The New York Herald Newspaper, April 28, 1875, Page 13

THR STAGE IN EUROPE, The New French Classic Play, “La Fille de Roland.” POLITICS AND POETRY. New Pieces—New Theatres—Pri- vate Theatricals. OPERATIC SCOUTS IN PARIS. Patis, April 14, 1875 tm a former letter I aliuded briefly to the great sheatrical event of the season, the production of de Bornier’s new drama, ‘La Fille de Rolavd,’’ at the Theatre Frangais. Since then the play has been printed, and | have nad an opportunity of examining it critically. The result has been to confirm the favorable opinion which I expressed of it, As tbis has been very generally concarred im by French critics, and as all agree in assigning 6 a high place in the classical répertoire, a fuller account of the piece will probably be acceptable to tho readers of the HERA. A MUDIAHVAL PLAY. The plot of this drama, which might almost have deen called a tragedy, is based on the discovery Of & terrible secret, which concerns tne father of the boro of the piece. This father, who has reared bis son {n sentiments of the most chivalrous honor, bas himself unhappily a stain on his career, which sweaty years of galiant and meritorious deeds bave been unable to efface, Husband of the sister of Unarlomagne, and father-in-law of tno Illus trious Paladin Roland, he, forgevful of all the tles of counrry and family, treacherously betrayed into the hands of the Saracens the rear guard of Oharlemagne’s army, and brought about the disas- tor of Roncesvaux through hatred and jealousy of Roland. Condemned for this treason to be ted to the tall of a fiery horse he was saved almost miraculously by a party of monks, who picked him Up Druised and bleeding, and conc aied him under @ borrowed name. Since then he has been explat- Ing his crime by @ life of incessant remorse and the most crvel anguish, haunted perpetually by the four that his son will be Intormea of bis real name and of his motive for convealing It, In what manner is this revelation to be brought about, and what is to be the supreme expiation of the father’s offence? To the solution of these questions the author devotes the four acts of whioh his drama is composed. In bis manner of treating his subject he displays an elevation of wontiment and his verse assumes an amplitude of form which remind one somewhat of Corneilie, His personages are adapted exactly to the re- quirements of the plot, with perhaps one excep- tton, and they say ail that they bave got to say concisely and to the purpose, The basis of the Arama 1s laid In the first act in a clear, precise and tutelligible manner; the events succeed each other natora!ly and Impart deep mterest to what follows. s ROLAND OF RONCESVAUX, vomte Amaury (the traitor Ganelon), to appease ais remorse aud obtain forgiveness for his crime, makes a pilgrimage to the defies of Roncesvaux, ‘Thero he passes three days and nights a prey to anguish aud exposed to all the horrors that can A guilty mind. The picture which he draws of she Pyrencan heights, among which the war of (he elements rivals in fury the torments of his soul, a poweriully drawn, and leaves @ decp and patntul impression, He fancies that he bebolds sae shade of Roland in the act of cursing lim, ana that he hears his voice reseating tuat there is neither pisy nor pardon for bim, Kr quoi, Roland | criasjo; © martyr quo j'implore, Pas de pardon, jawais? Jamais, repond encora Tu voix simistie, Au loin. de somiuets en sommets, La montague redit le mo: fatal, ianats! Aba the monk, Ra Ibert, his d4aviour and conn. setlor, desiring to appease the agitation of the Vount, says to him:— jondait seul & votre voix fevren 6, Ge Kojwnd serait plus gen oreuse ; nis, dont ia haine invite les lourments, Oseat dire, jarnels! Les morts sunt pius clomerts. But the Couut cannot be tranquillized, and he re- jolagi= Mais de tous les tonrments le plas crue! pour mot, U'est mon fits, dout mon cour, Kadbert, bonalt defrot | uand je songe qu'il peut me dire aa Jour, ma mers ‘nt ceile de roland—qa'as-tu fait de mon iroret Quand Jesonge