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The new bridge,—even while we stand on its
centre—itself twenty-seven feet higher than
the old one—seems forgotten amid the awful
appendages by which it is enclosed: yet in
the solidity of its structure, boldness of design and
airy expanse of arch, we have seen nothing —
—(the passage of the via mala excepted) which
affords more striking evidence how the genius
and daring of men may triumph over the
most gigantic obstacles.

In contemplating a scene like the present, a
a strange spell seems to rivit us to one spot:
and while a multitude of horrid immaginings
throng thick upon the fancy, and carry us back
to the fearful drama enacted in this gorge
between the Russians and French in seventeen ninty-
nine—the clang of arms, the shout of the
combatants, arise confusedly with the blustering
of the waves, then the crash of the dividing arch
—the shriek of despair as the victims sank, and
men swept down by the devouring surge—

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In expressing our admiration of these galleries
there is no need to draw upon the immagin
­ation, when we consider the distance from
human dwellings — the dangers of the
avalanch, the preciprice, the storm and
the torrent—all these circumstances which
enhances the magnitude of the undertaking
and should not be forgotten in contemplating
the results.

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Scene. 10.

Storm in the mountains

As the summer at this height lasts but a
few weeks—ten or twelve at most—and the
sun during that period, makes but sleight
impression on the snow. The whirlwinds
of snow are exceedingly dangerous.
Such travellers or couriers, as necessity
compels to force a passage during the dan­
gerous periods of snow storms run the
most iminent risk hazard of their lives.
The only precaution, however, which they can
employ under these circumstances, is to remove
the bells from the mules' necks, and thus persue
their path route route in dead silence, for the vibration
even of a bell, or the sound of the human
voice, are sufficient to detatch those awful
masses, which with so much truth, have
been described as the thunderbolts of the Alps.
The sudden condensation and rarefaction
of the atmosphere in this region, become a
fertile source of disaster to the traveller.
The "Tourmente" or snow hurricane is too
often a destructive phenomenon in the Alps.

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Page 46

Scene 11.

Dangerous pass in the
mountain (Cardinells)

We have entered now upon some of the wildest
mountain scenery. This is the far famed pass
of the Cardinells. As you turn an angle
in the Road and advance a few feet you
suddenly find yawning before you, a fearfull
gulph of some nine hundred feet deep, into
which the ridge on which you stand seems
beetling over, ready to fall with your own weight.

The torrent which rolls at the bottom of this gulf
is almost to far down for for you to see the
swift glance of its waters, or hear the roar,
—for even the thunder of the mighty cataract
of Ni e a v gara would be well nigh buried in
its depths.

You stand fixed in silent awe and admiration
—Below you is that fearful gulf down
plunging in a sheet perpendicular of almost a
thousand feet, while above you is a tremen­
dous overhanging precipiece of near an equal
height, adown and across the face of which
runs, cut out, the zig zag path by which
you are to pass.—

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The whole strata of this perpendicular face of
the mountain seems loosened above, and
ready to bury you in their fall, and the loose
stones come thundering down now and then with
the terror of an avalanche.

You step carefully down the gallery or shelf
till perhaps you are near the centre of the pass.
—Now look up along the perpendicular
height above you and see those bare frozen
detached masses of rock that seen bending over the
edge, they look as if blanched with terror.
—What a steep gigantic mountain brow
they fringe! You feel in a perilous position
as you step cautiously along the gallery, and
yet you cannot resist going back and
gazing again down into the measureless
gulf, and enjoying again the sudden sweep
of this sublime gorge upon the vision.

—On the other side of the gulf, overhung
in like manner, by with a sheer perpendicular mountain
there seems to be something in motion along the smooth
face of the precipice.—You look again steadily, it
is actually a line of mules and travellers creeping
like flies along the face of a wall. And you find
there is a road there also, cut along this fearful gulf
—out of the solid rock.

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Scene 12

Beautiful snowy summit
of a mountain, terrific gorge.

A bright morning in the alps is always an
inspiring scene. The summits of those
heaven high walls of frowning rock and
chilling ice are tinged with ruddy effulgence.
—Those towering dark and savage peaks—
Those lightening riven battlements, and their sky
piercing crystal crags—its robe of glaciers and
unfathomable fringe of snow—are bathed in the glowing sunlight

The coolness of the air inspires with vigour both
mind and body, and creates that buoyancy
of feeling which is usually experienced in the
higher passes of the Alps.

This is the last view of Alpine magnificence
we must now leave these sterile rocks + snow,
and think of reaching a more hospitable region
where

"some signs of life appear"

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On April the 28th eighteen forty nine, the
Roman constituent issued a decree to prove
that it did not distrust the french nation.

Two days after, Rome recieved the news that the
French were advancing. Upon this, means of
defence were hastily arranged, and the triumvirate
recalled Garibaldi.

On May 2nd the Neapolitan troops had
invaded the territory of the Republic, and on the 7th
the Austrians and Spaniards had followed their
example, while the French were quartered at
Castel Guido. To resist this quadruple
invasion was now the work of the Roman
Republic.

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Scene 13.

Encampment plains of
Palestrina. capturing of an

The Romans having the Austrians still some
distance off, and disdaining to fight the Spaniards
determined on attacking the Neapolitans, who
twenty-thousand in number under the command of their King
were advancing on Rome.

Garibaldi with a small corps of light troops
between three and four thousand men was ordered
to reconnoitre their position. He halted first
at Palestreina, and adopted his favorite system
of sending out detatchments to explore the
country.

Garibaldi forseeing that a division of seven
­thousand of the enemy would advance to
attack him, was not decieved for on the mornin(g)
of the 9th of May, the Neapolitans were
seen to be marching in good order on the
Romans, but they had hardly come into col
­lision them they broke their ranks, and despite
their great numerical superiority in less than
three hours were entirely defeated.

This easy victory was principally attributed to the
terror the name of Garibaldi inspired in the
Neapolitans—