The Shasta courier., 1862-07-26
Crossing the Alps.

One Of the most difficult of earthly achieve
ments was the transportation, by Napoleon,
of an army of 90, 900 men with cavalry, ar
tillery and all the munitions of war, across
the Alps. lie wished to descend suddenly,
as from the clouds, upon the immense force
of Austrians gathered in Italy for the inva-
sion of France. Two skilful engineers were
first sent to explore the path of the Great ST.
Bernard. They returned with an appalling
account of the difficulties to be surmounted
: Is it possible" inquired Napoleon, - to
cross the pass ~ Perhaps. was the hesita.
ting reply, g it may be within the limits of
possiJility" Forward, then. was the en-
crgetic response.
On the eastern frontiers of France there
surges up the majestic range of the Alps,
piercing the clouds to the regions of perpet-
ual ice and snow. Gloomy gorges and
frightful defles, through which mountain
torrents rush. are walled in by cliffs which
even the chamois cannot climb. The princi-
pal path was that of Gl eat St. Bernard. 1t
was narrow mule path, as steep IS it was
possible for an animal to ascend. The tray-
eler, led by a guide, painfully and perilonsly
assembled the steep. nov crossing a roaring
torrent, aad now threading narrow shelf.
&C Of the rock, with fathomless,
S,~whcfg= eagles scared
soiss beneath his feet, and where
perpend!eHlar vail rose to a giddy height in
the clouds ever his head.
A false step would precipitate him thou
sard feet into the gulf beneath. Avalanch-
es of rock ice and snow, from the inacccs
sible heights, ever swept the path At God s
voice they fell. and from their rush no pre-
cautions ccnld save the traveller. Terrific
storms swept these attitudes, binding and
smothering all who were caught in their fu.
ry. 1t required two days of almost inexpres-
sibls toll for the traveller to reach the summit
of the pass, eight thousand feet above the
level of the sea-
Here there is small plain, cherries be.
yond description, the abode of almost eternal
winter, where scarcely a shrub appears, and
which is surrounded by mountains of snow
of still higher elevation. In this Valley of
Deselation, as it is appropriately called, the
Convent of ST. Bernard stands. 1t is the
highest inhabited spot in Europe. and has
been tenanted, for more than a thousand
years, ty self denying monks. who. accepta-
bly, doubtless, worship their Maker by fur
ming hospitality to the travellers passing
through those dreary regions The descent
TO the sunny fields of Italy is even more pre-
cipitous and diiheait than the ascent from the
plains of France. The whole extent of what
was called the pass, threading tortuous raw
ines and climbing cliffs, was about twenty
miles.
Such was the barrier which Napoleon in
tended to surmount, that he might fall nnex-
peetedly upon the rear Of the Austrians. who
were bombarding Genoa. and laundering at
the gates of Nice. Giving Moreau all the
disciplined troops of France. 5000 in
number, to repel the advance of the Austri.
ans upon the Rhine. Napoleon collected
with amazing celebrity, 60, 900 raw recruits
for this NJ ost arduous of enterprises. To de-
.celve his foes he announced openly that be
aptended to send an army across the Great
St. Bernard. England and Austria langhted
the idea to ssorn. 1t was deemed impossi-
BILE that an army with ponderous artillery
tons OF cannon balls. Spd all the bulky mu-
Altions of war could be transported where
= wheel had never rolled and where a mule
could weh difficulty tread. and where two
two EAsiss could hardly pass abreast.
The troops were secretely collected togeth-
er IN the vicinity of Dvon. but so dispersed
as not to attract special attention. and vet in
such a manner that they could easily be as
sembled at the entrance of the pass. I'm
mense stores of provisions were noiselesslv
accumulated there. Large sums of specie
were forwarded to hire the services of the
@ountaineers. Able mechanics were en-
pioyed to take apart the baggage wagons and
gun carriages, SO that they might be trans
ported. in fragments. on the backs of mules
across the mointains and be speedily put to-
gsther again on the othsr side, Hospitals
were provided with every comfort for the
sick and wounded. Every mau carried. be-
sides has gun and ammunition, several days
rations. The sinnous path was so narrow
that much oftbe way it could only be trodden
in single file. tsE
About the middle of May, 1900, the xhois
army was put in motion. To transport the
heavy cannon, pine logs were SPLIT in
the center. the parts followed out and the
gqas suak into the grooves. A long string OF
mules in single file, dragged these poader-
Gus engines up the steep activities. Often
q huuired men were harnessed to one gun.
The peasants to,k hold of this work with
great zeal, Napoleon gave them two hun