The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-29 00:00:00

rical figures in Turner's pictures you must substi- I RAILWAYS
tute Bersaglieri and Piedmontese soldiers in their
gray coats. I never knew what Turner was until I
looked from the Castle of Lonato on Lake Garda.
" But even for those in the allied armies who
don't take much interest in the picturesque, the
hills about here have a great interest, for they are
just as important as military positions as they are
picturesque. One cannot enough wonder that the
Austrians could resist the temptation to holdthem.
At Lonato they made some preparations, cut down
the trees on both sides of the road, threw up earth-
works in the beginning of the village, but left the
position sooner than that of Montechiaro.
" I told you a few days ago that some guns were
sent to Salo, when Garibaldi was still there to an-
swer the fire of the steamers. The answer was
satisfactory, for three days ago one was hit and
foundered, on which the others moved off. It was
all one could do to prevent the volunteers from get-
ting into boats and trying to take the others.
" To-day the general head-quarters are to be
transferred to Montechiaro.
" CASTIGLIONE, JUNE 23.
" When there are few or no enemies you must
expect little fighting, and no relations of deeds
of heroism. All that occurs in the fighting line is
the meeting now and then of patrols or little par-
ties going out for a reconnaissance. There was one
of this kind this afternoon between a detachment of
French Lancers and an Austrian post they fell in
with at Solferino, on the road to the Mincio bridge
at Valeggio. The troop which took part in it has
not returned yet, but as it was alone without in-
fantry and artillery the whole probably consisted
in the exchange of pistol shots. Although more
open as regards trees, the undulations of the ground
are so varied and the windings of the road so sud-
den in many places, that with every precaution it
is extremely difficult to explore the country, conse-
quently the meeting of two hostile patrols is more
frequent than such an accident would be in a more
open country.
" Castiglione, as you can see by the map, lies
just on the edge of the hilly country to the south of
the lake, Like all Italian towns, it has its old wall
of enclosure and its ruined citadel, now supporting
vines and ivy. From the top of it you get a very
good look far down towards the Mincio, and in
clear days towards the south-east as far as Mantua.
All this hilly country seems to be formed by the
deposits of the lake at a time when the whole plain
of Upper Italy formed, perhaps, part of the lake.
There is not a trace of rock, although the hills on
the edge towards the plain cannot be less than 500
to 600 feet in height, and at some points I should
say rather more than that. They are an agglome-
ration of gravel and smooth round stones, mostly
granite and trap, of the size of a 12-pound shot.
Even before you get to the hills you see of what
they consist, for all the buildings and pavements in
the neighbourhood are made of these stones. Most
of the hills are covered with vines, which are trained
up to small trees in the usual Upper Italian style,
while here and there you see the unusual sight of
a smooth green hill used as pasture ground.
" The more you look at this hilly country the
more you are struck by the advantages which it
offers for defensive warfare. As far as the eye
reaches you see one military position after the other.
The roads winds along them in most capricious and
sudden turns, so that you never can be sure of what
you have before you. All the outer edge is now in
our hands ; we are fairly established there. It is
curious to watch the passage of the army, this mov-
ing city through the country, how it inspires life
into the dullest Italian village, and leaves it, if
possible, more dead than before. While the passage
or stay lasts the native population seems altogether
to disappear, so small become its proportions, and
when you return to the place after a few hours,
while the camp fires are perhaps still alive, you feel
almost oppressed with the stillness. As a general
rule Italian cities as well as villages seem always
far too large for their population, which arises from
the great size of the houses. On the space where
here one family lives, at least three or four families
would be living in other parts of Europe. The
practical turn of mind of the Italian peasant shows
itself strongly on the occasion of the passage of the
allied armies. There is a good deal to gain, and it
is wonderful how vendors of wine, spirits, cheese,
sausages, &c., appear whenever the army stops for
more than a day at the same place. The whole
country population around seems to be taking to
trading, and brings up whatever it can collect at
home of eatables and drinkables. As the detached
farms include usually a good deal of land, and em-
ploy a good many labourers, engaged by the year,
besides a number of occasional ones during the busy
season—for instance, the present harvest time—
there is always a supply of provisions at hand,
which is now sold at great advantage to the soldier.
" For the rest, it is impossible to imagine a war-
fare which affects the countryman less than the
present. There is no trace of those abandoned
houses, interrupted labours, &c., which we usually
couple with the idea of war. A good deal, of
course, in this is due to the circumstance that there
is no fighting, but still there is such a feeling of
security about themselves and their property, such
a confidence that nothing will be done to harm
them, that you see not only on the more outlyirg
fields, but also in those close to the mainroad, men
and women going on with their work as if the road
was made on purpose for the passage of armies, and
it was a daily occurrence.
" It is true that the strictest orders are given
against all requisitions, and whatever is wanted of
wood, straw, hay, &c., is paid for, or a bond given,
which will be taken into account against the taxes.
" Nothing more has been heard, as far as I
know, of the Austrian column which was to have
made the diversion on our left flank and rear. Both
the roads so laboriously constructed by the Aus-
trians over the Stelvio and Toreale passes have been
made impassable, several of the galleries which sup-
ported them having been blown up. Of course there
remain still a number of little passes, but these are,
even in the best season, only practicable for small
bodies of infantry, and they are of so limited a
number that they can be easily watched ; so I
don't apprehend much from that side.
" The Austrians have burnt the bridges over the
Oglio, not only at Bozzolo but likewise at Canetto,
and their patrols remain only on the left bank.
The first of these two bridges has not been burnt
down to the water's edge, the piles remaining six
or seven feet above it, so that it will require little
work to open the road from Cremona to Mantua."
1

