The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-23 00:00:00

4

ITALY.

....e.
THE INVASION OP CALABRIA.

Peen cies smut manairomeord
TAW POINT, Ammer 13.
There is no chance here of gotting a boat for love
or moue!-, for the boatmen of this country are each
a cowartly set of fellows that at the first sight of a
Nespolitau cruiser, or at the first splashing of a
cannon ball in the water, they begin to scream like
children, and pull the boat ashore as fast as they
Can. Yet one can scarcely help being amused on
bearin4 three fellows utter all sorts of prayers to
their Atidonuaa and saints as soon as they think
them:elves in danger. It is not to be forgotten that
perhaps the most bigoted country of
Mumps., And its people the most ignorant If
the Neapeditsns have got the liquefying
blu d of St Jannariva, the Messiness have
an autograph letter of the Holy Virgin, and
what is still stranger, the inhabitants of Taormina
evince great devotion for a similar document,
written, se they assure you, by the hand of Ban
Diavolo. Wham they have been able to find auk a
saint lam est able to say ; it is, however a fast ;
and this curious' relic thought very much al by
the. people and tangy of that city. The co
.4 this mingled cowardice and ignorance=
man here can go to reconnoitre on his own aminamt
the coast of Calabria if he does not belong to the
army. It sine likewise difficult to join arse d the
expeditiune sent by Geribalili to the other site of
the strait, for he dose sot allow anyone to p
with hue for curiosity's sake. A newspaper mem-
'puede:it must, therefore, depend upon the infer-
'nation he wry get from has friends in
the camp, and this is of course dies menaces
It turns out that the sound of aria' g on the other
aide of the strait, of which I spoke in my last let-
ter, IrliSCa used by Neapolitan batteries playing sip=
a new tApedition of 400 am, which Garibaldi
bad sent !..) attempt a landing between Del Cavallo
fort and Villa flan Giovanni This new expedi-
tioa, protected by the darkness of the night, had
sailed from bare at half-past twelve o'clock, nadir
the lead of a Calabrian patriot, who had arrived
from that *matey a few hours before. This man
pretended to know that there was a point of the oppo-
Ste shore which was not guarded by the Neapolitans,
awl undertook to lead the men to that safe spot.
The expediters was ordered and set out ; but
when it got near the shore it was recilined by
a volley of musketry. The alarm was therefore
given to the Neapolitan gunboats and batteries,
and a tremendous tire was opened upon it. Hare
the usual difficulty of keeping the Sicilian rowers
at their places arose. Those fellows began to seem=
like monkeys, aod, in spite of the bayonets pointed
at them by the soldiers in the boats, some pulled
up towards the shore they had started from, and
some left their oars and fell down in the boats. The
commander of the expedition would have had the
shot at once, but how could be dispense with them ?
Three Neapolitan cruisers, alarmed by the firing,
hastened towards them at full speed ; and it wan
therefore necessary that he and his men should
make for the Faro. This was done, and the ex-
pedition accordingly failed. Garibaldi was not
alarmed by this failure, and said to the command-
ing officer, who went to the Lighthouse to announce
it, " We shall have a better chance to-morrow ; go
to bed, make your men comfortable, and good
night."
Nur was this the only failure experienced by
Garibaldi during the course of yesterday. At a
later hour, being on board of one of the Sicilian
steamers, lie saw a Neapolitan steamer coming up
from Reggio towing two large transports He im-
mediately sent orders to Castiglia to have 60 mss
shipped in three large busts, one of which had a
gun, and try to capture the steamer. Castiplia
started at once, but as soon as the Neapolitan
steamer saw the little flotilla rowing in its direction
it left the two transports, and steamed towards the
Calabria]] coast, wider the protection of a Nea-
politan battery. Although a certain distance sepa-
rated the steamer from the attacking party, Cast- is
would have had a fair chance of capturing her; but no
soon:r teas the danger which was hanging over the
steamer perceived by the Fulmivante, a Neapolitan
war-steamer, cruising in this strait, than she came
up with all speed, and began to fire round shot
at Castiglia's boats. No was caused,
for Neapolitan gunners have pros on all 00011111/011/
to be very inexpert at ball practice, but the match
was too unequal not to induce Garibaldi's men to
return. This, however, was done at leisure, and
without the loos of a single man. Commander
Caeliglia told me that at the first cannon shot from
the Fulininiuite he was obliged to point his revolver
at the breast of the rowers, for they seemed dis-
posed to leave off rowing, and begin their gesticu-
lations and prayers.
For the last few days I have taken up my quar-
ters at this place, where comfort and oven necessary
accommodation is out of the question. In every
respect the Neapolitans on the other side are in
quite different and more advantageous circum-
stances. While our sick men have not a mattress
to lie down upon, and are literally without blankets,
the Neapolitans, being masters of the sea, are well
provided for. Except at !larcenous, whose military
hospital is tinder the kind and intelligent direction
of au Euglish lady, Madame Mario, and at
Meosius, there are no medical comforts here,
so vide u a poor fellow is ill the doctors are
sometimes obliged to send to Messina for medicines.
This does not arise from any negligence on the
part of the medical staff, for it could not Lave
been iu better hands than those of the chief doctor,
Ripari. But you must not forget that Garibaldi's
army has been organised within the space of two
month... and that the means at the General's dis-
posal arc very small indeed. It is wonderful that
in such a comparatively short time such results
could le: obtained. With all the riches England
I am inclined to think that your
Or; ; lards and War-office would have failed
in ormi.,isitig nearly 30,000 men as well as Gari-
bakli 1114 in two months, whilst he was actually car-
rying on a regular war, and had tbo sea almost shut
up, or at lout not free. The ambulance depart-
ment is however getting more comfortable every
day. Yeeterday I hiel au opportunity of visiting
it, and found everything requisite nicely made up
in small packages, so that they amid be carried on
ranks' hacks, and distinctly labelled, so that what
is wanted may be procured in a minute. I hoar that
Dr. Ripari has managed to get
.
beits for about 300
patient..patient..iu the hospital of Messina, and in different

