DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.643#0048
28
WESTERN HINDOOSTAN.
greatly have exaggerated the preparations; they make her
array confift of three miliions of foot, and-two hundred thou-
fand horfe, and a hundred thoufand chariots, and multitudes of
mips, ready framed, and carried in pieces by land, to be put
together in order to croi's the Indus* 1 fufpect that thefe veffel&
were no more than fo many coracles, or vitilia navigia, made of
bamboos, like thofe ufed by Ayder Alii in our days, on the waters
of Malabar. In order to fnpply her wants of real elephants,
fhe caufed a multitude of fictitious ones to be made, out of
the fkins of three hundred thoufand black oxen, which were
placed on camels backs, guided by a man within this ftrange
Stabrobates. machine. Stabrobates, king of India, received advice of her
preparations, and, by a prudent embaffy, endeavoured to divert
her from her intentions. The Queen rejected his remonftrances,
croffed the river, and defeated the fleet of the Indian monarch;
that perhaps was not difficult, notwithftanding it confifted of
four thoufand boats; but as they were formed only of the
bamboo cane, they never could refift the fhock of timber fhips.
The victory proved fatal to her; fhe fucceeded in crofiing the
river, but was deceived by the pretended flight of Stabrobates;
fhe purfued, and overtook him; the battle was fought: The
Indian monarch difcovered the fictitious elephants, and Semira-
mis was totally defeated. She re-paffed the river with precipi-
tation ; fhe loft great part of her troops, and returned covered
with fhame into her own country. So many fabulous circum-
ftances attend this expedition, that we may well doubt the
veracity of the hiftorian, and poffibly of the very exiftence of the
heroine. What credit, as the learned Bryant juftly obferves,
4 can
WESTERN HINDOOSTAN.
greatly have exaggerated the preparations; they make her
array confift of three miliions of foot, and-two hundred thou-
fand horfe, and a hundred thoufand chariots, and multitudes of
mips, ready framed, and carried in pieces by land, to be put
together in order to croi's the Indus* 1 fufpect that thefe veffel&
were no more than fo many coracles, or vitilia navigia, made of
bamboos, like thofe ufed by Ayder Alii in our days, on the waters
of Malabar. In order to fnpply her wants of real elephants,
fhe caufed a multitude of fictitious ones to be made, out of
the fkins of three hundred thoufand black oxen, which were
placed on camels backs, guided by a man within this ftrange
Stabrobates. machine. Stabrobates, king of India, received advice of her
preparations, and, by a prudent embaffy, endeavoured to divert
her from her intentions. The Queen rejected his remonftrances,
croffed the river, and defeated the fleet of the Indian monarch;
that perhaps was not difficult, notwithftanding it confifted of
four thoufand boats; but as they were formed only of the
bamboo cane, they never could refift the fhock of timber fhips.
The victory proved fatal to her; fhe fucceeded in crofiing the
river, but was deceived by the pretended flight of Stabrobates;
fhe purfued, and overtook him; the battle was fought: The
Indian monarch difcovered the fictitious elephants, and Semira-
mis was totally defeated. She re-paffed the river with precipi-
tation ; fhe loft great part of her troops, and returned covered
with fhame into her own country. So many fabulous circum-
ftances attend this expedition, that we may well doubt the
veracity of the hiftorian, and poffibly of the very exiftence of the
heroine. What credit, as the learned Bryant juftly obferves,
4 can