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that is to say, in the almost impracticable parts of these paths, there was a frightful carnage of our unfortunate companions. Anita traversed these dangerous places by night, and whether it was her good star, or the admirable resolution with which she passed them, her appearance always made these assassins take to flight they fled, they said, pursued by a mysterious being !

In fact, it was a strange thing to see: this valiant woman mounted upon a fiery courser, which she had asked for and obtained in a house where she had sought hospitality, and that during a tempestuous night, rushing along at full gallop, over rocks, by the flashing of the lightning and amidst the noise of thunder; for such really was that unfortunate night. Four horsemen, placed at the passage of the river Canoas, fled away at the sight of this vision, concealing themselves behind the bushes on the banks. In the meantime, Anita herself arrived on the edge of the torrent; the torrent, swelled by rains, doubled by the rivulets descending from the mountains, had become a flood; and yet she crossed this furious flood, not, as she had done some days before, in a good boat, but swimming, and clinging to the mane of her horse, which she encouraged with her voice.

The stream rushed growling on, not in a narrow space, but over an extent of five hundred paces. Well, she gained the other bank safe and sound! One cup of coffee, swallowed in haste at Lages, was all this intrepid traveller took during the space of four days, which it required to regain the corps of Colonel Aranha, at Vaccaria. There Anita and I met again, after a separation of a week, during which we had thought each other dead. Our joy may be imagined.

Well, a still greater joy awaited me the day on which my Anita, on the peninsula which closes the lagune of Los Pates on the side of the Atlantic, presented me, in a rancho, where she had received the most generous hospitality, with our dearly beloved

Menotti. The child was born with a cicatrice on his head, which had been produced by the fall from her horse which his mother had had.

And let me here once more renew my thanks to the excellent people who afforded us hospitality; I shall preserve for them, they may be assured, an eternal gratitude. In the camp, where we were in want of the most necessary things, and where I should not certainly have found a handkerchief to give to the poor mother, she might not have triumphed at that trying moment, when woman stands in need of all her own strength and the care of others.

I nevertheless determined, to add to the comforts of my darlings, for they still wanted much, to make a little journey to Settembrina, and buy some clothes. I had some good friends there, and among them an excellent one, named Blengini. I set off, then, across inundated fields, where I had the water up to my horse's belly. I passed through a formerly cultivated farm, named the Rossa-Velha, where I met with Massimo, a captain of Lancers, who received me cordially. He was in that excellent winter quarters, charged with the care of the horses.

I arrived there in the evening, amidst a torrent of rain, and the second day proving no better, the good captain did all in his power to detain me. But I had the object I had started for too much at heart to allow me to loiter on my road, and in spite of the remonstrances of my good friend, I resumed my route amidst rains which resembled a lake. At the distance of a few miles I heard a warm firing in the direction I had come; some painful suspicions arose in my breast, but I could not return.

I arrived, then, at Settembrina, where I bought the few necessaries I wanted; after which, still anxious about the firing I had heard, I set off on my return to St. Simon. On repassing the Rossa-Velha, I learnt the cause of the reports I had heard, and the sad event which had happened the very day of my departure.

Moringue-the same who surprised me at Camacua, and whom, with my fourteen men, I had forced to beat a retreat with a broken arm-Moringue had surprised Captain Massemo, all his men, and all his quadrupeds, the major part horses; the best of them had been embarked, the rest killed. Moringue had effected this surprise with vessels of war and infantry; after which, having re-embarked his soldiers, he, with his cavalry, directed his course towards Rio-Grande of the north, terrifying in his passage all the little republican parties, which, believing themselves in safety, were scattered about the territory. Among them were my handful of sailors, who were forced to take refuge in the forest. My first cry, it may well be believed, was, "Anita ! what is become of Anita ?”

