98                       The Ptolemies

sailors declared that the prow was that of a
Cadiz ship, and one even asserted that it was
the actual prow of a vessel which had sailed
away " beyond the river Lixus in Mauretania "
and had never been heard of again. Eudoxus
now shook the dust of Alexandria from off his
feet, and sailed home. The information he had
acquired presented two fascinating problems. Had
the mysterious vessel whose prow he had found,
really rounded Africa ? And if so, was it possible
to reach India by following this course ? Eudoxus
determined to try. Having realised his whole
fortune, he fitted out a ship, with which he sailed
to Italy, Marseilles, and Cadiz, collecting sub¬
scriptions for the great undertaking. Everywhere
the project was hailed with enthusiasm, and
Eudoxus was able to fit out at Cadiz a large vessel
with two light boats for exploring the coast.
Embarking doctors, artizans, bales of goods,
and, strangely enough, " a supply of Spanish
dancing girls," the expedition " set sail for India."
Passing Gibraltar, they at first kept well out to
sea ; but the sailors grew frightened, and Eudoxus,
against his better judgment, stood in shore.
As he had feared, the large vessel ran aground,
and had to be dismantled, a smaller boat being
constructed out of her timbers. They went on
and reached an Ethiopian tribe who, he thought,
spoke a dialect similar to that which he had
studied in East Africa. He was now compelled,
owing   to   want   of   provisions,   to   return; but