One who has never seen the plains, rivers, rocks, cañons, and mountains
of the portion of the country traversed by these caravans can form but
a faint idea from any description given of them of the innumerable and
formidable difficulties with which every mile of this weary march was
encumbered. History has assigned a foremost place among its glorified
deeds to the passage of the Alps by Napoleon, and to the long and
discouraging march of the French army under the same great conqueror
to Russia. If it be not invidious to compare small things with great,
we may assuredly claim for these early pioneers greater conquests over
nature than were made by either of the great military expeditions of
Napoleon. A successful completion of the journey was simply an escape
from death.