The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-19
TEE BATTLE FIELD OF EUROPE,

Its Gsog raphicai Position. It's Divisions md
neutrality-suspicious. Northern, Central aad
6Outhern-Its Strong Cities, Its Seaports
and Is,ands-Relativo Position or Piedmont
md Lombardy y The Rspublio or San Mari.
nO-The Two SlciIies-The sratexe.icaI
Rivers and their Strong PIaces-svvitzer-
land Likely To BE In the Fray ~ Well a.
TnscsDy-The Swiss Alps the Es,ursI Cua-
del OF Freedom In Europe-The ID fleets In
the Constitution Of the Helvetie Republic
History OF Its Recent Defiance or Pru ss,a-
The Passes Over the Alps and the Grs at
Tunnel Through the AIps-Ths French
Bases Of Operations, SC.
ITALY.
Tho limits Of no region marked in more distinct
characters by the hand Of nature than Italy aud vet no.
where have the political boundaries been orr nu,.uat
ing. Tho Alps, the highes. mountains in the ancient
world arranged into huge crescent one extremity OF
which reaches 70 the Adrstic Cuff the other to the
Sea Of Genoa separate Italy from regions Of the north
and serve As barrier against the frozen tmpess which
blow from thence, and at the against
continental invasion. Hannibal denommated the Alps tbs
walls not only Of Italy, bu. OF Rome itself The
Adratc Eea battles this charming country on tho east
the Tuscan the west and tho south TIE Ionau
sea opens communication with Greece and all southern
countries. "It seems" says French writer that the
gods have launched Italy into the mids of VAT ocean
immense lighthouse which invites tho navirators
of distant countries" Numbersss small islands
It's Shores and has three large islands OF great beau
" and fertility Through It's whole length it divided
by secondary chain Of mountains called the Apsnnnss
running out from the Ap1 Gsnoa towards the south
dateDing gradually into plains and at last sinking into
the This single ridge VIII may be called the back
bona Of Italy passes beneath the waters over into tho
Island Of Sicily, which Ia only separated from Italy by
the Strait OF Nessina. Italy is thus large pc
nnsuls extending in length from Mount Rosa the highest
SUMMIT OF the Italian Alps, to tn, Cape dc Leuca $40
miles, while the medal breadth between tho Adrac and
the Mediterranean about 100 niles but from the head
Of the Gulf Of Trieste tho Rhons western boundary
Of Savoy, IL 80 miles According TO Mayors map the TO-
tai superficial extent OF Italy, including its Islands, Is
s3 600 square miles presents the singular form of
boot as in the act Of giving kick with the too 10
Sicily, which is Of triangular shape, and was therefore
called by the ancieAts Trnacr. sount Etna 80 often
mentioned in the ancient asscs, il in this island
The chief river Of the Italian Peninsula tho Po which
rises within the French lines In Mount vso on the con
dDes Of France and Italy, at elevation Of e468 feet
and thirty ni.es west Of Turin. It receives thirty tri
butares very deep and rapid river. The canal Of
the Navglo unites the cation the Pc and Iicino
The Po from the Alps to the Adriatc $40 miles long
The river second In importance the Adge which flo Es
rom the Tyrol to the Adratic, and go miles long, The
third important river is the Tiber, which, rising the
southern slope Of the Apenres flo through Rome and
thence IS miles to the Mediterranean after course Of 1855
miles. Is navigape certain seasons 20 miles above
Rome At Rome il is about 800 feet wide. The prnci.
pal seaport OF the Papa States Cva veccha and lies
little north Of the Tber The fourth important river is
The Aro which also rises In the southern slope of the
Apenres and flowing through Florence, the capital Of
Tuscany enters the Aeiter forty miles from that
city Pisa, rather beautiful city is situated It's banks
seven miles from it's mouth and Lcghorp the principal
seaport Of Tuscany is only little south Of tae Arno The
whole length Of the river IL 70 miles, and IL is nayigabe
naturally from the to Florence and has been made
uavitabe 10 near Its by means Of q locks II
communicates with the riber by means OF a canal The
valley Of the Arno of the richest and most beautiful
in Italy.
In extent Of coast Italy Is rot surpassed by nuy
country Of Europe. surrounded on three sdsa by
water and the fourth bounded by the mighty A,es
II has therefore, an almost nsuar position like England
and were its population united together one strong
government, would be OF ths most powerful and
prosperous nations Of the world What is Italian
unity and Independence to mako this country what nature
intended II to BE- The ooas4s are fiat and unprotected Va
The northeast, whore the Pc and several rapid coast
rivers, flowing from tho neg nboring Alps rush with grea.
'mpsussity into the sea; but everywhere else they are
guarded BY high rocks and steep cliffs The natural bonn
usiy W TIC ofM ana west Is the Alps;
lying 10, strictly speaking part of the country
sut belonging to and continuous with Piedmont the cen
trh State OF tho Kingdom Of Sardinia, Is il set
down in most modern maps part Of Italy. his
truly Alpine country, separated by enormous ridge
the Grey Alps, from the peninsula. On the eoas
Of the Mediterranean strip OF France extending to the
Eu OF genoa, separates both Savoy and Piedmont frc
tho The boundary Of France, the Var, only four
miss from Moe important seaport Of Sardinia In the
sams way tho opposite side Of Savoy, nyra, with IL
capital and principal seaport Trieste sometimes treated
asf wsre portion Of Italy; but IL Ia not, and
was nlyria is province Of Austria.
In ancient timer Italy, like most other countries, WAS
uvdsd into inuumsrabls petty states and Kingdoms bs'
became divided, while yet in state Of ncipen cvlIza
hon into three grand northern the central
ana the southernand Il ia so divided At the present
imc Tho ,rss or northern division was seized and colo
pized BY the Gauls, who either exrps;sd, expelled or