SUMMIT OF THE RIGHT.

365

way to Massena’s position on the Albis, intending to surprise that general, who, he knew,had been there a long while watching another Russian army, under ICorsakau, inpossession of Zurich . But Massena, well apprised of his approach, had already attackedand defeated the other Russian army, and detached the divisions of Soult and Mortier tomeet Suwarrow on his way. They met at the entrance of the Monottathal, and adesperate engagement ensued. Many French and Russian soldiers fell together into theMonotta from the bridge, which a projecting point hides from our sight. This bridgewas taken and retaken many times; the mingled blood of the two nations crimsoned thestream, which carried down their floating bodies. All the efforts of the Russians , duringtwo successive days, to force the passage, proved unavailing; nor could their success haveanswered any purpose, after the defeat at Zurich . A retreat became unavoidable, andSuwarrow effected it by Glaris, instead of by Altdorf , whence he had come. No traveller,probably, had ever before passed the Kientzigkoulm from Altdorf to the Monottathal:the very shepherds take off their shoes, and hold by their hands, where armies marched

foMSE!

CHAPEL NEAR SCI! WITZ.

. 1 - *>-

3* ft*

and fought during that memorable campaign. The precipices were strewn with bodiesof fallen soldiers; not a mossy rock beside a running spring that had not been chosenby some of them to lay down his head upon and die ; and when, in the ensuing spring,the melting of the snows left the corpses uncovered, the ravenous birds of prey became sodainty, that they fed their young ones only with the eyes !”

The winter of 1435 was so excessively cold, that the whole course of the Rhine frozeto the sea, and the lakes of Zurich and Constance were crossed both on horseback and incarriages. When the lake of Zug began to thaw in the early part of the spring, theinhabitants were alarmed by discovering profound rents under that part of the town whichis nearest to the water, and in consequence many of the towns-people fled. In the earlypart of March, two streets with part of the walls of the town suddenly fell into the lake,carrying with them sixty persons, and among others the first magistrate of the canton;his infant son, who was found in his cradle, lived to a very advanced age and succeededto the dignity of his father. About a hundred and fifty years after this, a few houses