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perhaps, owing to that eafe and gaiety of manner that he obtained, in the end, all that he had demanded. A degree of misunderstanding had taken place for fome time between the English, as individuals, and the Auftrians. The former reproached the latter with the great length to which the fiege had been protracted. Malena endeavoured to widen and to take advantage of this want of harmony, by flattering the pride of one party at the expenfe of the felf-love of the other. He faid to lord Keith, Do you, my lord, only permit a little giain to be carried into Genoa, and I give you my word that these gentlemen (looking at the Auftrian generals) fhall never fet foot there." Toward the end of the conference he again addreffed lord Keith, perfonally: "My lord, if France and England could only understand one another, they would govern the world."* In the whole of this conference, lord Keith treated Malena, as the general often acknowledged, in a very civil and handfome manner. His lordship ditclaimed all hard conditions. He always faid, "General, the defence you have made has been fo heroic, that it is impoffible to re

fufe you any thing that you afk." At length, at feven o'clock at night, Maflena figned the treaty for the evacuation of Genoa, and the contracting parties mutually gave hoftages. The fubftance of the treaty was, that the right wing of the French army, charged with the defence of Genoa, and the com→ mander-in-chief with his staff, thould go out of Genoa with their arms and baggage, in order to rejoin the centre of the faid army by land.--The fame liberty was granted to eight thoufand one hundred men, who had permiffion to enter France by Nice. The reft were trans ported by fea to Antibes, and were duly provided with provitions.--Due attention was allo paid to the hofpitals and the prifoners. Pall ports were granted to the Genoese patriots. The Auftrians took poffeflion of the gates of the city, and the Englith of the entrance into the harbour. French commiffioners remained at Genoa to fee the articles, that had been agreed on refpecting the tick, and the hofpitals, duly executed. Mallena was allowed to fend a courier, with a palfport, to Buonaparte, to announce the evacuation of Genoa.

CHAP.

AD

Η

Hathe any opendifafter happened to army of Moreau, on ing the campaign, Buonaparte might have been induced to balance the neceflity of fending relief to the army of Italy, with that of fending fuccours to Germany. The fplendid fucceffes of Moreau, left him at liberty to do that to which he was most inclined: to fend the army of referve into Italy. This army was ordered to Geneva, through the Païs de Vaud, and the lower Valais to Martigny, a village fix leagues from the Great St. Bernard, where the firft conful, leaving Paris on the fixth of May, joined it, and made a ftay of three days, during which preparations were made for the afcent of the mountain.

The firft contul had determined upon the measure of marching an army to Italy with the utmoft expedition, on account of the fituation in which Maffena was then placed; who was fhut up in Genoa, and reduced to great firaights, by general Melas. In this extremity, Buonaparte had refolved to furmount every difficulty in the page of the Alps, in order to attack the rear of the Austrian army. Fortunately, about this time, geDeffaix had arrived at Paris t; and, as the firft con

fl was well acquainted with the fkill and abilities of that officer, he was glad of his affiftance in this enterprize.

The principal part of the army was intended to pals by Mount St. Bernard; other divifions, were intended to crofs by Mount Cenis, the Simplon, and Mount St. Gothard.

On the fifteenth of May, Buona. parte paffed St. Bernard, and at Remi, diftant fix leagues from the monaftry, firft law the Auftrians, who, though inferior in numbers, difputed the ground ftep by step with the republicans, until they faw another part of the army defeending, as if with intent to attack them in the rear.

No part of the artillery of this army had at that time crofled the mountains. It had been collected at the village of St. Pierre, and it may be fuppofed it was a work of no fmall difficulty to tranfport it acrofs the Alps. It was, however, effentially neceffary that fuch a tranfport fhould be made, and the following means was used to effect it:

Every piece of cannon was difmounted, and placed in troughs hollowed out of trees cut down for the purpose. These were drawn by five or fix hundred men, according to the fize and weight of

the

the piece. The wheels fixed to poles, were borne on mens' fhoulders; the tumbrils were emptied, and placed on fledges, together with the axle-trees. The ammunition, packed up in boxes, was carried on the backs of mules. To encourage the men, from four to five hundred franks were allowed for every piece of artillery thus tranfported. One half of a regiment was employed in drawing cannon, whilft the other half bore the neceffary baggage belonging to their corps. The men proceeded in fingle files, it being impoflible for two to draw abreaft, or to pals each other without danger of falling down the precipices on the fide. The man who led, stopped, from time to time, when every one took the refreshment of buifcuit, moiftened in fnow water. It was the labour of five hours to reach the monaftery of St. Bernard, when each man was refreshed with a glafs of wine. They had then eighteen miles of defcent, by far the most difficult and hazardous, which they did not accomplish till nine the next night, being ten hours- in performing it. Buonaparte, and his ftaff, marched on foot, and were in feveral places obliged to flide down feated on the fnow.

