The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-14 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF GAETA.

The following letter has been received from
Gaeta, dated the 4th of December :—" The war is
becoming more active, and the siege is entering
into a more interesting phase. The Piedmontese
were reinforced on Saturday by 3,000 men from
Naples, and they are now placing their Cavalli
guns in position. I believe, from information
which I have received from Naples, that Cialdini
will have 80 of the Cavalli guns. The enemy,
began to throw shells from one rifled gun on Satur-
day night. The shells; however, did not come
nearer than the glacis. The guns of the fortress
returned the fire, and shells were at the same time
thrown into Bourg, because it is known that the
Piedmontese are quartered there at night. The
Piedmontese then advanced to the extreme limits of
Bourg and opened a smart fire on our advanced
posts, but nobody was hit. The Queen's and the
Philipstad Batteries then threw shells on Bourg,
and the Piedmontese ceased firing. On Sunday
the Piedmontese began to fire on Gaeta from their
rifled cannon. Some very large hollow shot passed
over our batteries, and one of them fell beyond the
Orlandi Tower and wounded four soldiers. We
replied with remarkable precision. The night of
Sunday passed over without much noise, and each
party remained tolerably quiet the entire of yester-
day. The Princes pass many nights in visiting
the batteries. As for the King, his resolution is
by no means shaken. Thirty men were sent out
from Gaeta last night to burn the houses of Bourg
nearest to us, but the Piedmontese were there in
force, and received the visitors with a volley of shot.
The Neapolitans returned without having accom-
plished their purpose. It is now becoming indis-
pensable to the security of Gaeta to burn Bourg,
though the King hesitates to do so through an
exaggerated feeling of compassion for the pro-
prietors of the houses. A report coming from
Naples informs us that the Piedmontese intend to
demand a truce for four months, inasmuch as they
are not pleased at the idea of passing the winter in
the mud outside Gaeta. I do not know whether this
report is well founded, or ifit be, what answer Francis
11. will make to it. Bands of armed men are rising
in insurrection in every direction. The Calabilas
are on fire. The sovereignty of the people has:bee,,n
proclaimed at Cosenza, and more than 3,000 ,men
there shouted' Down with Victor Emmanuel ! A
strong movement was made at Palmi in favour of
King Francis 11. The theatres in Naples resound
with cries in favour of Garibaldi in the very teeth
of Piedmontese officers.
Evhe
The hymn;in favour of Vie.
tor Emmanuel is hooted and hi
women in the Abruzzi attack Piedmontese,thessed
The Piedmontese troops sent to Palermo met the
very worst reception.. They en camped outside the
walls, and eight of the officers were poniarded. jt
is now that the difficulties of Victor Emmanuel are
commencing. The Neapolitan General, Palmieri,
who was at Velletri, in the Papal States, has deserted
have gone to
with 20 officers, who Naples to make
their submission to Victor Emmanuel. 1,100 more
men have been shipped at Gaeta for the Papal
States on board the steamers Dahomet and Protis."

The Guardian states that the bishopric of Wor-
cester has been offered to and declined by Archdeacon Law.
DRAINAGE.—Mr. H. M. Vavasour, in a letter
to a contenworary says :—ln your report of what took place
at the meeting on Wednesday upon the subject of drainage,
I am made to say " The common outfall was in most cases
a sluggish stream, generally running into a canal.'
what I said (speaking of a particular district with
which I am acquainled) was :—" Small thready
drains extend in every direction, but the common
outfall remains as before—a sluggish meandering
stream, running into a navigable canal, at the junction
with which the course of the water is still further impeded
b 3 a dap; over which the water flows three feet,"