until he creeps to his lair through a cleft in the rock; so Argo seeking
an outlet from the lake, a fairway for ships, wandered for a long time.
Then straightway Orpheus bade them bring forth from the ship Apollo's
massy tripod and offer it to the gods of the land as propitiation for
their return. So they went forth and set Apollo's gift on the shore;
then before them stood, in the form of a youth, farswaying Triton, and
he lifted a clod from the earth and offered it as a stranger's gift, and
thus spake:

(ll. 1554-1561) "Take it, friends, for no stranger's gift of great worth
have I here by me now to place in the hands of those who beseech me. But
if ye are searching for a passage through this sea, as often is the need
of men passing through a strange land, I will declare it. For my sire
Poseidon has made me to be well versed in this sea. And I rule the shore
if haply in your distant land you have ever heard of Eurypylus, born in
Libya, the home of wild beasts."

(ll. 1562-1563) Thus he spake, and readily Euphemus held out his hands
towards the clod, and thus addressed him in reply:

(ll. 1564-1570) "If haply, hero, thou knowest aught of Apis [1412] and
the sea of Minos, tell us truly, who ask it of you. For not of our will
have we come hither, but by the stress of heavy storms have we touched
the borders of this land, and have borne our ship aloft on our shoulders
to the waters of this lake over the mainland, grievously burdened; and
we know not where a passage shows itself for our course to the land of
Pelops."

(ll. 1571-1585) So he spake; and Triton stretched out his hand and
showed afar the sea and the lake's deep mouth, and then addressed them:
"That is the outlet to the sea, where the deep water lies unmoved and
dark; on each side roll white breakers with shining crests; and the way
between for your passage out is narrow. And that sea stretches away in
mist to the divine land of Pelops beyond Crete; but hold to the right,
when ye have entered the swell of the sea from the lake, and steer your
course hugging the land, as long as it trends to the north; but when the
coast bends, falling away in the other direction, then your course is
safely laid for you if ye go straight forward from the projecting cape.
But go in joy, and as for labour let there be no grieving that limbs in
youthful vigour should still toil."

(ll. 1586-1596) He spake with kindly counsel; and they at once went
aboard, intent to come forth