sartog. que demain, awourd’ hui, Le poids de mon fortait peat retorber sur luil Tats profouad repentance and ardent paternal | afection render the situation Intensely interest- tug, and when Berthe, the niece of Charlomagn rescued from an attack of the Saxons by Gerald, the Bayard of this eemt-barbarous epoch, saya to vim, de Charierwszae, orph jour de Roncesvant, on appeal! La belle Agito, le Duc Roland etait the unhappy Amaury looks as if @ thunderboit aad {alien apon him, and toe spectator participates ail the more keenly iu bis emotion from the inact that he has already become interested in th young coupie and foresees the growth Of a muinal pesston between them, THE STYLE OF TNS PLAY, Aad I space | mignt make many beautiful quota, Mons from this first act, Gerald develops some of the fluo traits of his character in his parrative of the figut, He is not a sav: warrior, happy in sue slaugbter of his enemies; the spirit of Chris. * stomity moderates in Dim the ardor of victory excites in hint becoming sentiments of compassion Yor the victims of war:— Alors je compris bien que Die AUX combats, en permer l'ardeur mais noa la Rageunart, the Saxon chief, & man of sombre character, who regurds himselfas the avenger of tue oppressed. Tne pride of the soldier, van- jahed but sill erect, and ever ready to take up ma, breaks out in ali nis utterances, The ling to which he gives amore than aecessary signid- cance-— ; © vaingaers, prenes garde aux enfants des mattyrat excties, 1 need soarceiy add, the wildest enthust- am among wwe audience, to the second act the love of Gerald for Berti develops itset, Count Amaury, who bas dot everything im his power to oppose It, finds nimsolf tompelied to yield in presence of the nobie and dignifiod avowal of Berthe, who, desiring to bridge the distance which separates the niece of Charie- magne from the #on of an opscure knight, con- {eases ber love for Gerald and decides upon wed- ding nim; bat not, however, belore nis de shall bave proved alm in the eyes of all worthy of ao lolty a destiny, Sue thereiore desires him to go Gud combat the enemies of tne empire, adding, Et ne songeant amo’, Rendez nous a0 Ketan Amaury woder penaity of revealing pis seorgt is sorcod to consent to tne marriage, I cannot pas® over in silence Gerald's song “Les Deux Epées,” waich alwars elicits enthusiastic yplause from the audience and which I wish I could give entire. Ineod scarcely add that this \ast stanza, Which makes allusion to the recent Disturtenes of France, produces a marked jeeling of emotion: captive encore et la France Is Mais + dud rent laisse Vhonneur ht In France a.tentant quelque chance meitiears, Aime da meme amour Joyeuse et Durandal Too third acs transporte us to the imperial palace in Alx-la-Chapelie. This act, in whicn the Patiiotic Idea vibrates in every line, Would be irreproachabie but for the fact that Charlemagne plays merely a secondary part in it, and comports Dimeelr more hke ® bourgeois king of modera days than like the % potentate that he was, I mu Hot, however, lay too much stress on ttis point, for be elicits irom his hearers outbursts of patri- ete entnusiaem waick are but too necessary just now to keep up the moral courage of the brench and to prevent the memory of their overwhelming ing them from efforts to ) verses Which promiue al nous envote, fored §=6as =the ould like To KHOW wm # for represemsing Ovariem: 01 poyeicul decaaence us ta sents him to vs. History pict last moments of nis ton OF ureat work, on daily, and Oven IAKing part iu the pleasures o1 the cauad, Khas prVvAbIC tums tae racaatae iOl6 1b 60 | done. I ry M. de tied | one by | tas | the NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY APRIL 28, 1875.