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE

WEEK.

(From the Report of the Registrar General.)
The total deaths in London, which had fallen to
913 in the previous week, rose to 970 in the week
ending last Saturday. In the ten years 1849-58 the
average number of deaths in the weeks correspond-
ing with last week was 1,000 ; but as the deaths
that are returned for last week occurred in a popu-
lation that has increased, they can only be compared
with the average raised in proportion to that in-
crease—namely, with 1,100. The comparison shows
that the deaths of last week were less by 130 than
the number which would have occurred if the
average rate of mortality for the third week of
lone had prevailed.
The returns of mortality in former years have
shown that the season now passing is for London
the healthiest in the circle of months ; bift there is
already indication that the complaint peculiar to
summer, and which is so fatal to children, has begun
to prevail. Diarrhcea was fatal in two previous
weeks in six and 20 cases respectively ; last week
the number rose to 34, of which all except five oc-
curred to children. Beside these a child died at 8,
Bird-street, Marylebone, from "choleraic diarrhoea."
Twenty-three deaths occurred last week from small-
pox, three of which, on the 18th and 19th inst. were
in one family at 3, Charles-court, Southwark. Ano-
ther death from the same disease occurred a short
time previously in the same family. Scarlatina was
fatal in 39 cases, diphtheria in 12. Five children
and two adults died from syphilis ; nine infants from
eaols o 17 who had
s were
oonrn an
been born d want
prematurely.ofbreaFstimveilp n
k ;r s
regis-
tered who had attained the age of 90 years or up-
wards, one of whom was a woman, 98 years old,
and there was also a centenarian, the widow of a
labourer, who died on the 20th inst., at 1, White-
hind-alley, Southwark, and whose age is stated to
have been 105 years.
Last week the births of 936 boys and 829 girls—
in all 1,765 children—were registered in London.
In the 10 corresponding weeks of the years 1849-58
the average number was 1,555.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the tnea'n
height of the barometer in the week was 29.840 in.
The barometer rose from 29.67 in. on Tuesday to
29.97 in. on Friday, being the lowest and highest
readings in the week. The mean temperature of
the week was 60 deg., which is just equal to the
average of the same week in 43 years (as deter-
mined by Mr. Glaisher). The highest and lowest
readings of the thermometer in the shade were
obtained on the same day—viz., Saturday, and
were respectively 78.8 deg. and 43.5 deg. The
extreme range of temperature of that day, and also
of the week, was therefore 35.3 deg. The mean
daily range was 20 8 deg. The difference between
the mean dew-point temperature and air tempera-
ture was 9.3 deg. The mean'degree of the humidity
os the air was 72 ; the humidity on Thursday was
only. 60. The mean temperature of the water of
the Thames was 64.8. The wind blew most fre-
quently from the south-west. The rain measured
was o'l6 in., which fell on Monday.