Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-07


the summit Of the Aution (2,060 meters)
they saw at their feet, Like a gigantic
ditch, the valley of the Mimiera joining
the Roya at the east near San Dalmazzo,
and commanded by an Italian fort, the
most advanced of the works that defend
the Col de Tende. Beyond the depth of
the Mimiera rose the last chain of the
Alpes Maritimes. throwing up heaven
ward the ridge Del Diablo (2,6S7 meters)
and the peak L'Abisso (2,775 meters), an
enormous mass, with its snowy covering
tinted rose by the setting sun-a grand
and striking spectacle, especially when
seen from the midst Of a bivouac, itself
always so curious and SO attractive.
The sentinels watch as they pace to
and fro. The mules browse the scant
but tasty grass of the high plateaus.
Seated on old tree trunks the officers
finish their itineraries, complete their
notes, draw up reports on the country
they have traversed, make sketches of
the distant mountain silhouettes. The
soldiers sing rs they clean their arms,
shout, run and amuse themselves with
games. To see their movements and
their activity you would never think
that they had marched twenty-five
miles and accomplished maneuver
amid all the obstacles of mountainous
ground. The Italians have reason to be
proud of their Alpine companies. Our
chasseurs de montague are not one whit
inferior to them in tenacity and endur-
ance.
Night closes in. Dinner is served on
a table formed Of wattled branches cov-
cred with fowery turf. Old pine trunks,
cut down in time of former wars, serve
as seats. A big fire and torches formed
of pine branches light the guests at this
original and rustic feast. At such an
altitude frugality is obligatory, never
theless the fare is quite respectable. The
chief dishes are red partridges and civet
de chamois, pine mushrooms, an ice
made with ewes milk and snow, while
strawberries. arbutus berries and wild
forest fruits, served in nests of moss,
formed the dessert. The tourists are de-
lighted. and thank the officers by drink
ing their health, and soon all retire to
rest.
At daybreak the battalion resumes its
march along the ridge, alternately
through woods and across meager pas
turages The solitude is absolute except
for some pastorello guarding his goats,
which seem literally to cling to the noun
tain side. The view is marvellous when
the distance appears through rent in
the opaline morning mist.
The road gets worse and becomes alb
solutely execrable at the point where
the grand descent begins, and where the
track is scarcely marked out of the
sinuosities of the rocks. At one point
great blocks overhang; at another sharp
projections have to be turned; almost
all the way the road follows the edge of
a precipice.
One cannot imagine how the mules
will pass with their burdens, or how
they can even get footing in this danger
Gus pass. The battalion passes without
winking, as. if it were the simplest
thing in the world, and the mountain
battery follows in its turn. But not the
tourists; they find the danger too imnni-
nent and dismount, preferring to trust
to their feet. Meanwhile they wait till
the path is free, sitting on granite
promontory, and watching the whole bat
terry defile along this track, which seems
impracticable even for the goats them
selves. 1t is work of strength and pa
tience and requires as much skill as it
does GOODNESS.
The soldiers hold up the mules and
even their burdens by means Of ropes.
Thus relieved, the animals glide along
rather than walk, stiffening their fore
legs and almost touching the ground
with their hind quarters. A few acci-
dents happen, but, thanks to the mani
fold precautions and to the care of the
drivers, they are rarely serious; the
mules that fall are soon put on their
feet again. At last this long and perilous
pass is cleared; the battery and the
ambulance rejoin the battalion, and
after a short halt the march is resumed
and La Bollene is reached.
The tourists rushed into the hotel, de-
lighted to find themselves once more in
civilized place, and to be able to rest
for few hours. The column, however,
continued it's march. Later on the
tourists started for Nice in carriage.
Toward the end of the day they over
took the indefatigable chasseurs, who
were still marching along, although
more than twelve hours had passed since
they had begun their days work. From
''The French Army" by General Lewal,
in Harper's Magazine.
CiOuifcanf Punufqs-