The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-20 00:00:00

towards the drawbridge. This made a coup de main
more difficult, because it required a greater number
of men, and therefore exposed you to being dis-
covered. Once the drawbridge up there was no
chance, except in a regular attack with guns.
Notwitstanding this increased difficulty, Major
141issori, having examined the place, projected a plan
for a coup de main. A hundred chosen men, dressed
as country people and provided with revolvers, were
to be taken over in batches of five and six, and to
unite at one or more places. They were to come to
the market place in the morning, when the draw-
bridge is down, and mix with the people and soldiers
before the church. The two sentinels were, at a
given signal, to be overpowered, and a determined
rush made by one portion of the assailants over the
drawbridge, while the other was to detain the sol-
diers and prevent their helping their companions.
The plan had its merits ; but several reasons fa-
voured a coup de main on the Fort of Fiumara. The
chief of these was that the coup de main on the lat-
ter could be best undertaken at night time, and Im-
mediately followed up by the landing of a consider-
able force, while that on Scylla could only be under-
, taken in the day time, when the drawbridge was
down, but when, at the same time, there was more
danger from the Neapolitan steamers.
An attack on the Fort of Fiumara was, there-
fore, chosen as the preliminary to a descent in force.
Major Missori was chosen to carry it out. He re-
ceived 'about 40 guides, all proved young men, 100
men of the brigade Sacchi, and about 50 men
chosen from different corps under the orders of Col.
Le Flot. They were to embark at the Faro, at
10 p.m., in boats, and row right across to the
Fiumara, below the fort, make a rush at it and
escalade it, for which purpose they were to carry
ladders and other material with them. Three can-
non shot were to be the signal that the coup de
tnain had succeeded.

In the meantime the Division Cosenz was to be in
readiness. About 2,000 were to be embarked in
three steamers, and the rest prepared to embark in
the boats, which were drawn up on the beach, the
boats prepared for the gins and horses to be laden
in the little lake, and bro'ught out at the moment,
to be taken in tow by the steamers. As soon as the
disembarcation was happily executed the steamers
were to return and continue to embark the different
corps.

The preliminaries were successful enough. Men,
steamers, and boats were all in readiness, and at the
given time 32 boats laden with the little band
chosen for the first trial. They started under
favourable circumstances enough, the night being
rather dark, and the Neapolitan steamers at a good
distance. Three other boats started a little later,
having been detained by the embarcation of mate-
riel. All was expectation during the next half-
hour, and, as the greatest silence prevailed on the
other side, and no stir was audible, every one hoped
that all was right, when all at once the flash
and report of a gun, followed by a few shots of mus-
ketry, dispelled this illusion, and hope gave way
to anxiety for the fate of this forlorn hope. It
was a painful half hour, as you may imagine: The
sound of ears made an end of it, a rush followed
towards the beach, and soon after, one after
another, in came the 32 boats, bringing the news
that they had landed their men without being ob-
served, and were just preparing to return, when
the alarm gun was fired from the fort. How
the alarm was caused remained a mystery which
as yet is not sufficiently cleared up. Soon after
the three other boats returned ; but with their men.
They had missed the road, or had been carried to
another point by the current, and the alarm was
given before they could land their men. The most
probable supposition is, therefore, that they had
attracted notice and awakened attention. That the
alarm was given most thoroughly there could be
no doubt, for the three boats tried several times to
go across, but always returned, having heard the
drums beat.
Still the hope remained that, the attention of the
the enemy being attracted towards the sea, those
who had landed might escape observation, and thus
succeed in their enterprise. But hour after hour
has passed since without bringing the desired sig-
nal of the three cannon shots. Towards morning
two rockets were sent up ; this was the only sign
of life which was visible on the other side. Ever
since day has broke glasses are in constant requi-
sition. Eyes are strained to see whether there is not
some sign, a cloud of smoke, or roll of musketry, or
movement of troops. Towards 10 a.m. about a com-
pany of infantry, a peloton of lancers, and two guns
were seen along the road under the Fort of Fiu-
mara. They came down and advanced almost to
the sea. They had all the appearance of a recon-
noitring party, with all the precautions of a march
in face of the enemy. From time to time they
hastened their march, which seemed now and then
almost a rush; they halted and formed in order of
battle ; in one word, they looked as if they were in
search of some one they suspected to be there.
Weary with expectation and from the effects of a
sleepless night, most of the people on board have
sought a corner to lie down for a moment's rest ; the
General himself has retired for a moment to his
room; and the heavily ornamented and faded look-
ing saloon of the old City of Aberdeen is filled with
reclining figures which look picturesque enough on
that venerable-looking dark crimson velvet. In one
corner is the tall thin figure of Cosenz, still showing
on the neck the traces of the wound received at Me-
lazzo, with the never-failing spectacles near him,
and attired in his uniform as brigadier of the Pied-
montese army. In the opposite corner lies General
Sirtori, the chief of the Etat-Major. In another is
the gray head of Guzmaroli, the faithful follower
of Garibaldi, whether he be in Caprera er in Lom-
bardy, Rome, or Sicily. And then comes the smaller
fry of more or less unknown faces, for there has
been an influx of the staff lately ; not a day passes
without bringing more than one individual who has
already belonged to some force commanded by Gari-
baldi, or is recommended to him as the most capable
person to do everything in general, but having a
special inclination to belong to his staff. The descent
in Calabria was, of course, too brilliant an affair to
lose, and so every one who could tried to get on
board one of the steamers by fair means or subter-
fuges—ltalians, and people of all corners of Europe.,
soldiers and civilians, speaking a babel of languages,
and wearing a regular curiosity shop of 'costumes ;
priests, monks, publicists, newspaper correspondents,
artists—ih one word, every sort and kind of mix-
ture. Besides those on deck and between decks a
battalion of riflemen, artillery, sappers and miners,
sailors, engineers, and stokers—nay, even ladies, one
of them in the costume of the Guides, as a disciple
of Miss Nightingale, and the other in a elegant
morning costume as she had left Messina yesterday.
On shore nothing but soldiers, eating, drinking,
sleeping, playing, lounging about, talking, joking,
quarrelling; busy officers running about or trying
to get their recalcitrant steeds through the crowd;
artillery drawn up in line on the beach ; bullock
carts standing in the way, with denser crowds round
them waiting for the distribution of the rations ; in
the distance the Neapolitan steamers exhibiting
considerable curiosity about our proceedings. All
this gives a picture worthy of the best pencil.
AT THE FARO, AUG. 10.
Yesterday, about noon, all minds were relieved
by the news which came of the forlorn hope on the
other side. They were all safe at St. Angelo in the
mountains, and had been already joined by a num-
ber of Calabrese insurgents. They hoped to be soon
numerous enough to undertake something. This
news was not alone welcome as reassuring about the
safety of the chosen lot, but likewise important as
it brought another feature into the whole affair.
Of course, according to all the laws of warfare, an
adversary may follow up his success as he best can,
50 I suppose no one would have aright to complain
of a descent of Garibaldi's on the continent. It was
simply using the right of warfare. An insurrection
in Calabria, besides being an assistance in military
operations, has the advantage of silencing all objec_
Lions which might be raised. It was, above all, with
a view of attracting attention to the sea, and thus
givinf„,3 time to the insurrectionary force to increase,
that last night steam was got
.7d §cvCral feints
were made to go across. The blicceeded, and
all night long the steamers, gunboats, and tho gay-
TiSOZS of the for 4:,,, were kept on the alert. There., was
a COP.'""
signalling, going to and fro, showing
putting them out again, but scarcely any