Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-06-08
AGALL.NT EXPLOIT.

n "hlLxLlaAV x<hA
NaPoleon's famous exPe dition into
Itaiy was laid out with actual refer
encc 10 the actual existence ola com
nuniCation between France and Lom-
hardy, by the Sumption, and IN May
1900, General BetheDcourt set out at
inc head Of eighteen hundred men and
eight pieces OF cannon TO seek a new
route over the Alps. The adventures
of,bis forIorn hope ofthc Sumption are
detailed BY Disjonvil, second in COM
rnand ofth: expeGitioa,in "A despatch to
Eer,hier, and never was story more
interesting. At onc place in the midst
ofthe mountains, they found ihat the
rude bridge over which they had to
pass had been swept away by all
avalanche. The chasm wa, sixty feet
broad, with perpendicular sides, and
a torrent roaring at the bottom; but
General Bethenconrt only remarked
to the men that If they were ordered to
cross they mnst. A volnntecrspccdIly
presented himself, who, clambering to
the bottom Of the precipice, eyed de'lb-
rrately the gloomy gulph before him.
IN vain '.thc angry spirit ofthe Waters
shrieked = for the yetcran,-ai NOUN
taineer, perhaps, h;mself,-saw that
the foundations Of the bridge, which
were nothing more than holes in the
bed Of the torrent, to receive the ex-
treuli.ies Of the poles, which had sup
ported transverse pole above, were
still left and not many feet under the
surface. lie Gale d to his companions
TO fasten the end Of Il cord to the
precipicc above, and fling down the
res. OF the coil to him. With this bur-
then on his shoulders, he then stepped
boldly, but cautiously into the water,
fixing his legs in the foundation holes
OF the bridge. As he sunk deeper and
deeper in his progress through the
roaring stream, bending up agains.
the current, and seeming to graPple
with it a- a human enemy. it may be
imagined that the spectacle was viewed
with intense interest by his comrades
above. Sometimes the holes were
far apart and siriding from one to the
other it seemed n miracle that nc was
not swept away; sometimes they were
too shallow to afford sufficient purchase,
and, rs he stood swaying aud lettering
for moment,a smothered cry burst
from the hearts Of the spectators--con-
verted into u shout Of triumph and
applause. as lie suddenly sprung for
ward another step. plunged his body
into u deeper Crevicc and remained
steady. Sometimes the holes were too
deep, a still greater danger: and once
or twice there was nothing visible Of
the advcnturer above the surface but |
hisarm and head, his wild eyes glaring
like those Of a water demon amidst
the spray, and his teeth seen firmly
rienchcd through the dripping and
disorderIy mustaeEio. The wind IN
tie meantime increased every moment,
as il swept, moaning through the cav
ern, whenever it struck the water, the
black water rose with burst and a
shrick.-Thc spirit Of human daring
last conquered, and the soldier stood
painting Oh the opposite prcciPioe.
What was gained by the exploit?
The rope stretched across the chasm
and fastened firmly at either side, was
as good as Waterloo bridge to the
gallant FrenChman; General Bcthen-
court himself was the first to follow the
volunteer; AID after him a thousand
meE kuapsacked. armed and accout-
cred. swung themselves one by one 4
cross the abyss, IA slender cord their on
" support, and an Alpine torrent their
on.y footug. The terror Of the Au-
striaI post NAV be conceived. when
they saw a thousand men rushing down
upon them from the ALI s by passages !.
which nature herself had fortified
with seemingly inaccessible rampant!
The famous battle Of Marengo look
place imme diately after; and the con-
struction Of the military road Of the
Simplon shortened the distance from
Paris to Milan BY nearly fifty leagues.
-Haih's Picturesque -4nnal. Tra1el-
ling Sketches. By Leitch Richie, Esq. /