Year: 1859

VISIT TO GARIBALDL-A gentleman lately re-
turned from tour in Switzerland, has sent to the
London Times an account of visit he paid with
some friends, to Gen. Garibaldi at Como The most
interesting portion of the letter is as follows:


We drove through quiet streets crowded with
armed men to the Albergo del Angelo, and were re-
ceivcd and shown rooms just We should have been
year ago, only there was guard in the gateway,
and We passed room full of officers writing, for the
General had here taken up his headquarters. We
did not consider that it would be serious breach of
the neutrality of the nation, if we paid our respects
to the Garibaldi who defended Rome, and who, amid
all the bunders and disasters of '4s, showed that
only time and opportunity were wanting to develop
in the Italians sing leminded heroism and conStan-
cy worthy of ancient Rome. After lunch we sent in
our cards, and message came from the aid de-camp
saying that the general was asleep, but soon as
ne awoke, he would present them, and had no doubt
he would be happy to receive US. After an hours
saunter among the volunteers, we were informed
that the General would be happy to wait on the Ia
dies, and in a short time he was shown in. He pro-
we'd as different from what was expected as was the
state OF the town from that reported.


From his portrait and warlike exploits had pic
tured to myself very TALL large of salow COM
pexion, with long black hair and beard, with some
thing OF the romantic air of those Spanish guerilla
chiefs, who sang their own songs to the guitar or
killed people with equal gusto. just the reverse
could scarcely believe that the quiet unaffected,
| gentlemanly man, who entered and sat down with
US, was Garibaldi. Hei of middle height, not more
than feet or einches, should think; is square,
shonldered deep-chested, powerful man, without be-
| ing at all heavy. He has a healthy English CON-
| pleXion, with brown hair and beard, rather light,
both slightly touched with gray and cut very short
His head shows very fine development, mental as
! well as moral and his face is good though not re-
maEkable to casual observer-nothing to show the
man who could form and carry out such plans as
| the retreat from Rome the capture of Como, but
when he spoke of the oppression and sutferings Of
his country, the lip and eye told the deep feeling
long suppressed and the seadfast daring character
of the man. A child would stop him in the street
to ask him what o'clock it was but the man con.
demned to be shot in half an hour would never af.
ter look of that calm, determined face, waste time
in asking mercy upon EARTH During our long in
tervcw he spoke much of passing events (exceptinp
his own sharc,) but without southern gesticulation


lie has the calm manner and appearance of the
English gentleman and officer; it only when he
spoke Of the generous sympathy of the people Of
England with the sutferings of Italy that his Saxon
like calmness gave way; thcn as he assured us
again and again how thoroughly it was appreciated
by Italians of every class, and how grateful they
were for it. he showed that the warm blood of ITALY
burned in his veins. My impression had been that hi


operations the result of rash impulse thar
military calculation; but it was palpable that strong
as may be his impulses, they are thoroughly undel
control Bold, and enterprising. even to apparent
rashness, he is, no doubt, also cool and calcula
ting, and as watched him on tho opposite sid,
of the table, telling the ladies of his voyages to Chi
ma and the antipodes as pleasantly and calmly as
in London drawing-room, while at any moment h
might be interrupted by the fire of an overpowern.
Austrian force brought by railway to his outpost


felt no doubt that in case of the very worst he hat
arranged exactly what do, and would do it. Blu
what impressed me most was the mental cabre o
the man; met him with the idea that he was litt


more than dashins popular military leader


parted from him with the conviction that his warlik
career is mere episode in his history, and that hi
true greatness will be in the political regenera
tlon and government of his country.