The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-16 00:00:00

deep irrigation of brine. Toe loss of property it is
impossible to calculate—perhaps £6 to £lO an acre
for the cropping, now totally destroyed; but who
can value the whole damage, except by saying that
scores of farmers have had suddenly swept away
every vestige of vegetable produce on their farms,
and of course have all the year's expenses to meet
with no haytime and no harvest. The greater por-
tion of occupiers of the flooded fields have other land
not likely to be reached by the salt deluge; but
nevertheless it is probable that the greatness of the
destruction will ruin hundreds of families. That
the breach will not be closed for some time is pro-
bable, because it operates as a safety-valve, reliev-
ing the drain of the incoming tides, and, by thus
diminishing the pressure, preventing more destruc
tive breaches of the eastern bank and further in-
land. Piles are being driven at the first bridge
above the sluice, with a view of checking the inflow
of the tide and forming a dam ; but when the cut
has thus been stopped up it will only be the tidal
enemy that has been set at bay. The Marshland fens
having outfalls and steam-engines of their own, will
soon bale out the present flood ; but the cut is the
means of egress for the middle lever drain-waters
far inland to the dried Whittlesea Mere and the
foot of the Huntingdonshire hills ; and in a rainy
season the delay unavoidable in securing a drainage
pro tem. will slowly, but not the less surely, swell the
quantity of water in main drains and ditches, and
soak and then overspread the magnificent crops now
pushing forward and almost spindling for the ear.
The rebuilding of the sluice at a cost of some £40,000
is an insignificant item in comparison with the pro-.
digious sums that will be sacrified in case a wet

time should now ensue. In the year 1841 the inner
portions of the middle level were flooded owing to
imperfect drainage, the damege sustained exceeding
£150,000; and by Acts of Parliament of 1844 and

1848 £450,000 were raised by taxation of the lands
for executing the present cut, erecting the sluice,
and remodelling the entire system of drainage. The
results were so satisfactory, in giving many localities
a drainage by natural fall in lieu of costly steam and
fitfull windmill drainage, in lowering the head of
water against 'which the few still necessary
wheel had to throw, and in reclaiming Whit-
tlesea Mere, that the old lines of drain have been
neglected, the old main arteries are much choked
up, and it is now a difficult question by what
means the immense body of drain-water in the
140,000 acres is to be discharged while the sluice
is being rebuilt. In any case it seems necessary to
erect very powerful steam pumps or wheels; and
woe be to the middle level population if a cloudy
summer should sympathise with their woes by
undue weeping. The fen districts, which are now
under water, have no claim upon the middle level
for redress ; and the latter will probably suffer with
little less severity ; and whether or not any charge
of dilatoriness or unskilfulness may be brought
home to those wha had the watching and repairing
of the sluice, the existing and prospective distress
of this sudden visitation is extensive and profound
enough to receive a share of public sympathy.

THE SING OF ITALY'S VISIT TO NAPLES.

A letter from Naples, dated May 10, says :—ln
a ,recent letter I ventured to suggest the probable
reason of the tardy arrival of Sir .Tames Hudson in
Naples, as also of the absence of a larger British
fleet on this important occasion. You will permit
me in my present letter to enlarge on this subject.
It is well known that the policy of France as re-
I Bards Southern Italy has, to say the least, been
doubtful. Fabricators of Francis ll.'s impossible
constitution at the eleventh hour, for it was all con-
cocted in the house of the French Minister, they
next endeavoured to oppose the landing of Garibaldi
on the coast of Calabria. At a later date they pro-
posed landing a body of men in Naples from their
fleet—a proposition which only failed through the
firmness of our Admiral. Their conduct before
Gaeta is matter of history, for all the world knows
that but for the vexatious presence and intervention
of their fleet that stronghold would have fallen
much earlier. Thwarted in every effort to embarrass
and to retard the attainment of the great object on
which every Italian is now bent, they give at last a
very modified acknowledgment of Victor Emma-
nuel as King of Italy ; but, at the same time, if they
do not sanction, they at least permit the assem-
blage in Rome of the offscourings of every country
in Europe, who cross the Papal frontier with im-
punity and keep a great portion of Southern Italy
in continual agitation. Providence has, however,
watched over the destinies of this interesting land,
great difficulties have been surmounted, and some
of its best friends, who at first had' their doubts,
now not only admit the possibility of an united
Italy, but that this is the only solution of a ques-
.

tion which has so long kept Europe in a state of
painful expectation. The sympathies of England
with the Italians during their long struggles are
too well known to require any additional expres-
sion, and, though it may be the fashion of some to
laugh at moral support, yet the turn which events
have taken has proved all its value. It was, how-
ever, of the greatest importance to elicit a strong
expression of sentiment on the part of the French,
and this has been done most effectually. They have
taken the leading part on this occasion. While we
have had not more than three ships-of-war here at
any time during the last fortnight, they have had
nine ships of the line and three Admirals, The
absence, too, of Sir James Hudson has given the
first post in the Diplomatic body to M. Bene-
detti. Nothing has interfered with the complete-
ness of the French demonstration, and the Em-
peror is now too far compromised, even if he
wished to draw back from his avowed support
of Victor Emmanuel, as King of United Italy
—an avowal all the stronger from its having
been made in the Bay of Naples. If it was the
policy of our Government to bring about such a
result, it has succeeded most effectually, and, truth
to say, it is difficult to suppose that such was not
the case.

I must observe, however, that with their usual
tact the French are making the best of the circum-
stances to redeem themselves in the opinion of the
Neapolitans. The magnificent and unique spectacle
which was offered to them last Sunday night was
just the thing to dazzle the imaginations of this
people, and this week it has been seriously dis-
cussed by the French commanders whether or not
to land a portion of their men on the coast and take
them a passeggiata into the country ! The motive
given out was the health of the men, but there is
reason to believe that the whole affair was to
be a little imitation of the landing of men from
the Exmouth last year in the Bay of Castella-
mare,—a
the which,French press. Nothing
however simple, called
down h
has as yet been decided, but I repeat that the idea
has been seriously entertained this week. I have
e wrathmanoeuvre
already communicated to you the intention of the
King to establish the residence of Prince Humbert
in Naples. On very high authority I can assure
you that it was the wish of Ricasoli to send the
Prince here for six months, and that the proposition
only failed because his Majesty, influenced by those
around him, opposed whatever Ricasoli proposed. I
believe that the measure will be highly gratifying
to all classes.

There is very doubtful 'wisdom in much of the
charity of the Neapolitans, and an instance of it I
remark in the distribution of 72,000 loaves by the
bankers and merchants. Six thousand were distri-
buted on the Bth, 5,000 yesterday, and the work
will go on as long as the King remains. All these
things tend to break down the self-respect and self-
dependence of the poor. Imagine this vast number
of persons rushing, hat in hand, if they have one,
to receive a morsel of bread. "Le mangio a faccia
sua," shouted a woman the other day, holding up
her loaf. Freely translated, it means " I eat 'em
and no thanks for 'em." Such charity elicits no
gratitude, while it ruins character. But what cha-