Anita, the twelfth day after her confinement, in a frightful tempest, had got on horseback, half naked, with her poor babe across her saddle, and had been obliged to seek refuge in the forest. I did not, therefore, find either Anita or the good people who had given us their hospitality in the rancho; but I joined them on the verge of a wood, where they had stopped, not knowing exactly where the enemy was, or what they had to fear.

We returned to St. Simon, and remained there some time longer; from thence we changed our camp, and established it on the left bank of the Capivari—that is to say, the same river where, a year before, we worked so hard to transport our vessels on cars for the expedition to St. Catherine which had so ill succeeded. Alas! there my heart had beaten, swelled with hopes which had sadly vanished. The Capivari is formed of different rivulets escaped from the numerous lakes which stud the northern part of the province of RioGrande on the sea coasts, and on the eastern declivity of the chain of L'Espinano. It takes its name from the Capinara, a species of reeds very common in North America, and which in the colonies are called capineers. From Capivari and Sangrados-do-Abreu, a canal which

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serves as a communication between a marsh and a lake, on which we had, with infinite trouble, got together a few canoes, we made several voyages to the western coast of the lake, establishing communications between the two shores, and transporting della gente.*

CHAPTER XXXIV.

RAISING THE SIEGE-ROSSETTI.

In the meanwhile, the situation of the Republican army was becoming worse daily; its wants grew greater -its resources less. The two fights of Iaquasi and San Jose of the North had decimated the infantry, which, although few in numbers, were the nerve of the operations of the siege. Extreme wants created desertion; the populations, as it happens in wars too prolonged, grew tired; the malady of indifference, the worst of all, seized them, and on all sides it was felt the moment was come to put an end to it.

In this state of things, the Imperialists made proposals of accommodation, which, although relatively advantageous for the Republicans, were refused by them. This refusal augmented the discontent of the most unfortunate party, and consequently the most tired in the army and the people; in short, it was decided that the siege should be abandoned, and that they should retire.

The Canavarro division, of which the sailors formed a part, was chosen to commence the movement, and open the passages of the siera, occupied by General Labattue, a Frenchman in the service of the Emperor. Bento-Gonzales, with the rest of the army, was to

* Let me be permitted to employ the Italian expression, which has no equivalent in French; della gente means everything-men, women, children, travellers, merchants, flaneurs, &c. &c.A. DUMAS.

I have retained the expression for the same reason; we have no equivalent in English.-T.

march after us, and would form the rear-guard. The Republican garrison of Settembrina was to follow and march last; but it could not execute the movement; surprised by the famous Moringue, the city was carried. And there my dear Rossetti was killed. After performing prodigies of valour, falling from his horse desperately wounded, and summoned to surrender, he had preferred being killed to giving up his sword.

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Another sharp pang for my heart. I have often spoken of Rossetti; the reader knows how I loved him let me be permitted, then, however insufficient may be my pen, to say to Italy what I have already so often said.

"Oh, Italy! my mother, we have just lost, I one of my dearest brothers, and thou one of thy most generous sons!"

He was born at Genoa. He had, by parents little acquainted with his character, been destined for the Church; he was one of the warmest Italian patriots I have ever known. Inclined for a life of adventure, he could not breathe in Italy, but set out for Rio-deJaneiro, where sometimes he carried on trade, and sometimes acted as a commercial agent for others. But Rossetti was not born to be a merchant; he was an exotic plant, thriving badly on the land of agio and calculation. It was not that Rossetti was not endowed with a keen and penetrating understanding, capable of enriching itself with all kinds of knowledge, (for, certes, in everything he might aspire to the first rank), but Rossetti was the most Italian of all Italians, that is to say, the most generous and the most prodigal of men. Now, with such commercial vices men do not make fortunes, but they march with giant steps towards ruin. And so it was with Rossetti.

Kind to everybody, his house was open to all, particularly unfortunate Italians. He did not wait for the proscribed to find him out, he went to seek them: thus his own resources were soon at an end. Unfortunate himself, his angelic heart could not see an Italian suffer; if he could not aid him with his purse, he made

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