Bonaparte, who wore his gray greatcoat, and had his whip in his hand, appeared somewhat disappointed at not seeing any one come from the valley of Aorta to inform him of the taking of the fort of Bard.  I never left him for a moment during the ascent.  We encountered no personal danger, and escaped with no other inconvenience than excessive fatigue.

On his arrival at the convent the First Consul visited the chapel and the three little libraries.  He had time to read a few pages of an old book, of which I have forgotten the title.

Our breakfast-dinner was very frugal.  The little garden was still covered with snow, and I said to one of the fathers, “You can have but few vegetables here.”—­“We get our vegetables from the valleys,” he replied; “but in the month of August, in warm seasons, we have a few lettuces of our own growing.”

When we reached the summit of the mountain we seated ourselves on the snow and slid down.  Those who went first smoothed the way for those who came behind them.  This rapid descent greatly amused us, and we were only stopped by the mud which succeeded the snow at the distance of five or six hundred toises down the declivity.

We crossed, or rather climbed up, Mont Albaredo to avoid passing under the fort of Bard, which closes the valley of Aorta.  As it was impossible to get the artillery up this mountain it was resolved to convey it through the town of Bard, which was not fortified.  For this operation we made choice of night, and the wheels of the cannon and caissons, and even the horses’ feet, being wrapped in straw, the whole passed quietly through the little town.  They were, indeed, under the fire of the fort; however, it did not so completely command the street but that the houses would have protected them against any very fatal consequences.  A great part of the army had passed before the surrender of the fort, which so completely commands the narrow valley leading to Aorta that it is difficult to comprehend the negligence of the Austrians in not throwing up more efficient works; by very simple precautions they might have rendered the passage of St. Bernard unavailing.

On the 23d we came within sight of the fort of Bard, which commands the road bounded by the Doria Baltea on the right and Mont Albaredo on the left.  The Doria Baltea is a small torrent which separates the town of Bard from the fort.  Bonaparte, whose retinue was not very numerous, crossed the torrent.  On arriving within gunshot of the fort he ordered us to quicken our pace to gain a little bridle-path on the left, leading to the summit of Mont Albaredo, and turning the town and fort of Bard.