and which bears his name, did raise the power of Rosas, by leaving the Oriental republic alone engaged in the struggle.

It was then Garibaldi appeared on his return from Rio-Grande.

On the one side Rosas and Orribe-that is to say, strength, wealth, and power, fighting for despotism.

On the other side, a poor little republic-a dismantled city, an empty treasury, a people without resources, unable to pay their defenders, but fighting for liberty.

Garibaldi did not hesitate a moment. He went straight to the side of the people and liberty.

We restore him the pen, and leave him to relate his efforts during this severe and obstinate siege, which, like that of Troy, lasted nine years.

CHAPTER XL.

I LOSE MY COMMISSION.

THE true motive of the expedition was not to carry succours to the inhabitants of Corrientes and supply them with provisions; it was to get rid of me.

How, being yet of so little importance, I had already such powerful enemies, is a secret I never could fathom. At the time of my embarking upon the river, the Oriental army was at San José, in Uruguay, and that of Orribe at Bajada, capital of the province of Entra Rios; both were preparing for the struggle, the army of Corrientes on its part preparing to form a junction with the Oriental army.

I had to reascend the Parana as far as Corrientes, to make my way for six hundred miles between two hostile shores, pursued by a squadron four times stronger than mine.

During the whole of this passage I was only able to land upon islands or upon barren coasts.

When I quitted Montevideo, it was a hundred to one that I should never return thither again.

On leaving Montevideo I had to maintain a first conflict with the battery of Martin Garcia, an island situated near the confluence of the two great rivers Uruguay and Parana, close to which it was absolutely necessary to pass, as there exists only one canal, and that within half cannon-shot of it, for vessels of certain tonnage.

I had several killed, and among them a brave` Italian officer, Pocarobba; his head was carried away by a cannon-ball. I had likewise eight or ten wounded.

At three miles from St. Martin Garcia, the Constitution ran a-ground; unfortunately the accident happened at low water. It cost us immense labour to set her afloat again. Thanks to the courage of our men, our little flotilla got through the affair very well.

Whilst we were engaged in transporting all heavy objects on board the goëlette, we caught sight of the enemy's squadron approaching us; it appeared on the other side of the island, and came on in good order.

I was in an awkward position. To lighten the Constitution I had had all the cannons transported on board the goëlette, the Proceda, where they were heaped up, and consequently completely useless to us. We had nothing therefore left but the brigantine Peressia, the brave commander of which was at my side with the major part of his crew assisting us in our laborious task.

In the meanwhile the enemy advanced towards us, magnificent to behold, amidst the acclamations of the troops upon the island, certain of a victory, with seven ships of war.

Notwithstanding the imminent danger in which I was placed I did not give way to despair. No, God has given me the grace in every extreme occasion always to retain my confidence in him; but I leave it to others to judge, particularly to sailors, what my situation was. It was not only my life that was in question, I would willingly have given up that at such

a moment, but my honour was at stake.

The more

the people who had driven me to this extremity believed that I should in it lose my reputation, the more firmly I was resolved to carry it through the ordeal, bleeding it might be, but still pure.

There could be no idea of avoiding the combat; all we could do was to meet it in the best possible situation. Consequently as my vessels, much lighter than the enemy's, drew less water, I made them approach close to the shore, which presented me, should all be lost upon the river, with a last means of safety in landing.

I had the deck of the goëlette cleared as much as possible in order that some of our cannons might be of service, and these precautions being taken, I waited.

The squadron which was about to attack me was commanded by Admiral Brown; I was aware, therefore, that I had to deal with one of the bravest sailors in the world.

The fight lasted three days without the enemy's thinking fit to board us. Towards the morning of the third day I had still some powder left, but I wanted projectiles. I ordered the chains of the vessel to be broken; I got together nails and hammers, everything, either iron or copper that could take the place of bullets or mitraille, and spat it in the face of the enemy, and that enabled us to get through the day.

At length, towards the end of the third day, having no projectiles left, and having lost more than half of my men, I commanded fire to be set to the three vessels, whilst, under a heavy cannonade from the enemy, we reached the shore, every man carrying his musket and his share of the cartridges that were left. All the wounded that were transportable were carried with us; as to the others * * I have before said what took place in such circumstances.

But we were a hundred and fifty, or two hundred miles from Montevideo, and upon an enemy's coast. It was the garrison of the island which first undertook

to molest us; but still heated by our fight with Admiral Broun we received them in such a fashion that they repeated the attack no more.

Then we commenced our march across the desert, living upon the small quantity of provisions we had been able to bring away with us, and upon whatever we could procure upon our route. The Orientals had just lost the battle of Arrayo-Grande; we joined the fugitives, whom I rallied round me, and after five or six days of struggles, fighting, privations, and sufferings, of which no description can give an idea, we re-entered Montevideo, bringing back intact that honour which it had been so firmly believed I should leave behind me.

This fight, and many others which I maintained against Admiral Brown, made him form so favourable an opinion of me, that whilst the war still lasted, and he had abandoned the service of Rosas, he came to Montevideo, and before seeing his family, he made it his business to seek for me. He found me at my residence of the Podone, and embraced me again and again as if I had been his own son: the excellent man seemed as if he was never tired of pressing me to his breast and evincing his sympathy for me. And when he had done with me, turning towards Anita, "Madame," said he, "I have for a long time fought against your husband, and that without success ; I was determined to conquer him, and make him my prisoner; but he was always ready to fight with me, and managed to escape me. If I had had the good fortune to take him, he would have learnt by the manner in which I should have treated him how great my respect was for him."

I relate this anecdote because it does more honour to Admiral Brown than to me.

CHAPTER XLI.

THE LEGIONS ARE FORMED.

AFTER the victory of Arrayo-Grande, Orribes marched upon Montevideo, declaring he would spare no one, not even foreigners. As an earnest of which threat, all he fell in with on his route were either decapitated or shot.

Upon this, as there were numbers of Italians in Montevideo, some having come thither for commercial purposes, others from being proscribed, I issued a proclamation to my compatriots, inviting them to take up arms, to form a legion, and to fight to the death for the people who had afforded them hospitality.

Rivera, in the mean time, was getting together the remains of his army.

On their part, the French composed a legion, which was joined by the French Biscayans; whilst the Spaniards formed one, with which the Spanish Biscayans united, But three or four months after its formation, the Spanish legion, principally composed of Carlists, passed over to the enemy, and became the nerve of attack, as the Italian legion was the nerve of defence.

The Italian legion had no pay, but rations of bread, wine, salt, oil, &c. ; only after the war, lands and cattle were to be given to the survivors or to the widows and children of the dead. The legion at first consisted of from four hundred to five hundred men ; but it afterwards increased to eight hundred; for as European vessels brought fresh proscribed Italians, or others who had come with the hopes of making a fortune, and were disappointed from the bad position of affairs, they were enrolled.

The legion was at first divided into three battalions, one commanded by Danuzio, another by Ramella, and the third by Mancini.

Orribes heard of all these preparations for defence, but he placed no faith in them. He marched towards