Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-08-27

among Tue NILS ike the voice oil the sea
before storm. The guides understood
too well It's meaning, and gazed on each
other in alarm. The omnous sound grew
louder every moment, till suddenly the
fierce Alpine blast swept in cloud Of
snow over the breast Of the mountain,
and howled like an unclaimed demon thro'
the gorge below. In an instant all was
confusion, and blindness and uncertainty
The very heavens were blotted out, and
the frightened column stood and listened
10 the raving tempest that threatened to
lft the rock rooted pines that shreked
above them from their places, and bring
down the very Alps amid the storm. San
avalanche, an avalanche" shrieked the
guides, and the next moment an awful
white form came leaping down the noun
tain, and striking the column that was
struggling along the path, passed straight
through it il into the gulf below, carrying
thirty dragons and their horses along with
it in its wild plunge. The black form Of
steed and its rider was seen for one mo-
ment suspended in mid heavens, and the,
next disappeared among the ice and crags
below. The head of the column immedi-
ately pushed on, and reached the hospice
in safety, while the rear, separated from
it by the avalanche, and struck dumb by
this sudden apparltion crossing their path,
with such lighlning like velocity, and bear
ing to such an awful death their brave CON-
rades, refused to proceed, and turned back
to the village of SpuIgen For three days
the storm ragged amid the mountains, fill.
ing the heavens with snow, and hurl.
ing avalanches into the path, till il became
so filled up that the guides declared il would
take fifteen days to open it again so as TO
make it at all passable. But fifteen days
Macdonald could not spare. Independent
of the urgency of his commands there
was no way TO provision his army in these
savage soliludes, aud he mast proceed
He ordered four of the strongest oxen
that could be found to be led in advance
by the best guides. Forty peasants fol-
lowed behind, clearing AWAY and beating
down the snow, and two companies of
sappers came after to give still greater
consistency to the track, while on their
heels marched the remnant of the compa-
ny of dragons, part of which had been
borne away by the avalanche three days
before The post of danger was given
them at their own request. They present
ed a strange sight amid those Alpine soli-
tudes. The oxens, with their horns just
peering above the snow, toiled slowly on,
pushing their unwieldy bodies through the
drifts, while the soldiers up 10 their arm
pits struggled behind. Not drum or
bugle note cheered the solitude or awoke
The echoes of those snow covered peaks.
The football gave back no sound in the
soft snow, and the words OF command
seemed smothered IN the very atmosphere.
Silently, uoiselessly, The mighty but disor.
dered column stretched itself upward, with
winlry noon save the fierce paintings Of
the horses and animals, as with reeking
sides they strained up the ascent. This
day and the next being clear frosty days,
The separate columns passed in safety with
The exception Of those who sunk in their
footsteps overcome by the cold and frost.
The successful passage of the columns
these two days, induced Macdonald TO
march the whole remaining over the next
day, and so ordering the whole army to
advance, commenced on the 9th OF De-
cember the perilous ascent. Blu. fresh
snow had fallen the night previous, filling
up the entire track, so that il had all to be
made over again. The guides, expecting
a wind and ayaIanches after the fresh fall
of snow, refused to go, I'LL they were com
PEELED TO by Macdonald. Breast deep the
army waded up the wild and desolate path,
making in SIX hours but six miles, or one
mile an hour. they had not advanced far,