The ship again continued her way, traveling toward the Persian Gulf.
If Captain Vindex wanted to visit Europe, it was clear that he would have to go around the Cape of Good Hope, but that did not appear to be his design.
He went direct to the Red Sea, and, as the Isthmus of Suez was not then pierced by a canal, there was no outlet to the Mediterranean.
This puzzled the professor very much.
One morning the captain sought his prisoners, and said to the professor:
"To-morrow we shall be in the Mediterranean."
Mr. Woddle looked at him with astonishment.
"Does that surprise you?" he continued, with a smile.
"Certainly it does, though I thought I had given up being astonished since I have been on board your ship."
"You are a man of science; why should you be astonished?"