ξένην ἔπι sc. γῆν: Soph. OC 184 ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης: Soph. Phil. 135 ἐν ξένᾳ ξένον.

γαῖαν with προδεικνὺς only: pointing to, i.e. feeling, ψηλαφῶν, the ground before him: so of a boxer, χερσὶ προδεικνύς, sparring, Theocr. 22.102. Cp. Lucian 1 τὸ τόξον ἐντεταμένον ἡ ἀριστερὰ προδείκνυσι, i.e. holds in front of him: id. 68 θαλλῷ προδειχθέντι ἀκολουθεῖν, ὥσπερ τὰ πρόβατα. Seneca 656 repet incertus viae, | Baculo senili triste praetentans iter. The order of words is against taking ξένην with γαῖαν （when we should write ἐπὶ）, and supplying τὴν ὁδόν with προδεικνύς.