LIFB OF GJ.BIB.A.LDI.
then by the 8implon to Geneva. As an account of Garibaldi and his
force, and the atate of the country by an eyewitness, may interest your
readers, I send a copy of my journal for the three days during "W"hich we
in or near the seat of war.
"Afte.r t"W"o days' journey down the Ticino "W"e reached Lugano at dark,
in a perfect torrent of rain, "W"hich had poured the whole afternoon,
and cl1r0ve to the Hotel du Pare, wet and uncomfortable. Our livdy
visions of a warm supper and comfortable bed were at once dispelled by
the disagreeable announcement that the houae 1I"1WI full and not a bed to
be hail; 200 people from the seat of war, principally Lombardese nobility,
had there found harbour; even the sen-ants' rooms were occupied. At
the Hotels du and Corona the answer was the same, and there we
were, wet and miserable in the street, with a small crowd round the
carriage. After vain inquiries for inferior accommodation my friend
returned to the Hotel du Pare, and appealed to the tender feelings of
the landlord, who very kindly turned into bed-rooms two saloons used by
the staff of the Swiss Commander-in-chief, a kindness for which we felt
most to lUm and them.
"On inquiry we were at once told most decidedly that wo could not
reach Como; that, even if we could, it would be most dangerous to go
among such a set of brigands ; ene gentleman and two ladies had
been ]>risoners two daysaad nightl with sentries over them-all English,
there snd then in the hotel; ta-t :t.Re Austrians were iD. great f()ft)f
within twenty milea of Como, -.rida a railW"By to the outposts, and that
firing ofheavy guns had been heard that day. Our guide, J011eph Fetier,
on making inquiry of his friends among the Swiss soldiers, received the
s..l.e !
. Only one-an elderly French gentleman-gave us any
eo.fairt, and he aaid that the English might go anywhere, but then so
might madmen. One tJmag was plain enough, that in Lugano they knew
less ahout the war tbau we did, and 11·e determined to see for ourselves.
Lugano andChuso, the frontier town, the country is strongly
oocup· ied by Swiss troops, who keep watch and ward as ifin face of an
enemy ; patrols and sstries everywhere; a church at Melide is turned
into a blolTaek ior the guard. The populatian in the midst of it all quietly
pursue tbe:r usual occupations, and I observed that when a trooper, "W"hom
\l"e in fnll trot from the frontier, passed some girls gathering mulberry
eave11 from the trees on the roadside, they did not even turn ther heads.
Ten miles 'from the frontier we were told that the Austrians had driven
out Garibaldi with great loss, and our driver was kindly informed, ""bile
we stopped to purchase cherries, that his horses would be seized by either
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