—QUADRUPLE SHEET. ve an artistic necersity to tone down ti rerait of the great Emperor in order that 1t migat not ‘ow that of hs hero tmto the shade. And, in port of the correctness o1 my views, let me to imeident in the piece itself wiich roves the Emperor's even at is then advanced age, and which prepares t Way lor tue brilliant feat which is to render Ge: worthy 0: Berthe. A Saracen comes every to thé outposts to dely the French novies to single compat, of woich Durandal, the sword of Roland, which he baa picked up a Roncevaux, is to be the prize. Thirty knights succumbed to his prowess, Without being able to recover the giorl- ous tropyy, ana Charlemagne deplores the useless expenditure of so much blood. Recalling the souvenirs of Ma early prowess, the oid Emperor expresses hig desire to combat the Saracen in his turn:— “Quand {ls n'ont plus de gloire,’’ he says, ‘il reste aux la mort.” ‘This act of the piece, in spite of the Inconsisten- cies which [have signalized, constitutes a tribure to chivalry worthy of ail aduration, A heroic spirit vreathes through every line of If, and love of country 18 its dominant sentiment. Gerald, departing, iu lieu of. Caariemagne, to measure bis strength with thatol the puracen, expresses Bimanels in these terms to tle uobles who surround 1 :— Vainquer! §1 je le suis, 1a Io Vous mo ta donnerez en agissa En marchant avec mot vers des Pour chassor Vetranger de La ter Ou dressadt jusau’ad cieux In nouvelle hecatom™, 8a conque.6 dun jour Ia (ut donner pour tombe, Nous vivrons pour cola. pour cela nous mourrons, Tei je vous le jure, tet nous le juronst The effect produced by these lines upon the au- dlence can ‘:eadily be conceived. Tuey are so marked tn their allusions that they never fail to meet with a wildly enthusiastic response. But let me resume the thread of my story, Gerad returns victorious and recetves from the Emperor the hana o: Berthe. tt becomes necessary lor Count Amaury to appear at Court, the Emperor al once recogmizes him, aud the sight o1 him reviving all ‘he horror of hia treason, he is about to order nis execution when he learns that Gane- jon is 1entical with Amaury, the facber of Gerald, Tae affection of the uncle and tie gratitude of the mouaren straggiec in his Reart against his re- sentiment of the erime, and clemency con quers, Tue Emperor resoives to keep wwe secret confined to nis own breast, and Ganelon, to explate his treason, ts to be sent to seek death On distant battie flelas, At the close ol the fourth act, When the young couple are about to exchange vows at ihe altar, Ragenbars, the Saxon, wio nas revognized in Amaury Ganelon, the murderer of his father and the wurbor of the treason o1 Ronces- Vaux, Gisclosea his real name, At this terrible moment, however, the Count obtains permission to reveal nimsels the facts to his son, The scene that follows 1s admtrabie; Gerald offers no re- proach to nis fatoer, nis cry of filial anguish finds @n echo in every heart:— Quelque soit ie demon ui vous put dearer fe resie Youre fis. .iuais iuissez moi pleurer, ‘Ah! quand elle apprit tout, dana ce jour de mlsore, ‘Clest ainsi n'est ce pas que (Ut pleurer ma mere. His griet finds vent in sobs, then the sentiment of aisnopor aud the determination to expiate it himgell suggest themselves to his heart, Mais Vexpiation ec'atante ot supréme " Ji faut que Je 1a trouve & Pinstant on roi méme, Pour racheier Phonneur de mon pere et le mea Lo ciel me donnere la force et le inoyen. And he discovers this great and supreme expt- | alion which surprises .a public acccustomed to aGnouements ol a very different naiure, He re- nounces Bertne’s hand, paving determined to depart qitn his Jather to seek deain at as great a distance #4 possiole irom the scene Of his bappi- ness abd disappointments, “Ht si la mort te fuit Geraid?” “Je marcheral Si loin, et d’nn tel pas, que je ta trouversi,"’ And Berihe herselt comprebends thts sacrifice and resigos herseli toitin tne Christian hope of bummg reuo.ted to her beloved in another aud bet- ter word. THE EFFKCE OF THE PLAY. In conciasion, let me say taat in this work M, de Bornier has given prooi not merely of patrioti-m but of positive genius. Tue piece impresses every its remarkable cualltios, dramaust has the warmtn and the conviction of great and generous Ideas, and not tie leass of bis Merits 16 the fact