The Calabrian who name over here with the
intention of assassinating Garibaldi has fully con-
fessed that he was sent by the Count of Aquila,
his Sicilian Majesty's uncle. He, however, says
that he had wanted the money, 1,000 piastres,
but tha; he came here not to perpetrate the crime,
but ou the contrary to warn Garibaldi of the in-
tention of the Neapolitan court, so that he might
be ..n his guar.l for the future. The man is Mill
under ,rrist, and, as I told yon, will be brought
before 3 court-martial either to-morrow or the day
after.

That t;aribalden intentions are to attempt some-
thin lion evening in quite clear by the number
44 11.1111 1144 W limier orders to embark. I should nut
br at .iti nunaierd if he intends to attack Seylla or
the F. rt.' del Cavallo. He must feel as the
solar, -4 do, that to remain in this
r climus
positloni IA at the name time tedrout and peons.
Be has probably, th-reforr, planneil some decisive
movement, and thin accounts for his sudden dis-
appearance from this place. Tenterlay he embarked
an hoard the Washington. and he has nut yet
return,d, His *on slenotti, who in one of the
aides-de-camp td Oener:d Bicio, arrival herr this
'morning from Brenta. I hear that Bili t, having
put things 'Straight in that quarter, bast received
orders to join the main tinny. Medici's division is
still at Messina to keep a close eye on the garrinon
of the citadel.

OI'AT 11. 6 A.N.
Another more ilerions attempt to ettltil over to
Calabria wan made laid night, but the Noapolitmus
kept cp such a tminenilinus tire that it war intirm-
Silile for one of the party to land. rills Illttr:Ii114 I
S4W o rag hoisted ow the tower of the Neapolitan
fort at Pezio, but I cannot make out whether it is
a or • Neapolitan Hag._ They, 324 you
know, are much alike, the only tlitlerenod.,,heingin