The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-27 00:00:00

The second line of defence is that of the Mincio,
some ninety English miles east of the line of the
Ticino. This line extends from the Lago di Garda,
or rather from the strong fortress of Peschiera, for
twenty-eight miles southward across the plain of
Lombardy, past the impregnable fortress of Mantua,
to the Po. Even the great Napoleon could not
subdue Mantua, strong in its earthworks, stronger
still in its dams and dykes, strongest of all in the
mortal malaria of its marshes. P eschiera has recently
been raised to the utmost strength, and is amply
provisioned against reduction by blockade. Such is
the line of the Mincio.
A third line of defence is that of the river Adige,
which is defended by the great entrenched camp
of Verona. This camp has been constructed accord-
ing to the most scientific principles. It consists of
a series of round forts, so placed as to command
each other, but so numerous that the whole of them
can never be invested. The consequence is that
the Austrians, even if driven back upon Verona,
will not onlyhave their retreat secured—for Verona
commands all the roads, north and cast, to the
Danube and Vienna—but will be so placed as to
compel the enemy to fight them behind their
entrenchments. Every one now knows how
impossible it was to take Sebastopol so long as the
retreat across the harbour was secure, and the
Russians were able to fight behind entrenchments,
and to repair their losses. The same. difficulties
will harass the allied army in Italy, with this
peculiarity, that there will be no means of cutting
off the Austrian retreat.
Such, then, are the three lines which must be
passed by an army advancing upon the Austrians
from Novara and the plains of Turin. The ground
which must be traversed is not unknown. Nay, it
is the very text-book from which every general of
these days has learnt the principles of war : it was
the military parade ground of Radetzky—the field
where, in peace, he constantly manoeuvred, and
where, in war he led his troops to victory. It was
here that General Hess learnt and practised, under
his great master, that science of strategy in which
he became so proficient that in 1849, being en-
trusted to draw up the plan of the short, final cam-
paign, he indicated Novara as the probable spot on
which the decisive battle would be fought. It is
easy for rhetoricians to talk of sweeping the Aus-
trian hordes out of Italy, but no strategist will say
that the passing three lines of defence such as have
been described is a simple matter. It will need con-
summate skill and devoted gallantry. Nor is lit
probable that an officer such as Niel, now at Turin,