that, disdainiog the hackneyed routes troaden by hs predecessors, he offers us @ d¢nouement as Original as tC is elevated a..d nobie; for bis hero sacrifices love and happiness to nis sonse of duty, Tue public welcome with eymparhy and admiration imis bold innovation, and they comprehend the value of the nument incal- cated by the poet, Kiveted to ir seats by the nation of Ais grand ideas uod beautitul verse minds r with nim into the eevated regivns '0 Which he is carried by hisenthusinsm, gad [eel NO surprise at ihe sublime act of expt ation which hero of the drama tmposes on lin- seir for his Jather's treason, What a lessou or parents Who, wien toos perpetrace disxraceiu actions, rarely or ever bestow a thought on tne legacy ‘of shame whicn they bequeath to their ouldren! JULES CLARSTIF'S NEW DRAMA, © Among the rising young Frenck authors of the present day | know no One sv Versatile in talent or persouaily 60 popular as M. Jules Claretie, There 14 scarcely # vrauch of literature in war be haa not made a venture, more or less succesa- tuj, and there is not a journal in Paris which 13 not y to sound bis praises When tt has & deveut pretext for doing #0. ‘The influence of camara- derie, however, though it May contribute to, can- Dot insure success, and all the fine things whica had been previously said of bis new arama, lograts,” did not prevent Ita tatlure atthe y last. Tnisis M. © ond effort In Gramatio authorship, hi Famine Gnueux,” naving with | simn success at the Awmbigo, his friends were waugent enough to say through the superior luck of “Patrie,”? M. Sardou’s picce, Which Was payed at the sane time, aod waich bappened to bit tue taste of the pubiic, No contre erapa of this kid can be said to have interered wita the success oO! ois new piece, and, thereiore, an unquaiified Judgment can be pronounced u,on tt. Certamly BO audience could have vecod better disposea toward M. Claretie and his drama tn wembled on the night of its first rej a4 ort, so much Of the preiminary tuss Xlety about seats that usuaily oerald a theatri- ccess, that a thought Of disaster never a auy oD mind, And yet tne result became unmistakable before the middie of the secoud act ad been . reached, To sum up the elements of the piece, it 1s extrava- gant and con.used in plot, unsatiful in tts deltnea- | Vous! character and Wanting in seriousness aud | consistency Of purpose. Ji intended to poimt a mora), of Which seere are som: faint Indications, it seeks to in tis object in # curious Way, lor though it UOMASKS @ Villian iticayes him unre- peniant, aud merely sends 3im off to Am-rica by way of punishmens, on the other hand, it hipits vo us @ brave and honoravty disposed old perpetually making compromises with ais conscience as We!l AS a furteer 1odaiging in pl antries over the death ot his wife in the presence Nisown aaughter, With one or two exceptions wie oust Was a 8 Tong one, Laierriere # nite th his asual verve the pact of tne old command- tributing in Bo small degree to the general dissav- istaction Of the public with the piece, “La REVUE DES DEUX MONDRS." The piece brought out the Vaudeville last nigst under the above title does not pro.ess to cover the period emoraced by these retrospective y3, uod it bas, therefore, been merely put asaferue de commencement Wannée. ‘iis not matter, however, for within via brief space of time the together as many = make th eon promi ce ana the Engiish preface to "M: in Lescaut’? waa all the more relished from Dumas’ presence tn the house. Ald to all Lhese attractions those of several young and pretty députantes a tolerably correct idea ean de iormed of the spirit and judrment with which the now directors of the Vaudevillo bave entered upon t ask of restoring the fortunes 01 the house. Ciairville and M, am Dreyius, a young writer of great promise, woo has already dis- tinguished himself by one or two notable suc- cesses. PRIVATE THEATRICALS AT VIRW4, There are but few persons versed in the history of the stage WhO bave not heard or read oi the jamous amateur theatricals