ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE OF AFRICA. 37 



still greater cause of complaint ; so that he determined to 

 trust no more to the precarious patronage of princes, but to 

 make a general appeal to the commercial public. The mer- 

 chants of Cadiz were thought most likely to embrace his 

 views; and on his way thither he passed through Rhodes, 

 Marseilles, and other great maritime states, calling upon all 

 who were animated with the generous spirit of enterprise 

 to accompany or to aid him in his undertaking. An extraor- 

 dinary sensation seems to have been created in these com- 

 mercial cities. Eudoxus easily assembled round him a con- 

 siderable band of volunteers, and was enabled to equip 

 amply, and even splendidly, two vessels furnished with me- 

 dical men and artisans of various descriptions, and even en- 

 livened by a band of youthful musicians. In this array he 

 passed the Straits, and turned his prow as he imagined to- 

 wards India. But his gay crew, inspired by himself pro- 

 bably with too flattering hopes, seem to have anticipated 

 only a smooth and holyday excursion. When, therefore, 

 they saw themselves ranging along an unknown and dreary 

 shore, against which the waves of the mighty Atlantic were 

 beating, they were seized with panic. In vain did Eudoxus 

 urge the necessity of standing out to sea, as the only mode 

 of successfully navigating his large and heavily-loaded 

 ships; they obstinately insisted on his keeping close to 

 land. The consequence was, as he had distinctly foretold, 

 that the principal vessel was stranded upon one of those 

 dangerous sand-banks which abound on the coast. The 

 crew were so fortunate, however, as to convey ashore not 

 only the cargo, but the timbers ; out of which Eudoxus, 

 with zeal that nothing could damp, contrived to put toge- 

 ther another and smaller bark, in which he pursued the 

 voyage. He came then to nations speaking a language 

 which his fancy flattered him was the same that he had 

 heard on the eastern coast of Africa. But at this moment, 

 when he seemed on the eve of accomplishing his most san- 

 guine hopes, the shattered state of his armament obliged 

 him to return ; retaining still the fullest confidence, that if 

 the means could be found of equipping another, all his most 

 brilliant hopes would be realized. Disgusted, however, 

 with his band of timid volunteers, he overcame his reluc- 

 tance to royal patronage. He sought the precarious aid of 

 Bocchus, king of Mauritania, who received him well, and 

 D 



