Julian felt that he could not ask his army to cross the stream openly in the face of a foe thus advantageously posted.

He therefore waited the approach of night.
When darkness had closed in, he made his dispositions; divided his fleet into portions; embarked a number of his troops; and, despite the dissuasions of his officers, gave the signal for the passage to commence.

Five ships, each of them conveying eighty soldiers, led the way, and reached the opposite shore without accident.

Here, however, the enemy received them with a sharp fire of burning darts, and the two foremost were soon in flames.

At the ominous sight the rest of the fleet wavered, and might have refused to proceed further, had not Julian, with admirable presence of mind, exclaimed aloud--"Our men have crossed and are masters of the bank--that fire is the signal which I bade them make if they were victorious." Thus encouraged, the crews plied their oars with vigor, and impelled the remaining vessels rapidly across the stream.