Which attracted so mach of the public attention ro a small provincial Irish (own at the beginning of tne present cen- wry, Lalinde to the dramatic petiurmances at ilkenny, 1a which some of the leading nobiemen and gettiemen of Ireland took part, and in which tue Colebraved tragédienne, Miss O'Neill, alter. ward Lady Wrixon Becner, ha aimoat equaily iraoie actross, Miss Walstein, may de said to ve Inaugurated their prolessional reputations. ese performances were Oo! so remarkavle & cuar- acter that people flocked from parts of the country to Withess tuem, If prolessed object of course, & charitable one, and the tnstita- tions of the town benefite geiy during wee jociety In cousin of ¢ Aucrsperg, has placed her palace at the al of the lady patronesses of a charity entl- LiBuere Palriotique des Dames @ Auirwha, id & beautiful theatre has been constructed In It, which several periormances have already been given for its benefit, the artis being members of the —_ nobilit and of the Dipsomatic corps, assisted by Got, of the Theatre Francais, and one or two otner professionals. distingalsh persons who are ta ments let itermich, the Barone) ghter of tue cried baa Tyskt, fi Baldi, Co manse Fredrigottt d Koevenbuller, M. Tatischem, of rf Embassy, ond the Baron de Bourgoing and M. Henri de Laioulett 1 the Fieoch Legation, Oniy ta been given—‘'Le Misant Medeton” and “Oscar me,” but pre ensive repertoire, an ii this tentative benevolent ente sals ba ae maT oars of Tae young | | is here—and 8 Just been ‘aitbout was inaugarated week by the periormance of ‘Bi operettas, the experimental entertainm' viously given in ine having been confi concerts, This es ment seems aestined to prosperous caree: t is situated in the centre of aricn pope os quarter, Where It bas but few riv ‘ne house, thougn oi but small di- mensions, 1s @ modei of elegance and comioct, the ventilation being periect, and thé spac allotted for seats larger than 1s allowed in apy similar es- tadlishment in Paits. The acoastlo properties of the Salle are excellent, aud it will be devoted almost exclusively to lyrical performances, At the corner ot t Rue de Martyr and the Bouie- vard Chehy, M. Fernando, the proprietor of a weil known equestrian troupe, 18 erecting a fine circus, which will be one of tne architectural oruameuts of that park ol the city, It has @ handsome facade, of the Doric order, facing the boulevard apd side en- irances in the adjoining streets, The building will seat Comiortably between 2,009 and 3,000 persons, it 8 said that & Wealthy capitalist has it in con- Lemplation to build a theatre in the neighbornood ol the Cheney Elysées, I hardiy think thas the necessities of that quatter call for such an eatab- Msoment at present, It is in reality the midaie classes that support the theatre, and as only wealthy familics, owning carriages, inhabit the Champs Elys' he chances are that the latter will prefer paroaizing the more distant estav~ lishmente, Bring conveniences home to the doors ol rica people and they will be sure to disdain them, Nothing can ever be fashlunavle that is cheap and easy Ol atrainment, THE OPERA, The Grand Opera cuutinues to attract crowded Houses, and will do so jor months to come, All strangers visiting Paris want to see the build. ing, ana thereiore M, Han auzier, borne on the Ude of a prosperity whiten to all appearanees aas ao indefinite period o1 duration, can afford 0 take things easy and leave to otuers the anxiety O1 artistic effort, Popular rumor attributes to Mr. Strakoson the intention of taking the Satie Ventadour again uext season, with Adelina Patti leading attraction, The report bas been pat out tuo early for me to put much faith tn tt. ¢ had @& narrow escape from loss in that eatavlishment last and bis re- cent disastrous operatic gg * ten im Amer- ica will contribute to render him additionally cautious, Could he secure Patti he would aoubt- jess nave im baud @ trump card; but tne lite @.va will require @ heavy san, and it is a question whether, were he even sure of her, he