Soon the provisions ran low; and there was talk of advancing in a body upon Carthage, and calling in the Romans.
One evening, at supper-time, dull cracked sounds were heard approaching, and something red appeared in the distance among the undulations of the soil.
It was a large purple litter, adorned with ostrich feathers at the corners.

Chains of crystal and garlands of pearls beat against the closed hangings.

It was followed by camels sounding the great bells that hung at their breasts, and having around them horsemen clad from shoulder to heel in armour of golden scales.
They halted three hundred paces from the camp to take their round bucklers, broad swords, and Boeotian helmets out of the cases which they carried behind their saddles.

Some remained with the camels, while the others resumed their march.

At last the ensigns of the Republic appeared, that is to say, staves of blue wood terminated in horses' heads or fir cones.