Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 29
Frank Gardener Moore, Professor Emeritus in Columbia University, Ed.

27. When the day dawned Scipio on his flagship, after silence had been secured by a herald, prayed: [2] “Ye gods and goddesses who inhabit seas and lands, I pray and beseech you that whatever under my authority has been done, is being done, and shall henceforth be done, may prosper for me, for the Roman people and the commons, for allies and Latins who by land, by sea, and by rivers follow the [p. 313]lead, authority and auspices of the Roman people¹ and of myself; and that ye lend your kind aid to all those acts and make them bear good fruit; [3] that when the foe has been vanquished, ye bring the victors home with me safe and sound, adorned with spoils, laden with booty, and in triumph; [4] that ye grant power to punish opponents and enemies; and that ye bestow upon the Roman people and upon me the power to visit upon the state of the Carthaginians the fate that the people of Carthage have endeavoured to visit upon our state.”

[5] Immediately after this prayer a victim was slain and Scipio threw the organs raw into the sea, as is customary,² and by a trumpet gave the signal to sail. A favouring wind sufficiently strong quickly carried them out of sight of land. [6] And after mid-day they encountered a fog, so that with difficulty could they avoid collisions between the ships. In the open sea the wind was gentler. [7] Through the following night the same fog held; and when the sun was up, it was dispersed and the wind increased in force. Already they were in sight of land. Not very long afterwards the pilot told Scipio that Africa was not more than five miles away; that they sighted the Promontory of Mercury;³ if he should order him to steer for that, the entire fleet would soon be in port. [8] Scipio, now that the land was visible, after a prayer to the gods that [9??] his sight of Africa might be a [p. 315]blessing to the state and to himself, gave orders to⁴ make sail and to seek another landing-place for the ships farther down.⁵ [10] They were running before the same wind; but at about the same time as on the preceding day a fog appeared cutting off the sight of land, and under the weight of fog the wind dropped. [11] Then night added to all their uncertainties; so they cast anchor, that the ships might not collide or drift onto the shore. When day dawned the same wind sprang up and by dispelling the fog revealed the whole African coast. [12] Scipio inquired what the nearest promontory was, and upon being told it was called Cape of the Fair God,⁶ he said “A welcome omen! steer your ships this way!” There the fleet came into port and all the troops were disembarked.⁷

[13] That the passage was successful and free from alarm and disorder I have accepted on the authority of many Greek and Latin writers. Coelius⁸ alone describes all the terrors of weather and waves —everything short of saying that the ships were overwhelmed by the seas. [14] He relates that finally the fleet was swept by the storm away from Africa to the island of Aegimurus⁹ and that from there the proper [p. 317]course was regained with difficulty; [15] and that as the¹⁰ ships were all but sinking the soldiers, without waiting for an order from the general, made their way to the shore in small boats, as though they had been shipwrecked, with no arms and in the greatest disorder.¹¹