would be disposed to imenr frest risks &t present. Muzio, who ouly arrived & few Gays ago from New York, 18 already as work forming a Jresnh opera troupe for America, A telegra.a irom Mr, Fryer, which reached b.m on mis arrival here, placed at his disposal the funds required to deiray tue preliminary expeoses, He has already peea in communication with Mme, Nilson, Muiac, Marimoo, Capoul, Campanini, Rota, Mendiorez, Castelmany aad Nanetti, irom all of woom he had received 1ivorable answers. ‘The propabiltties ure that ne will secy,e @ first class troupe, the more particularly a8 nis instructions are not fo spare money. tle wil ve greatly aided tn his eforts by (he Impression Whica prevatis what tuere will be Bo opera in St. Petersburg next season, no offers of epgagement baving as yet beeu made trom that quarter to t.e prominent artists. ‘Tw, deaths have just ocourred I the theatrical profession waice will be heard Of with regret at your sie, They are those o: Lumiey, the operatic lkupresario, and of Bateman, the manager o1 the Lonuon Lyceum, Both were meu of undoubted capaci y la their respective lines, but Bateman had advantaves Over bis contemporury in bis dvugged perseverance and insensivility to ihe frowns of iorrune, With him a check or a defeat was ony a greater tnceative to exertion, and bo | usually succeeded where most otver men would have fatied, His death occurred ratuer suaaealy, and is attribuied to over-excitement, as he was suff ring from disease of the heart. By a curious comcidence, nis daughter, Miss Isabella Bateman, woo Was ignorant of her iatner’s danger, was de- claiming at the theacre 10 tae part of Ophelia u,on the death of ner fictitious parent, Polonius, at the very moment that her own fatner was vreato- ing bi lust. WEST AFRICA. wet el SE LIFR AND CIVILIZATION ON THE W2ST CoasT. OLD CaLabaB RIvKK, West Coast OF ARICA, H Fevruary 28, 1875, i send you a few Jottings irom this out-of-tne- way piace. A residence of more than a year nas enavied me to look around generally, and I give you a bird's eye view of our location aud some idea of our lotos life here, THE ENGLISH TRADING STATION nere’ 18 torty-five miles from the cvast and about six miles irum the conflu- ence of the Cross and tho Old Calabar rivers, Tne former of these 1s apparently an outflow of the Niger, one of the necks that lead to the sev- eral del'a-months of that imperfectly expiured river, The Old Calabar is an independent river, but not long. Iw valine lies in its safe bar- bor. The tidd@ at tnis port is full six jee, and Papid and strong at that. The course of the river 1s nearly southwest, with a slight turn beiore It reaches the Galf of Guinea, Tue southeast bank {s like th. eastern bank of the Mis- low and lagooo-luke with water and so tangied aud complicated in the jJuogle form oi ite growth that notaing short of the broad-iooied negro, of human life, ever attempts to enter it, Tu: Diu just here rises between 100 and 300 feet shove whe surface of the stream. Upon the bigh- @st point of this southeast bluffis perctea the mission bouse, while in the amphitheatrical val- ley, scooped out from the hill, reposee—ana it is dead asieep—tne town of Old Calabar. Tois v; ley 18 picturesque to the eye, but to the otner sensez, especially to the ol actories, it is repul- sire (o the last degree, The streets of Vologne are nothing to tt ior smells. It is hot, too, year in and year ont, beyond descrip- tion, Even the thermometer cannot give @ clear idea of the feeling of neat, which comes of the molsture as well as of the beat proper. Tee shore is dense bushwoo's, under- growth crowdimg everywhere, except where there are clearings—and these not numerous—lor cultrvation or jor resideaces, The roads through vhe couatry are unique and not of the turnpike style, They are mide by nature, and civiuzation tO a great Oxient takes suape aiter thom. That is, Guriug tne rainy season—irom the ist of July to the iss of November—the roads river bods (ealied In Arabia the wadys), rain streams travel to the