A numerously attended meeting of. this society,
was held on Monday evening, at Burlington House,'
Sir Roderick I. Murchison, president, in the chair.
Among those present were—Their Excellencies
Admiral Van Dockum and Count Platen ; Admirals
Sir Thomas Herbert and Sir G. Back ; Generals
Sir G. Pollock, Portlock, and Alexander; Consul
General Crowe, Captain Pal be Sir W. C. Trevelyan,
Mr, W. Wright, of the United States, Sir Thomas
Fremantle, Sir Henry Rawlinson ; Colonels Everest,
James, Sotheby, and Gawler ; the Hon. A. Kin-
naird, M.P. ' • Mr- Ayrton, M.P. ; Mr. Wyld, M.P.;
Captains Hall, Collinson, and Morris, R.N. ; Majors
takes and Middleton; Captains Johnstone and
Sydney Webb ;: Drs, Hodgkin, Lister, Camps, and
Price ; Messrs. Brooking, Crawford, Biddulph,
Cocks, Allan, Charles White, Staveley, Merivale,
Arden, Osborne Smith, lamilton, Newman,
Westenholz, Atkinson, &c., &c.
The papers read were :-
1. Journey in Mexico, by Charles Sevin, Esq.,
V.R.S. The author, accompanied by an experienced
Cornish miner and assayer, started from England
in May, 1856„arrived at San Francisco, via Panama,
pn the 16tk June, and, having visited the gold and
quicksilver mines in the neighbourhood, set out for
Mazatlan (Mexico), whichthey reached on the 25th
of the same month, whence they pursued a northerly
direction, following the road to the Sierra Madre,
passing successively the towns of Culiacan, the
country in the neighbourhood of which is extremely
rich and beautiful; Cinaloa and El Fuerte, the last
being near the boundaries of Sonora, and 73 miles
east of Almos, on the principal road to the port of,
Guaymas. The country around El Fuerte
(situated on a great plain) is described as inferior
to that of Culiacan ; the town is on the southern
bank of the river of the same name, which is there
very broad and deep, rises to a great height during,
the rainy season, and has its source far in the in-
terior of the Sierra, being strengthened by the
waters gathered within a circuit of 400 miles, and
still within the water partings of the west part of
the great Cordillera. The Rio el Fuerte, flowing
almost in a due westerly direction through the
whole province of Cinaloa, divides it from the pro-
vince of Sonora, and ultimately falls into the Gulf
of California. Leaving this place, they travelled in
an easterly direction, and after passing several
small towns and Tillages, and crossing the Rio Chois
with some difficulty, proceeded across high moun-
tains, covered with primitive and tropical woods.
The travellers stopped and examined some copper-
smelting works belonging formerly to an English-
man, Mr. Anderson, situated on a mountain ridge
about 3,500 feet above the level of the valley below.
Continuing their journey i'i the direction of the
province of Chihuahua, and constantly ascending,
they reached a great plateau, the summit of one
of the highest points of the Cordillera, 8,000 or
9,000 feet above the level of the sea, which opened
up a fine panoramic view of the neighbouring
country ' - they then pushed on to the capital of
Chihuahua, which, together with the province, is
described ; and on their return they passed on both
sides many Indian villages, visited the formerly
flourishing town of Botopilas, the richest silver
mining district of the north of Mexico, the Pueblo
of Bahuaraehie and its famous copper mines, again
reached El Fuerte, and returned to Mazatlan, fol-
lowing nearly the same route. Mr. Sevin describes
death
Furthert le
very fully the present state of the country, its
resources, and inhabitants ; and his narrative is
illustrated by diagrams, showing the mountain
ranges and physical character of the country, and
accompanied by numerous specimens of minerals, to
which his attention had been specially directed.
He states that there are everywhere indications of
the presence of silver, which is now worked without
much skill or enterprise, and he is of opinion that
if English capital and energy were employed it
would be attended with great profit.
The second paper read was—Reports from Cap-
tains Burton and Speke, of the East African expe-
dition, on their discovery of Lake Ugiji, &c., with
route maps. These enterprising officers had lft the
shores of Lake Ugiji in the month of May last, and
halted at the main depot of Arab trade, Unyanyembe,
whence Captain Speke purposed proceeding to the
Ukerawa Lake, of which the Arabs gave grand
accounts, 12 or 15 days' march north. If suc-
cessful in this, they will be enabled to bring home
authentic details of the four great waters which
drain Eastern Central Africa—namely, the Nyassa,
the Chiwa, the Ugiji, and the Ukerewa lakes. On
Captain Speke's return both will repair to the east
coast, which they hoped to reach in December. The
explorers had encountered numerous and fearful
difficulties, and suffered severely from the unhealthi-
ness .of the country and other causes. . All their
asses, 30 in number, had died. Many of the native
attendants had deserted them, and, but for the kind
and generous assistance of the French consul at
Zanzibar, M. Ladislaus Cochet, who, after Colonel
Hamerton's unfortunate decease, proved himself an
active and energetic friend, they would have been
unable to proceed. " Still (they write) we are
slowly removing, and the thought of finishin our
labours with, what we hope will considered,be
most valuable results,* has much diminished the
terrible wear and tear of mind caused by wants
ft
during our journey westwards. .
these explorations, which he remarked were second
only to those of Dr.) Livingstone. Captains Burton
and Speke had penetrated into the interior a dis-
tance of about 500 miles at a great hazard and amid
The President dwelt upon the importance of
appalling obstacles, through a country entirely
thhaadt
beenthe
unknown to, and unvisited by Europeans. The
oacc interiornpaosppaitinrali
cnxiioisifliceode:dcnifdet.
eoarAsiti
ptgiynofbi.
obaorslyryinuittcha,easaecinevwenit:se,
eereirtx.highereyoi
n)der
arbaiti
became
ycAg
assistance
he said, confirmed the views of Dr. Living-
:.
trusted
succeed him,
shs • storieant
(ins t,
mentioned
rrwutochutai basinlotanwhen
afford encircledbt eh ien
Arabic
known
in inhi England,s
power.
o wer .
results, he
and those advanced by himself in his presi-
dential addresses to the society,
expectedby the Indian
a position to announce the safe return to the coast
of these courageous and enterprising officers.
The Chairman finally announced that her
Majesty had granted acharter ' '
of incorporation to
the society.
The meeting then adjourned to the 14th of
February. namely,
scholar,

* The source of the Nile.

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ocinoTn.he steamship ,Indian sailed
from Liverpool yesterday (Wednesday), with the Canadian
c
mails and 37 passengers, for Portland, Maine. On Satur-
day the North American mails will bo taken out by the
Cunard steamer America, which sails on that day for
Boston and Halifax. The post-office box at Liverpool will
close on that day at 1 p.m., with late fees at 2 p.m., and on
the landing-stage at 3p.m.
[AnvEnrtsEmENT.l—Rarey's Horse and Cattle Imprroansevsd,
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expense,
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ment than its cost of lid. per feed supplies in corn or
hay;d
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hence ensures an actual saving. In a short time it
20 to 30 per cent. Rarey and Co., sole importers, 77, Pic_
feeds, 6s. ; of about 90 feeds, lls. ; in casks of about 450
feeds, 50s. ; of about 1,000 feeds, £5, being about 111 per
Important Caution—Beware of spurious imitations Orders.
by the
proceeded against.