On the fixteenth of May, the vanguard reached Aofta, garrifoned by a Hungarian battalion, which, after tome lois, evacuated the place, when a deputation from the town waited upon the conful to furrender it.

The van-guard now proceeded to the attack of Chatillon, near which place general Lannes was imformed the Auftrians were preparing to oppole his paffage over a bridge thrown acrofs a precipice; but the Auftrians were fo vigorously at

tacked by a body of huffars, that they were foon driven off the bridge with a confiderable lois, and flut themfelves up in Fort De Barre, built on an inacceffible rock.

This fort, from its fituation in a narrow neck, appeared to ftop the progrefs of the whole army; and, if it could not be reduced in four days, every foldier muft have perifhed through hunger, as the provifions were nearly exhaufied, and no means left of procuring an additional fupply. Had general Melas forefeen this obftacle, he might, by a timely oppofition, have fruftrated the fuccels of Buonaparte's experlition.

The rock on which the fort is built, is in the fhape of a fugarloaf; the pafs at its foot is fkirted by a deep and rapid river, called the Doria; on the oppofite fide of which is a feep inacceffible rock. There was no alternative; the fort muft either be taken or another paffage fought. Each had its difficulties, but Buonaparte's genius furmounted them.

The fuburb was taken poffeffion of by three companies of granadiers previous to an attack on the fort, which was defended by five hundred men, and twenty-two pieces of can

The attack was made at night, when the republicans climbed up the rocks and over the pallifade amidst a fhower of balls, and drove the Auftrians from the works, but were at laft obliged to retreat themfelves.

This check made the conful refolve to find out another paflage, when a way was difcovered up the rock Albaredo; which afcent gained, might with a like difficulty, be defcended. But the artillery could not poffibly be tranfported this way; it was therefore refolved, at

every hazard, to pafs the carriages through the fuburb. Every means was ufed, by letting out in the dark, and by fpreading litter along the way to deaden the found, and prevent fufpicion in the garrifon; yet, thefe precautions did not prevent the Auftrians from difcovering their defign, and the men were fired upon and killed by every difcharge. At length, Buonaparte ordered a cannon to be raised, and placed upon the top of the church, which fo effectually battered the tower over the gate, that the garrifon, fearing a fecond afsault, furrendered at difcretion.

A paffage was now opened to the republican army, which experienced no farther obftruction until it reached Ivrea, a town betwixt Aofia and Turin, from both which places it is diftant about eight leagues; and whither the army proceeded as foon as the foldiers had refreshed themselves with the provifions found in Fort De Barre. This place was efcaladed and taken, with fourteen pieces of cannon, on the twenty-third of May, by a divifion under general Boudet, before the main army reached it.

Buonaparte, inftead of continuing his courfe fouthwards, to Turin, turned off to Romagno, eastwards, having received intelligence of a force collected there of fix thoufand men, partly compofed of Auftrian troops, which he had driven before him, and a number drawn from Turin. This body had taken a pofition at Romagno, and was intrenched behind the Sefia, a deep and rapid river. They appeared to be ignorant as well of the ftrength of the French army, as that it had Buonaparte with it, and treated its defigns with contempt, but were

the next day convinced of their mif take, when general Lannes forced their entrenchments, and cut them to pieces, notwithstanding their ca valry made fome fhew of refiftance.

On the twenty-fixth of May, Buonaparte gave orders for two divifions to march towards Turin, whilft his van guard bore upon Chiufella and the Po. This was done in order to deceive the Auftrians, who thereupon croffed that river, and took a pofition on the right bank. Whilt the attention of the Auftrians was taken up with this manœuvre, general Murat, at the head of a divifion of cavalry, entered Vercelli the next day, on the road to Milan. Other divifions, about the fame time, took possession of Suza and Brunette, and Ariolo.