the oars and by the unaccustomed kind of weaponry, stopped and retreated just a little (lit. drew back foot). And, with our soldiers clumping together, mostly because of the depth of the sea, (this one) who was carrying the eagle of the tenth legion, having beseeched the gods that this matter turn out happily for the legion, said “Jump out soldiers, unless you want to betray the eagle to our enemy: I certainly will have done my duty for the republic and my general.” When he had said this, with great voice he threw himself from the ship and began to carry the eagle among the enemy. Then our companies all together jumped from the ship among themselves lest such a disgrace be admitted. When they had seen these men from the nearby ships likewise having followed they approach the enemy.

de bello gallico, 4.24

But the barbarians, with the plan of the Romans having been found out, with their cavalry and chariots having been sent ahead, the kind which they were frequently accustomed to use in battles, having followed with their remaining troops, prohibited our men from disembarking from the ships. There was a very great difficulty because of these reasons: because the ships on account of their size could not be anchored except in deep (water), moreover by the soldiers, with the places unknown, with their hands burdened, oppressed by their great and heavy burden of armor, at the same time both it had to be jumped from the ships and position had to be gained in the waves and it had to be fought with the enemy, when those either from dry (land) or having progressed a little into the water, with all their limbs unencumbered, with the places very well-known, threw projectiles boldly and spurred on well-trained horses. Our men, terrified by which things and altogether inexperienced in this type of battle, were not using the same quickness and zeal which they had been accustomed to use in infantry battles.