LD'JI OJ' GJ.lliBALDI.

aide. We om'Belvee felt quiteaaf'e. Fetieraud the .,omw;ln'seemed to be of
the same opi11ion, and at once auented io our order to go on till we were
stopped. Were the Austriana in occupation we could only be turned
back ; where:u, ifGanoaldi still held his ground, it was not likely .that,
even if such nrllians as reported, his men would practice brigandage in
the two milE's between Chasso and his head-quarters, aud upon English
too. We bowled along the broad smooth road, worthy

through Chasso, and over the bridge, when we were at once pulled up.
It was a morning after the rain, and numbers of ladies and gen­
tlemen, prin,oipally refugees from the seat of war, we understood, were
sauntering a.bout. On the left was a guardhouse, with a.n unusual
number of VEirJ bright muskets; on the right, a short distance along the
road, were 1:hree A1l8trian Douaniers, in all the dignity of sword and
uniform, who looked quietly on, while two out of a number of men in
plain clothes, sta.nding about the guardhouse, came forward and asked for
our pusport11. It was Garibaldi's outpost. The first was a tall good­
looking man of thirty, dressed in a brown shooting coat, with black grey

. trousers and waistcoat, and felt hat, all having had hard usage, but still
tidy; the seeond an intelligent-looking ma.n of fifty, with a rod nose, and

of a well-to-do shoemaker, with a small shop and a large
family ; he just looked the man emphatically to have laid down the law
for twenty years to his neighbours upon the unity of Italy and tyranny
of Austria, a.nd then turned out to support words by deeds. :Fetier
produced hie: license as guide, and explained who and what we were, and
we handed n letter from the landlord of tho hotel, stating that we were
to return to Lugano that night. He said that he would give us a receipt
for oar passports and give them up on ourreturn. He gave us the receipt
with a polite' bow, and we went on our way rejoicing. We fo1md tho
people as quietly at work as on the Swiss side, and numbers going and
returning tc:1 Como, from whom we learned that on taking posseuion
Garibaldi had at once organized the administration of tho district.

"We drov«l through quiet streets crowded with armed men to the Albergo
del Angelo, :md were received and shown rooms just as we should have
been a. year only there was a guard in the gateway, and we passed a
room full of officers writing, for the general had here taken up his head­
quarters. ·we did not consider that it would be a serious breach of the
neutrality of the nation, if we paid our respects to the Garibaldi who
Rome, and who, amid all the blunders a.nd disasters of 1848,
saowed that only time and opportunity were wanting to develope in the
Italians a single-minded heroism and constancy worthy of a.ncient Rome.

H2

LIFB OJ' •

.After lunch we sent in our carda, and a meuage came from the aide-de­
camp, saying that the general waa aaleep, but that aa soon aa he awoke
he would present them, and had no doubt he would be happy to receive
us. After an hour'a aaunter among the Tolunteera, we were informed
that the general would he happy to wait upon the ladies, and in a short
time he was shown in. He proved as different from what we expected,
as was the ·state of the town from that reported. From his portraits and
warlike exploits, I had pictured to myself a very tall large man, of
sallow with long black hair and beard, with something of
the romantic air of those Spanish guerilla chiefs, who sung their 01rn
songs to the guitar, or killed people with equal gusto. Just the revene.
I oould 1!carcely believe that the quiet, unaffected, gentlemanly man who
entered and 1111t down with us, was Garibaldi. He is of middle height,
not more than five feet seven or eight inches, I should think ; a square­
shouldet·ed, deep-cheated, powerful man, without being at all heavy. He

has a W!althy English oomplexion, with brown hair and beard, rather

ight, both slightly touched with gray, and cut very short. His head
shows a very fine development, mental as well as moral, and his face is
good, though not remarkable to a casual observer-nothing to show the
man who could form and carry out such plana ns the retreat from Rome
or the of Como ; but when he spoke of the oppression and
sufferings of his country, the lip and eye told the deep long
suppressed, and the stedfast 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, after a look of that calm,
determined face, waste time in asking mercy upon earth. During our
long interview, he spoke much of passing events (excepting his own
share), hut without southern gesticulation. He has the calm manner
and appearan'!O of the English gentleman and officer; it wu only when
he spokcl of the generous sympathy of the people of England with the
suJferings of Italy, that hi& Saxon-like calmne&s gave away; then, as he
assured us again and again, how thoroughly it was appreciated by Italiaus
of every class, and how grateful they were for it, he ahowed that the
warm blood of Italy burned in his veins. My impression had been, that
his open1tions were more the result of rash impulse than military calcula­
tion; but it was palpable that, atrong as may be his impulses, they are
thoroughly under control. Bold, and enterprising even to apparent rub­
ness he i1 no doubt, but he is also oool and calculating ; and, 88 I watched
hun on tb.e opposite aide of the table, telling the ladies of his voyages to
ChWa and tho Antipodes, as pleuantly and calmly 88 if in a London