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

28. After landing their troops the Romans laid out a camp on the nearest heights. [2] By this time, first from the sight of the fleet, and then from the commotion produced as they were disembarking, apprehension and panic had reached not only the farms near the coast but even into the cities. [3] For it was not merely the massed humanity that, interspersed with columns of women and children, had filled all the roads in every direction, but cattle also driven before them by the farmers, so that one would have said Africa was suddenly being deserted. [4] But even in the cities they inspired greater alarm than that which they had brought with them. [5] Especially at Carthage the uproar was almost like that of a captured city. For since the consulship of Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius, for almost fifty years¹ they had seen no Roman forces except only predatory fleets, by means of which descents had been made on farms near the sea; [6] and seizing whatever chance had put in their way, the men had always raced back to their ships before the outcry should arouse the farmers. [7] All the greater at this time was the flight and alarm in the city. They lacked also, to be sure, both a strong army at home and a general to confront the enemy. [8] Hasdrubal the son of Gisgo was far the foremost man of the state in family, reputation, wealth, and at that time also by reason [p. 319]of his relationship to a king. But they recalled that² in a number of battles in Spain he had been routed and beaten by the self-same Scipio, and that the one general was no more a match for the other than was their own irregular army for the Roman army. [9] Accordingly they sounded the alarm, as if Scipio were intending forthwith to attack the city. The gates were hastily closed also and armed men posted on the walls, sentries and outposts stationed, while the following night no one slept. [10] Next day five hundred horsemen, sent to the coast to reconnoitre and to break up the disembarkation, encountered Roman outposts. [11] For already Scipio, after sending the fleet towards Utica, had himself advanced not very far from the sea and taken the nearest heights. He had stationed cavalry on outpost duty in suitable positions and had sent others to plunder the countryside.