The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-03-31
THE KAMsIN.
The Fierce Desert Winds that De-
StrOyed an Army.
Cleveland Leader.


StrOyed an Army.
Cleveland Leader.
In the sixth year OF his reign. Cam
hvses de,ermined to war against tn,
EthioI ians, Ammonisns and Cartha
einians. The Pro ,cians. upon whom
he vas dependent for assistance, In hi
warfare. refu >e' to make war upon tn,
Car,haginisns. Carthage being original,
a Syrian COLONY, and he was therefor,
forced to abandon all i'iea of aggrsnd re
ment in that directi n, but Immediately
made preparations to invade E'hiopia
1t was then, in his march across 'he des
ert that he and his army met the fat
predicted by Ismail Ps-ha in The Eng
Iish Army and N.vy Gazette for Gen
Graham should he attempt to leave
Snakim at present.
As to the stories told of this grea
desert, there is so much that is fabulous
connected with them that ID is difficult
to tell what il true and what is false
Scientific research has proved that there
are no ssrpents there "whose numbers
and venom impede the progress Of large
armies;" that there was no "pestilentia
blast that killer a. soon as it struck -
that the whirl winds of sands were moi
sufficiently severe to bury vast hordes
of men and "innumersbe caravans y
But qnite enough remains to make Us
realiz, that the great desert was q part
Of the bed Of the sea, 1t being now verv
little higher than the level OF the eea. II
is never visited by rain, and exhales no
moisture. The kam-in, or hot winds
that sweep over it. although severe are
much exaggerated, may blow from the
south and south west, and since the
ground over which they blow i, scorch.
ed bv sn almnst vertical sun. the heat is
intense. Its effect is to make the mus
cles ~ relax aud to make respiration
diff :nlt, bat it does not, says scientIfic
trs velers, "smite with sudden death. as
Oriental exaggeration represents These
winds, where the surface is thoroughly
exposed. wi h nothing to hreak their
force, raise whirlwinds OF sand TO con-
siderable heights, which then fall in
heavy showers, unpleasant. hut not in
the least dsngerou, to travellers, "ex-
cep'," says Mr.. J I'm K,nrick, "as it
eiTaces their lrsck." According to four
or Eve authorities, the kamsn. Or, a.
the inhshilants thereahouts call it. "sl-
moum," corruption Of the Arabic
senen (poison) begins about the ~ OF
May, and not in March. continuing
about fifty days. "6'ty" being the mean
ing of the XhamsiD. or kamsiu.
Il was the kamsin that overlook Cam
byses' army when he in his rage marched
against the Ethiopians He hal sent
two men, ostensihly as ambassa lors, to
Ethiopia with presents to the hing. hut
who we're to &C. as spies for bin. The
king received the presents, With the ex.
ception OF the wine, which was despised
by z hiopisns. hut no no'ice wss taken
of the ambassadors, tn ir mission being
readily understood. TIE king. however,
sent present 10 return 10 Camhyses-a
bow too large and heavy for Persian
to draw, and, bendiag It in The presence
OF the ambassadors. said: "T,i, is the
present the king Of Ethiopia gives to the
King OF Persia. When the Persisns
shall he able to use how Of tbi, hi,-
ness and strength with as much ease as
| now bend it. let them come TO attack
the Ethopians, and bring more troops
than Camhvses 10 master OF. In the
meantime, let them thank the gods fol
not putting 10 the hearts Of the K.hio.
plans q wish TO extend their dominions
beyond their own country"
This answer 90 enraged Csmhyses iha
he Immediately begau his march regard
less that he was MT ready. At Thebe'
he sent fifty thousand men against th,
Ammonians with command tn ravsge thu
country and destroy the tenp!e OF Ju
piter Ammon, bot after q few days marcel
the violent kamsin sent up vast quanti
ties Of sand, that, In their weakened
condition, conquered them, and say th'
historians, "huried them alive"
Cambyses continued hi. march into
Ethiopia with an insuffi lent supply O
provisions for his soldiers. Famine re
iduced the number Even when forced
to realize HIS condition be was too oh
stinate TO retrace his course. and BIZ
soldiers we're soon oh iged TO i've upor
roots. herbs and leaves. then their ami
mails, and then upon each other, ever,
tenth man being doomed 10 be the foot
of the others Csmhyses persisted il
mis- insane conduct until the terrible de
vasts,ion aud desola ion in his arm,
made further progress imDossible r.
himself suffered no dfscom.ort. Dali,
his table was weighted witn choice food
and the camels necessary for his US,
we're not allowed To he killed He fiuall'
took the small remnant OF his army bacl
to fhehes. when he "warred against tb,
gods themselves, DESTROYING the mag
niicent temples whose riches were 70
calculable." Even the remains ssvet
from the fires amounted to the vast SUI
Of 8 200 talents Of silver. 1t Was then
says Diodorus, "that he carried AVA
the famous circle OF gold that encom
passed the tomb of Osmsndyas whicl
was 465 cuhits ia circumference. and il
which we're represented the motions o
the several consultations "
When be went back to Memphis b
mistook the celebration then 10 progres
over the finding OF the god Apis for ex
allalion over bis failures, and refu I'M
TO believe the magistrates, and put then
to death for insulting him, and. csllin
the priests together, demanded that th
god be brought before him. THIS wa
done, snd bis anger and amazement wa
so greet when be saw only calf that b
killed the animal and ordered the priest
severely whipped, and declared tha
death should be the fate OF alf who wor
shined The god.