rivet; and during th Test Of the year these beds are used as tre Toads ior foot, horse and venicie; aud wretcned make-shits they are, They are frequentiy two t below the surrounding country. Bach villag js «the §=6dweilliag piace tribe, so caued, which separate family id itttie els trices has its uwa P: these Villages near ow a jurors Occa-ion [hope to give you some persoual ovser- vations among she. THE ASPECTS OF NATURE, Window a Which I write [look over a wamps ry oes. DUE It is hut—ali the seasons are hot. ‘iw mokes are dense vapors and jogs. Beior Dreakiast, say at nine o’ciock A. M., the whole river aad lowlands arc obscured totally, #0 the shippin , ying only a hunored seer invi-1ole. About pine o'clock these river mists vanish, and over ail the country aroand broods a haze that obscures every¥ing in other seasons visible, Various theories prevail as to the origta Of thes? Smokes. One is that they are the dust clouds blown down here from tue Sahara, Ag- other, and by ali odds I should say the more proo- 3 | Able one, is that they are cagsed by the coluer wind from the interior mountains which con- denuses tne vavor in the air, ont nor quite to tne ot of rain. This wind is known as the Har. mattan, an E.N.K. wind, which D.owsa to us from tae tnterivr during that November snd De- Tae wind itveli is dry comber part of the year. and Aoxwus, but a trifle cooler the ocean winds that veer about during the two other seasons—toe rany and the ary. The dry sets in at the begining of the year and @t the close oi the Smokes, aud lasta untl the ist of Jaly, aa before mentioned. The genera! tem perature here, especialiy during the cooler part o1 the year, 18 NOt Wariver Ou OUF Mission porch than (he coast regious om our Carolina, Georgia and Florida be ‘brere are he TWO POINTS OF CIVILIZATIONS the Engiten trading station, which bas its head- narters on the eignt tracing hulks which lic In we re down youder within pistol snot o my Window, and the m:. 9 Stution, up here on the Cif, 300 leet above the singgish waters, rdly fair to inciudd ing things, it is 80 has no litric ile aud . 1s an agency o! the British company, Wao: = ‘sare in Liverpool. Th ency hg a the home company in its trade with the in iad the town is toe Tiaoe alk wey for tne thousands of smail trade a vanserior rs ot the country, Te sels ure GOW discuarg- ing cargo fur tho hulks, and the Bri it steamer, departiag usually once a re 7 verpool, lies ready to receive its ireighta for tne me siorenouses. We nave somerimes heavy é@ nad little of it thas far ia the (mort latitude) it be! a jipp!—nigh and sbrapt—while tae opposite | bank is one low malarial mangrove swamp; go | It is | pe wowo In this list of | THE GARIBALDIAN. PLANS, The New Port at Fiu- micino. GENERAL GARIBALDI'S DISAPPOINTMENT. —— + The Projects for Irrigating the Campagua and Regulating the Tiber in Jeopardy, fateh UA The Italian Government and Garibaldi. Rome, April 12, 1875, The Gartbaidian projects are jast now reduced to very small proportions. Buta few weeks ago the General wrote to the HeRaLp that letter in which ne specified very distinctly what ls waa ne hoped to accomplish—the formation of a mew port for the gity of Rome, the rectification of the course of the Tiber, so as to prevent tne frequent inunda- tions, and the irrigation and improvement of the Roman Campagna. For the carrying out of these plang @ aum of $20,000,000 was required, for securing which the guarantee of the Italian governmont was alone needed, Minister Min- ghetti led Garibaldi and the world to believe that there would not be the slightest diMoulty about securing this guarantee, This was & mere bagatelie, for the government was only too sin ly happy, he sala, to find General had taken the tnittative in lavors which it has sincerely atheart, Tue day Minister Minghetti paid a special visit to Gari- bald, and told bim that the government would present a bill for the guarantee of 40,000,000 francs atonce, before the vacations, Now, suddenly, the Tiber Commission, appointed by the