accomplished more easily by advancing along
the narrow strip of comparatively level country which intervenes between
those enormous barriers and the Mediterranean Sea, and forcing a passage
at the point where the last of the Alps melt, as it were, into the first
and lowest of the Apennine range. No sooner did he begin to concentrate
his troops towards this region, than the Austrian general, Beaulieu,
took measures for protecting Genoa, and the entrance of Italy. He
himself took post with one column of his army at Voltri, a town within
ten miles of Genoa: he placed D'Argenteau with another Austrian column
at Monte Notte, a strong height further to the westward; and the
Sardinians, under Colli, occupied Ceva--which thus formed the extreme
right of the whole line of the allied army. The French could not advance
towards Genoa but by confronting some one of the three armies thus
strongly posted, and sufficiently, as Beaulieu supposed, in
communication with each other.

It was now that Buonaparte made his first effort to baffle the science
of those who fancied there was nothing new to be done in warfare. On the
10th of April, D'Argenteau came down upon Monte Notte, and attacked some
French redoubts, in front of that mountain and the villages which bear
its name, at Montelegino. At the same time General Cervoni and the
French van were attacked by Beaulieu near Voltri, and compelled to
retreat. The determined valour of Colonel Rampon, who commanded at
Montelegino, held D'Argenteau at bay during the 10th and 11th: and
Buonaparte, contenting himself with watching Beaulieu, determined to
strike his effectual blow at the centre of the enemy's line. During the
night of the 11th various columns were marched upon Montelegino, that of
Cervoni and that of Laharpe from the van of the French line, those of
Augereau and Massena from its rear. On the morning of the 12th,
D'Argenteau, preparing to renew his attack on the redoubts of
Montelegino, found he had no longer Rampon only and his brave band to
deal with; that French columns were in his rear, on his flank, and drawn
up also behind the works at Montelegino; in a word, that he was
surrounded. He was compelled to retreat among the mountains; he left his
colours and cannon behind him, 1000 killed, and 2000 prisoners. The
centre of the allied army had been utterly routed, before either the
Commander-in-Chief at the left, or General Colli at the right of the
line, had any notion that a bat