The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-08-23
QUEEN sEsIIRAMIs.

The city and temple of Babylon
were first begun by Nimrod, ''the
mighty hunter before the Lord" of
whom the Bible speaks. But various
other persons contributed to its gran
deur, the most celebrated of whom
was Semiramis, the wife of Minus,
King OF Assyria, who, when her hus-
band died, became the sole ruler of
the empire. She was very ambitious,
and did not care who suffered so long
as she could make herself great, and
so she determined to conquer as much
of the then known world as she could.
She was also very courageous wo-
man, and one night, word being
brought to her of tumult having Ia
ken place in the city, she Immediately
mounted horseback, and did not re-
turn to her palace till she had restored
all the refractory to obedience. Soon
afterwards she set out with a power
full army and conquered great part
OF Ethiopia. Here she visited the
temple of Jupiter Ammon, and in
quired of the oracle how long she had
to live.
Her greatest and last expidition was
against India, and for the conquest of
this country she raised an immense
army from every part OF her empire,
and appointed Bactria as the rendez-
vous. When the King of India had
notice of her approach, he immediate
ly dispatched some ambassadors to
inquire what right she had to molest
one who was living psaceably in his
own dominions and who had never
troubled himself about her. She re-
piled that when she came to him he
would know what right she had
The principal reliance of Semira-
mis- was upon the great numbers of
her army, and the chief thing she
feared were the elephants of the In
dian King. To make herself equal
to this point, and to inspire the Indi-
ans with terror, she ordered a large
number of camels to be disguised as
elephants, in hopes of deceiving her
enemy; and, at distance, the resem-
blance was sufficiently close TO serve
the desired purpose.
I She had now to pass the river In
dus. A number of boats were pre-
pared, and part of the army entered
them. On the other side of the river
the Indians prepared to oppose her,
and entered their boats. Semiramus
had the advantage, however, and after
sinking thousand of their boats, put
. them TO flight. She also took above
} 100000 prisoners. Encouraged by
this success she marched her army in
} to the heart OF the country, leaving
sixty thousand men behind to guard
, a bridge of boats she had built over
! the river, that she might get back
, again should she be forced to retreat.
The Indian King was cunning and
wished to draw her into the heart of
! his kingdom. He fed, and she fol-
! lowed. When the King thought that
he had got far enough for his purpose,
, he turned his army around and sec
ond engagement ensued. Then it
, was that the Queen discovered the
difference between real elephant and
counterfeit. The Indian elephants
routed her army, goring her soldiers
with their huge tusks, and trampling
, them TO death by hundreds.
! The Queen finding the day against
!, her, and nearly mad with rage, rush
= ed into the fight as if she did not
! care whether she lived or died. The
, King advanced and wounded her in
: two places. and would have either
!; slain or taken her prisoner, but for the
: swiftness of her horse. She, with all
her army that had not been taken
:, prisoners or slain, Immediately rushed
{ toward the bridge to repass the river;
= = but through the disorder and confu
. sion many of her soldiers perished-
y When she and the greater part of he,
:. army got safely over, she destroyet
;, the bridge, and left large number
: behind to be slain by the enemy.
The Indian King would not pursue
! her any further; he thought, perhaps
. he might not get back again to hi,
! dominions. 1t would, however, have
y been quite right had he followed he
= up to the very gates of Babylon
s. which she reached in very sad con
l. dition, crestfallen and covered witt
. confusion.
= Babylon was no longer a place o
g enjoyment for her. During her ab
y sence her own SON was plottin.
y against her, and after her return sh'
: was obliged to abdicate her throne
- and withdraw herself to the temple
. where she lived several years, dyin:
- at the age of sixty-two. After he
:, death divine honors were paid her
{. we cannot tell for what. 1t is certain
= that she had not learnt to do other
- as she would others should do to hel
ssSUcKER. When Boone, the eel
ol ebrated pioneero of Kentucky. died,
1e member of Illinois Legislature an
I'd nounced the mournful event, and hi
e desire for an adjournment of th
~ House, in the following brief ba
G touching terms: ssMr. Cheerman
q Dan Boone ar dead; I move We put.
and the House put.