Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-06-29

y
following sketch of the passage of the Great
81. Bernard one OF the most extraordinary
adventures IN the life of the most extraordi-
mary advcnturer Of modern tines---is from
the Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, written for
and forming the first number of The Family
Li6rGy, a collection Of Biography now in
the press IN London.
at St. Pierre ali semblance Of road dis.
appeared. Thencetorth an army, horse and
loot, laden with al the munitions of cam
paign, park Of forty field pieces included,
were 10 be urged up and along airy ridges Of
rock and eternal snow, where the goatherd.
the hunter Of the chamois, and the outlaw
smugE.er. are alone accustomed 10 ventures:
amidst Prcclpices where 10 slip foot is death;
beneath glaciers from which the percussion
OF Inusket shot Is often sufficient to hurl
an avalanche: across bottomiess chasms ca
ked over with i ost or snow drift, and breath
ing
The difficult air Of the ice mountain ton.
Where the birds dare not build. nor insects wing
Fit oer the hcrbless granite b ron's Manfred
The transport Of the artillery and amrnuui-
ton was the most difficult point; and to this.
accordingly, the Chief Consul gave his per
sonal superintendent. The guns we're dis
mounted; grooycd into the Trunks Of trees
followed out so as to suit each calibre, and
then dragged on by sheer strength of muscle
NOT less than an hundred soldiers beinp
sometimes harnessed to u single cannon
The carriages and wheels being taken TO pic.
ces, were slung on poles, and borne on mems
shoulders. The powder and shot, packed
into boxes Of tr-woOd, formed the ading Of
all the mules that could be collected over n
wide range Of the Alpine country. These
Preparations had been made during the
week that elapsed between Buonaparte's ar
rival at Geneva and the commencement of
Lannes's march. lie hmselftravellcd some
times on mule, but mostly on foot, cheer
ing on the soldiers who had the burden of
the great guns The fatigue undergone is
not to be described. The men in front burst
not halt 10 breathe, because the least stop
page there might have thrown the column
behind INTO confusion, on the brink Of deadly
preciPlces; and those in the rear had to houn-
der Knee keep, through snow and ice tramp
led INTO sudge by the feet and hoofs Of the
preceding divisions. Happily the march of
Napoleon Wasnot harrasscd like that of Han
nlpai ~ the assaults Of living enemies. The
mountainous, on the contrary, hocked in ia
reap tie liberal rewards which he offered to
~ who were willing TO tighten the drudgcrv
o. his troops.
On thc 10th Of May Napoleon slept at the
c2nrcnt Of 81. Maurice; and, in the course
OF the four following days, the whole army
passed the Great st. Bernard. Il was on
( ere @oth that Buonaparte himself halted at
the convent Of the HospituIlcrs, which stands
on ,9e summit of thi5mighty Uountoin. The
good io'hers Of the monastery had furnish
cd every soldier rs he passed with q luncheon
Of bread aud cheese and a glass of wine: and
To- this scasonable kindness they received
the warm Acknowledgements Of the chief II
was here that be took ais leave Of a peasant
youth, who had walked by nm, rs his guido