ADVANCE ON MESSINA.

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nication with the filibuster, as they once had the imbecility to term him. The towns of Messina, Syracusa, and Augusta, were to be delivered up as soon as the troops could be withdrawn, and the far-famed citadel of Messina, and its surrounding fortifications, as soon as the disarmament could be completed! Such were the fruits of the battle of Melazzo,—not one of the least remarkable features of which was, that Bosco was the only Sicilian officer of any rank engaged on either side, and he was fighting against his own countrymen.

Reports already gave notice of great activity amongst the steamers between Reggio and Messina, and the transportation of the field-batteries and cavalry to the Calabrian side. All this made Garibaldi anxious to push on to Messina; and, as constant reinforcements were arriving, and he was no longer embarrassed with the garrison of Melazzo, Medici and his division were sent to Spadafora, and on the 25th his advance-guard was at Gesso-the Neapolitan battalion quartered there having been withdrawn. Additional troops from Palermo swelled the Garibaldian force in this neighbourhood to about 10,000 men, of whom 1000, under a Colonel Forbes, who was with Garibaldi in '48, were left to garrison the castle, and the remainder sent on to endeavour to gain the heights above Messina.

On the 25th, Count Litta Modignani arrived from

110

DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS.

Turin, bearing a letter from the King to Garibaldi, begging him to confine his operations to the island of Sicily. This was the result of an autograph letter from Napoleon III., urging the King to use all his interest to prevent Garibaldi's crossing to the main, as the King of Naples had promised Baron Brenier to grant a constitution, carry out reforms, and adopt a national Italian policy, based on a Piedmontese alliance, which the Neapolitan Cabinet, finding themselves in extremis, were endeavouring to form at Turin with an ardour only equal to that with which they rejected a similar proposition made by Piedmont in last December. Piedmont, however, was already too far compromised with the revolution to recede; her own preservation had now become the first object.

Garibaldi replied, in a letter full of devotedness and affection to the King, that he could not now think of sheathing his sword until he had carried out his programme, and made him King of Italy. Count Trecchi, who is the chief confidential and oral medium between the King and Garibaldi, was likewise sent off with explanations.

Garibaldi having remarked in his usual quiet manner, in the afternoon of the 26th, that he did not think there would be any more bloodshed in the island, I inferred that the negotiations pending be

tween Clary and Medici, relative to the surrender of Messina, had been brought to a favourable termination, and hired a boat, intending to start for Messina in the evening to witness the arrival of Medici's column.

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THE FARO.

CHAPTER X.

MESSINA, 28th July.

ON leaving Melazzo a dead calm necessitated a long row, and at daylight the following morning I found my lazy boatmen had not even advanced as far as the entrance of the Faro, a short twenty miles distant; indeed, it was with difficulty I prevented their landing at Spadafora as we passed. Unarmed, they declined to pay any attention to me, until a little muscular action convinced them that I was in earnest.

On reaching the Faro, we found that the fort was deserted, and, together, with the adjacent village, decked with the tricolor and cross of Savoy-in itself very significant of the state of affairs; even the men perched at the mastheads of the "spada fishing-boats," had erected broomsticks above them, ornamented with the Piedmontese colours. The season for the "spada" or sword-fish was in full activity. It is most exciting, and conducted in the following manner : -A large boat is anchored near the shore in some favourite locality of the fish. At her masthead, which is

about sixty feet high, is a look-out man, who gives the alarm the moment he sees a fish in the vicinity, when the two small boats attached immediately proceed in chase, with a harpooner ready in the bow. They are guided by the cries of the look-out man, who gives the direction of the fish, and calls out á Reggio, á Messina, á Scylla, as an indication of the course it is taking. As not one chase in a dozen is successful, a regular Sicilian boatman's quarrel takes place afterwards, when a stranger naturally imagines that they are all going to murder one another, from the wild gesticulations and vehemence of speech, which certainly is loud enough to drive every well-bred fish out of the bay.

The panoramic view of the Strait from the entrance is of great beauty. On the Calabrian side we have the lofty spines, running down from Aspremonte, teeming with most luxuriant vegetation; towns, villages, and hamlets, strewn in all directions-Reggio, with the romantic Baynara, and Scylla are among the most conspicuous. In the centre of the strait are many vessels vainly trying to force their way with the gentle north breeze against the strong current which is sweeping through, whilst graceful feluccas are gliding about apparently in defiance of wind and stream; but their crews know where to avail themselves of favouring eddies, ever varying with the change of tide; whilst,

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