The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-09-26
Miscellaneous,
From "The Alps aud the Rhine" work
by Rev. J. u. IIeadlcy.
MACDONALD'S PASS OF THE
SPIUGEN.


WINS standing on green Alpine pastur-
noe, looking of'upon the Splugen Pass which
r9t its way through the white snow ridge that
Inv ogainst the distant horizon, when my
pnidc interrupted my musings by pointing
10 an aged man sitting by his cottage door,
yeThnt man." said he, "was one of Mncdo-
rold's guides that conducted him and his ar
nv over the Splugen." lie Immediately be-
came an object of great interest to me, and |
went and sat down by his side, and drew
from him many incidents of that perilous adj
venture. at was forty-three years ago." said
he, "when that awful march was made.
was then but twenty five years of age, but
qemembcrit as fit We're but yesterday. l
have made many passes in the Alps, but new
or one like that. That Macdonald was an
awful man. lie looked as ifhe wanted to fight
the very Alps, and believed that snow-storms
could he beaten like an army of men.
81 believe" replied, "that pass was made
in the wnter,whcn even foot travellers found
it difficult" ayes; and the wind blew,an the
snow drove in our faces, and the avalanches
fell ms if the very Alps were coming down.
The snow, too, was so thick mt times, that we
couldnot see the horses or men ten rods be-
fore or behind, while the screaming,and yell
ing 81 cursing,made it ten times worse. Why,
sir, it did no good to cry take care, for no body
could take care. There we were, up TO our
arms in snow, amid oxen, and horses, and
cannon, and soldiers, and compelled to stand
MhOurs, without getting one rod ahead. Oh
was dreadful to see the poor soldiers OFT
enI would hear an avalanche coming from n
hove, aud turn TO see where it fell, when it
would come laundering straight on TO the ar
my, g. cut it clean in two, leaving n great gap
in the lines. A few feathers tossing amid
the snow,a muskct or two flying over the
brink, and away went men and all into the
gulfbelow. Oh, sir, these poor soldiers look
ed as they never would fight again-so
downcast and frightened. 1t did no good TO
have courage there, for what could courage
do against an avalanche! When God fights
with man, il does no good to resist" In this
manner, though not in the precise words. the
old man ratified on,and it was evident could
get nothing from him except separate Incl
dent which gave life and vivdncss to the
whole picture. The falling ola single com
radc hy his side, or the struggles of single
war horse, ms he iloundercd in the mass of
snow that hurried him irresistibIy towards
the gull; made more distinct impression on
him than the general movements of the army.
The deep beds of snow and the walls flee Inc
and the peasants were compelled to cut
through were more important to him than the
order of march, or the discipline of the troops
How different is the effect produced on a
powerful & n common mind by such n scene
MS this! One lwcls on the impression made
by the whole. The moral and physical gran
deur surrounding 1.-THE obstacles, and the
resolution that overcome thcm--the savage
ness ofnature, and the sternness that dared
look it in the face; combine to make the i'm
PRESTON he carries with him through life
The weak mind, on the other hand, never
seems to reach to these generalltIes-never
gets to the outer circle, but is occupied with
details and incidents.
To understand this march of Macdonald o.
yer the Splugcn, n feat greater by far than
Bonaparte's famous passage of tie St. Ber-
nard, imagine an awful defile leading mp to
the height of sir thousand, .fue hundred feet to-
wards heaven--in summer mere path, and
in winter mass Of avalanches, and you will
have some conception of the awful pass
through which Macdonald determined to
lead fifteen thousand men. The road fol-
lows the Rhine, here n mere rivulet, which
has cut its channel deep in the mountains that
rise frequently to the height ofthree thousand
feet above it. Along the precipices that over
hang this turbulent torrent, the path is cut in
the solid rock, now hugging the mountain
wall like mere thread, and now shooting in
single arch over the gorge that sinks three
hundred feet below. Strangely silent snow
peaks pierce the heavens in every direction,
while dark precipices lean ont OH every side
over the abyss. This mere path crosses and
re-crosscs again this gorge, and often so high
above itlllat the roar of the mad torrent below
can scarcely be heard; and finally strikes off
on to the bare face ofthe mountain and clam
bers up to the summit This is the old road
IN summer time. Now imagine this same
gorge swept by hurricane ofsnow, and filed
with the awful sound of'the falling avalanches
blending their heavy shock with the dull roar
OF the giant pines, that wave along the preci-
Pices, while half way up from the bottom to
the Alpine top are hanging like an army ofin-
sects, fifteen thousand French soldiers; and
you will approach to some knowledge of this
wlntry pass, and this desperate march. But
tyou have never been in an Alpine gorge, land
stood, awe-struck, amid the mighty forms
that tower away on every side around you,
you can have no true conception of scene
like the one we are to describe. Rocks, go
ing like one solid wall straight up to heaven
---pinnacles shooting like church spires above
The clouds-loomy ravines where the thun-
der-clouds burst, and the torrent raves-still
glaciers and solemn snow-fields, and leaping
avaanches, combine to render anAlpine gorge
one of the most terrific things in nature
added to all this, you feel so small amid the
mighty forms around you--so utterly help
less and worthless, amid these great exhibit
tons of Gods power,that the heart is often ut
terly overwhelmed with the feelings that
struggle in vain for utterance.
There is now a carriage road over the Splu-
gen, cut in sixteen zgzags along the breasts
OF the mountain. This was not in existence
when Macdonald made tile pass, and there
was nothing but bride path going through
The gorge of the Cddinel. Over such a pass
was Macdonald ordered by Napoleon to
march his army in the latter part of Novem-
Der, Just when the Mintry storms are setting