74 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



coosjdered the French as far from 

 being such real and sound Roman 

 Catholics as tht-mselves- That 

 event and its consequences les- 

 sened still more their good opinion 

 and respect for the French in these 

 particulars ; and since the abolition 

 ©f the papal jurisdiction in Fnince, 

 and (he dereliction of Christianity, 

 openly avowed even by some 

 French ecclesiastics in the course 

 of the preceding year, ihey looked 

 upon the generality of the French 

 vith abhorrence. Such a disposi- 

 tion in the bul'K of tb.e people, ap- 

 peared highly favourable to the 

 design of exciting them to rise in n 

 mass to oppose the French. The 

 Piedmontese displayed on this oc- 

 casion more willingness than the 

 Spaniards had done. Encouraged 

 bv their clergy, and the numerous 

 friars who exerted tht-mselves in 

 spiriting up the multitude every- 

 ■uhere, tliey assembled in July, to 

 the number of ten or twelve thou- 

 sand, and marched confidently to 

 the enemy. But so little "were the 

 Fretich alarmed at tliis method of 

 opposing them, that they did not 

 think it necessary to make any ex- 

 tr;iordin ry preparations to meet 

 this body of undisciplined pea- 

 santry. A few rogim.Mits were 

 suf^cient to put tlvem to the rout. 

 They quickly dispersed to their 

 habitat ions, thoroughly disheartened 

 Ht a trial, from which both they 

 and others had formed better ex- 

 pectations ; but which neither 

 seemed inclined any more to re- 

 peat. 



While the French armies suc- 

 ceeded so completely in the south- 

 ern provinces of the Sardinian do- 

 minions, their forces in the north- 

 ern parts were equally fortunate. 

 No country in Europe could bo 



more susceptible of ©very assistance 

 arising from military knowledge. 

 Full of mountains, defiles, and 

 precipices, it was often with dif- 

 ficulty troops could proceed on 

 their way even without seeing the 

 face of an enemy. The Sardinians 

 had fortifi'd every post that was 

 tenable either by nature or by art ; 

 and the French were compelled to 

 fight for every inch ef ground on 

 wliich they stood. The strongest 

 of the many fortresses scatteredover 

 this country of rocks and moun- 

 tains, was that so well known to 

 travellers by the name of Mount 

 Cenis. It formed a central post, 

 supported by several others ; every 

 one well garrisoned and fortified. 

 Their situation obstructed the pas- 

 sage to it so etfectually, that with- 

 out previously taking them.itwould 

 remain inaccessible. Dumas, the 

 French General, whose particular 

 experience in this mountainous 

 warlare had reconniiended him to 

 this arduous expedition, exerte«l 

 himself so skilfully, that he had in 

 the beginning of May made every 

 preparation re(;uisitc for the com- 

 mencement of his intended ope- 

 rations. On the 10th of this 

 month, at the close of day, a chosen 

 body were ordered to attack a fort 

 that occupied the first pass. It 

 was earned, after a stout defence, 

 together with a valuable train of ar- 

 tillery ; nndthe garrison was obliged 

 to capitulate for permission to re- 

 treat. In the mean time, Dumas 

 himsel/f, at the head of a select di- 

 vision, descended into a valley in- 

 tersected by a chain of posts, througli 

 which he forced his way, and made 

 himself ma.-iter of another fort. 

 After overcoming these obstacles, 

 a number of precipices lay befi>re 

 him, through which, with equal 



