The daily gazette., 1883-11-19
Ihe IlaIinn soldier.
rThe Daily London News.


The Italian soldier, as a rule, is short
and spare built, and HIS general appearance
conveys the impression Of q not over
robust physique. But see him marching, |
and It soon becomes apparent that he |
possesses more stamina than one would |
give him credit for. How unmurmuringly he |
trudges for hours at time along dusty
road under hot sun with bis heavy KNAPP
sack on his back and his rife slung across
his shoulder. And our surprise is increased
when we find what meagre rations he has
to sustain him under all his toll.
His chief meals consist of soup made
with lard, meat or maearoni or some Other
kind OF paste. His mess is prepared In
large caldrons, round which at given
signal the men gather, each with tin can
into which is poured not very abundant
| supply of soup and an almost invisible lump
| of meat. In setting out on a long march the
soldier drinks the soup and keeps
| the meat to eat on the road. Besides
this he gets coffee without milk in the morn
| ing and about two pounds OF bread to last him
throughout the day. A tumbler Of wine is
| served out to him on an average
every third or fourth day In the year.
II his food is Spartan in its simplicity his
dress is equally exempt from the charge OF
| luxury. A loose coat of coarse grayish blue
cloth covers the infantry soldier from neck
| to knee. His trousers are of the same ma
terial, but when marching the latter are ex-
changed for canvass trousers, and WHEN
working In camp canvas tunic
is donned instead of the coat
His headgear is KEPT, very like that In use
In the French army. The uniform OF the
Bersaglierl Is somewhat more Expressed in
fancy" This arm consists of picked men;
indeed, only strong fellows could march at
the rapid pace they are trained to- Other
wise their drill Ia much the same as that of
the ordinary infantry regiments. They
wear a black tunic with red facings, and
black, broad brlmmed hat, with bunch oil
green feathers stuck at one side. They arc
armed like the infantry, with Wettery
, rifles. The cavalry aud artillery are com
paratively weaker arms than the infantry.
The former are poorly mounted ,and the uns
am train OF the latter are below par. Tht
cavalry are divided into heavy cavalry ol
Dragons, lancers aud light cavalry. The
Dragons are easily distinguished by theil
helmets. Both they and the lancers ar,
, armed with lance and (Wetterly) musket
: The light cavalry, or Cavallcggieri, have re
volvcrs instead of lances. singularl,
enough, the cavalry have their swords ant
1 muskets fastened To the saddles, so tina
9 If unhrosed they are deienseless
| have already remarked that the physiqu
OF the men is better than outward appear
aHceb Wsulu uebOte. AS TeRdTub lnelr gen
! eral dispo sition, | may remark that the
are dNcile, obedient to their superiors, wei
! behaved, cheerful and laborious. In time
10 OF danger and disaster, as during the choler
It OF 1867, the inundatiobs Of last year, and U
~ the occasion of the recent earthquake
! Ischia, they work with an ardor and seli-d'
o v"tion which is gratefully recognized b
% their fellow-citiz-ns. They lack, howeve
ct the smartness botn in dress and drill, an
m the martial bearing of English or Germa
- soldiers. The former and less importar
deficiency is the natural outcome of Italy
er endeavors TO maintain a largtr army tina
I'd she can afford properly to equip. The ii
he ieriority of the drill is doub less chiefly du
nj to the shortress of the time Of service(:
r montts) and tue scarcity of sergeantsin in u
army.