The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-25 00:00:00

THE INVASION OF CALABRIA.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Times.)
MESSINA, AUG. 15.
YrAterday afternoon there was considerable move-
me•.it between the Faro and Messina. The com-
manders of the different corps were summoned to
attend on General Sirtori, who acts as General of
the forces during Garibaldi's absence. Aides-de-
camp and Guides, but their horses even more than
they, had a hard day of it, running about and carry-
ing orders to and fro. The conclusion could not be
doubtful ; the long-expected embarkation was to
take place 'at last. This conclusion once arrived
at, the public took it for granted that it must
be in the direction of the Straits. Everyone
has been looking and looking across this narrow
streak of water, examining the forts, watch-
ing the gunboats and steamers, observing the glit-
tering muskets, listening to the reports of musketry
and guns, enumerating the signal lights and flashes.
The water line was like the chalk line which,- once
drawn, retains with magic attraction the fowl placed
before it, and no one ever imagined that something
else was taking place all the while, and that the
plans were changed.
Garibaldi had left, but some sparks of his spirit
had remained—that spirit which organised the
marches and countermarches in Lombardy, and
which brought us to the gates of Palermo.
The passage of a water line in face of a strong
enemy, even if of moderate width and depth, is al
ways a serious undertaking; it is considerably. more
so to cross a stream with formidable currents and
counter-currents of several hundred fathoms in
depth, and of a width nowhere less than two miles,
in face of 10 war steamers, to which we have none.

to oppose, and of four heavy batteries, half-a-dozen
gunboats, and a force at least equal to our own along
the coast. All these were just the circumstances to
induce a good general to attempt a descent on some
other point, while all attention was concentrated on
this one, and Garibaldi was the last-man to over-
look this advantage.
Before he left, it had been decided to make a con-
version of our front, and, while keeping up appear-
ances towards the Straits, choose somelioint on the
northern shore whence to make a descent to some
other part of the continent beyond the Straits. The
position was favourable enough for such a plan.
The north-eastern point of the island tapers off to-
wards the Faro point, so that at Messina it is
scarcely more than from five to six miles in width,
while beyond that point it is even less. In a couple
of hours of marching, therefore, the whole could be
on the other side, and this movement could be ef-
fected without being perceived by the enemy, in
spite of his great vigilance. The great mountain
chain which intersects Sicily comes down to the
village of Upper Faro, and ends not far from the
paint, in a round hill, crowned by an earthwork.
Towards Messina the chain is rather abrupt, while
on the other sida it slopes down more gently. Thus
the movements on this side are hidden almost in-
stantaneously.
There was, too, the harbour of Melazzo, to which
the steamers and boats could be brought without
being observed by the Neapolitan cruisers. It lies
on the great passage line between Messina and
Palermo, and is an almost invariable place of stop-
page fOr the ships between the two places. Besides,
there is an outlet from the lake nearest to the Faro
to the north as well as towards the Straits, so that
the boats collected there can be taken out in that
direction likewise. The distances being small the
force could, therefore, be ready to embark on either
side. Appearances were at the same time kept up
towards the Straits. There were the two or three
steamers with their fires banked up ; there was a
part of the troops still encamped along the seashore
and in the villages along it. In the meantime the
tetes de colonnes were directed towards the north.
The first brigade of Cosenz went up by the little
villages of Faro Superiore, Santa Lucia, Santa
Nicola, and Santa Giorgio. The brigade Sacchi,
which occupied the positions of Faro Superiore and
Gauziti, on the second of the lakes, crossed the
ridge and went down to Spadafora. The first bri-
gade of the division Medici received orders to move
up by the main road towards Spadafora.
While thus a part of the forces threatened in
those two directions the division Turr prepared for
a passage lower down. The first brigade, which
had gone to Monte, Castiglione, and several other
towns in the Etna district to put down some dis-
orders which had taken place there, received orders
to move up to Taormina, or rather Giardini, a vil-
lage at the foot it, while the second brigade,
which had been Wore sent in the direction of the
Faro, was sent off to join it.
By these dispositions a descent was prepared to-
wards the eastern and southern coast of Calabria,
towards the western and towards the Straits.
These descents were, however, dependent en the
operations which Garibaldi himself had gone to
superintend ; and it is time to say something about
these. Very shortly after Garibaldi's arrival at
Messina several of the most pqaminent patriots of
the Pontifical possessions came over here to corm
bine a plan of attack on the Pontifical provinces.
It was decided that it should take place simul-
taneously with the descent on the continent, about
the middle of this month. 6,000 men had been col-
lected and prepared for this coup, and an insurrec-
tion was at the same time to break out in the Papal
States. The 6,000 men were to be taken in batches
to the island of Sardinia, and then be fetched by
steamers from Palermo and thrown across the main-
.
and.

The descent on the continent from Sicily was to
be regulated by the readiness of the preparations in ,
Sardinia, and when these were completed the signal
was to be given here likewise. Last night or this
morning was fixed as the probable date for this
contingency, and it was with this view that the
preparatory movements were begun yesterday after-
noon. Up to the present time this signal bas not
been given, and consequently the dispositions are
suspended.
The night passed away quietly and without th
slightest disturbance—a thing which considerably
puzzled those who had seen all the preparations
going on.
No firing, no movements, and people went to bed
deceived in their expectations. Not a few of these,
however, left their couches rather precipitously this
morning, when the sound of cannon was heard from
the harbour. Imaginations were so busy with the
descent on Calabria and the threats of Clary to bom-
bard the town in such a case that the first impres-
sion was that both events had taken place. There
was a general rush towards the Marina, where, how-
ever, all apprehensions were soon quieted by seeing
that the cannonade came from the French man of
war Descartes, Nvhich saluted the 15th of August.
During the day the Queen of England, one of the
steamers of the Brazilian line, came into the har-
bour. She had been bought in England by Gari-
baldi's agents, with the view of converting her into
a man of war. She has on board 16 rifled cannon,
and brings besides 23,000 Enfield rifles, which have
been sent out on speculation. Although of wood,
and strongly built, the Queen of England will
scarcely be able to carry all •the guns. However,
if she is but able to accommodate the two large
68-pounders she will be of great use.
News arrived to-day from the little band which
has, been sent across into Calabria. They are all
safe in the part of the main chain of the Apen-
nines close to the Straits. They are amply pro-
vided with everything, and have heaps of visitors.
They have collected a number of volunteers about
them, and every day fresh ones come in. They
had only one little skirmish, in which one man was
wounded. Another who has come across likewise