The Shasta courier., 1864-11-12
Ancient Babylon.

cry little ls recorded OF the early history
of the city Of Babylon. Its foundations were
laid, it is supposed, by Nimrod, great grand
son of Moab, not long after the dispersion of
Babel 1t stood on both sides of the river
Euphrates, on aneven ard extensive plain.
Itwas surrounded By wall, incredible as it
may seem, of three hundred and fifty feet in
height, eighty seven in thickness, and sixty
miles in circumference; forming an exact
square, fifty miles on each side. This mas
siye wall was made of large bituminous bricks
so firmly cemented as to render it perfectly
solid. An enormous ditch lined on both sides
with brick, and filed with water, encompass
ed the city-the size of which may be esti-
mated from the fact tiat that the walls of the
city were composed entirely of clay taken out
of it.
The city was entered through the walls by
one hundred gates, twenty 1--WE on each side,
composed of solid brass. Between every two
of the gates were three towers ten feet in
height also one on each of the four corners,
and three between the several corner towers
and the first gate; making, in all, three hun
dred and sixteen. From the gates on one
side of the city to those on the opposite side,
went streets one hundred and fifty feet in
width. These fifty streets, crossing each
other alright angles, divided the city into six
hundred and seyentysix squares. The houses
stood ON these squares, a short distance from
each other, facing the streets. The central
part of these numerous Squares were laid out
in gardens, walks, and Yards, and occupied
for many other useful and ornamental pur-
poses so that, from the MANY vacant spaces,
not more than half the ground was built upon
Next to the wall. on each side of the city,
,ras strcaf t,x-n kupJra] faak ,r,.1o o,I &c
teen mile long (the extent Of the cityl in
length. The houses were built only on one
side Of the street--on the squares fronting
the wall. s..fs.
The river Euphrates. or rather branch Of
it. ran directly across the city, from north to
south. Avail of the-sa thickness, and
similar 10 that which surrounded the city,
was built on each side of the river. In these
wails, where the river was intersected with
the streets, were massive brazen gates. From
| the several streets there were gradual descent
TO the river, which was crossed in boats
Through these gates, which were incautious
ly left open Cyrus and his army entered
having turned the course Of the river, and
took this splendid city.
Such are some of the particulars which
have been recorded relative to the once 8 gol
den city, aud glory of Kingdoms" While
here walls were echeing and re-echoing with
the sounds of mirth and festivity, and when
to all human appearance they were destined
to stand to the latest generation, Jeremiah
prophesied q that it should become DEsoLArE
that it should not be INHABITED, that the WILD
BEASTS of the field should be there" History
has since confirmed the predictions of the
piophes. Long before the Christian era, we
are told that it had become place Of .ssoli-
itude.' and that it was lying waste and
neglected. In the fourth century. we are
informed that !" its walls served as fence,
and the city as park, in which the King Of
Persia kept wild beasts for hunting" A
traveller in the twelfth century, found it over
run With serpents and scorpions. In l743,
another Traveller states that its $ ruins were
so effIlced. that there were hardly any vesti-
ges OF them to point out the situation of the
city. Bv one who has recently visited the
spot. we are told that there is not now
stone to tell where Babylon was situated.
---- --------- - -----s siasg
A DRAFTED PRIEST DECLINES SUBSTITUTE.
"A beautiful example of Christian patrio-
tism has been given by a Catholic priest in
Detroit, The pious and beloved pastor of ST.
Patrick's Chapel, on Adelaide street, Father
James Hennesv. was drafted in the drawing
for the Sixth Ward His many friends at
once gathered around him, and preparations
were made to get him a substitute Father
Hennesy said, No, | cannot permit this.
My country has called upon me for personal
service. and will have no other man go far
me. Twill take my own place in the army
We know nothing grander in the history
of the draft than this patriotic conduct. The
determination Of the Conscientious and patri-
otic priest is fixed Members of his conere-
gltion have in vain offered to go into the field
for him. But his fine sense of duty TO his
country and to the law will not permit him
to serve his country by substitution. A De-
troit paper says of Father Hennesy:
To those who know Father Hennesy init
mately-how faithfully and tenderly he cares
for the souls of his fock-what manly and
patriotic advice he has given them as citizens
his unostentatious benevoence to the poor
and sick-this great act of patriotic self-denal
will not be surprising. There is no man in
the city who has more personal friends than
Father Hennesy, and while they may in some
respects deplore his determination, thinking
he could be of more service at home in his
ministration, they will yet feel that the ex-
ample Of his action will be of wide public
benefit.
THE GREAT BASIN OF NEvADA-In an adj
dress bv Prof. B. .Sillimaz, Jr. a short time
since, at Austin, ne spoke of the Great Basin
of Nevada as one vast sea of Intensely salt
water. heated and boiled by volcanic fires.
the evidence of which can be seen in every
part of the Territory. The action Of this hot
salt water had similar effect upon the silver
bearing veins to the roasting Of the ores in
contact with salt Throughout the Territory,
perhaps more than in any other part of the
world, are hot springs. still boiling, bubbling
and steaming away. Some have become cold
Others are but warm, as if the internal fires
that heated them had receded beyond their
deep subterraneanc channels The same cause
that has removed the internal heat has prob
ably furnished the drain for the surface wa
tiers. and leaves the country in The singular
condition of basin, without any outlet to
the sea.
CoPPERHgaDs AND REBEIs-A correspond
ent of the London Tmes-the very best au-
fhority on the subject-wrote from Clifton
House. where yallandigham held his court,
under date of August 18th. a few days before
the assembling Of the Chicago Convention, as
follows:
.The friendlv intercourse between the