goveroment, reports thas the two latter plans are too expensive, and recommends for the present only the com- pletion of the new port, and as tho sald new port involves an expense of but $4,000,000 to $5,000,000, the plan will be carried out, juat to keep GarMaldi employed. Tne [ialian goverament has shown itself very weak in dealing witn Garibaidl, It expectea to find. in him a leader of the opposition in Par- Mament; and being somewhat shaky, 1¢ deter- mined to secure in the General @ supporter in- stead of ao opponent, lt succeeded, a8 wo have seen, by promising assistance avd pe- cuolary support it never invended to give, or at least to such am amount, The only thing for which we can blame the government is the fact of making Garibaldi believe that his plans would be carried torough regardiess of science and cost, not for objecting to guarantee undertakings for which Garibaidt himself failed to secure the scien- tiflc basis, Garivaldi came, the government sent him @ heap of maps and then he set to work with luttle proper assistance to draw big likes across them, wuich were to bo tne outlines of his plans, And this done he fancied that his plans were as good as executed, Garibaldi did wrong in not demanding a scientific commission at first to do the work with him, instead of which the govern- ment attacned two or three scientific men to his stag, but they had no influence whatever upon him and found that he would have bis own way whether or not, Therefore, 1 say, the Italian gov- ernment does well in not entering blindly into the carrying out of the Garivaidlan plans, but haw played a very weak part im leading the General to expect what it never intended to do, For the present Garivaldi will have to content himself with carrying out the plaa of his new port, Originally the General Intended that the channel of the Fiumicino Canal (the only navigable mouth of the Tiber) should be deepened as far as Port Trajan, which latter should be drained and exoa. vated and made the port of Rome. Now, how- ever, the plan is simplified by making Fiamicino itself into a harbor by means of breakwaters and connecting Finmicino wita Rome by means of & raiiroad in halfan Lour’s time, A perasal of the jollowing letter will inform you ofall that bas been done here on the sudject, and I think it very probable that before this letter reaches you the sanction of the government and the necessary guarantees will have been given, THE NEW PORT OF ROME—THE PROBABLE FLNAL PLAN—GABIBALDI'S PROPOSED HARBOR AT FIUMICINO, Rome, April 12, 1875, Garibaldi’s gigantic schemes for the deviation of tne Tiber—that is, frat, turning it aside from its bed at the north of Rome, above Ponte Molle, and, a(ter winding in a new channel cut paraliel with Rome, bringing It back into Its ped a couple of miles below the city; second, the formation ofa huge canal, starting from Tivoll, for the trri- gation of the Roman Campagna—seem likely to bo rent to the Greek Calenaar. The prospects of the port and breakwater of Fiumicino, however, are looking up, precisely because a detailed plan, made alter a month of careful survey and sound- ing, bas been presented to Garibaldi, who is so muck pleased with it that be has himself intro- duced it and supported it before the commissto: At Grst there was a talk of draining, cleansing ana enlarging the old Portus Trajant( vulgo, Tra- jan’s Dock), but its small proportions and the cnormonus expense of cutting and deepening tne channel thence to the sea, caused the immediate rejection of this idea, THE JOURNEY TO FIUMICINO, Yesterday, after seeing tue plans of the en- gineering frm of Wilkinson & Smith, which have so pleased Garibaldi, I went down with Mr. James “Wilkinson to Fiumicino, As the little Tiber boat runs only in the summer, and tue trains to Poate Galera go at inconvenient hours, we took @ cart- riage and drove out of Rome early, jnst as tne people were beginning to hang out their fags and mi preparations for feting tue double birthday o! King Victor and Prince Humbert, Piazza Mon- tanara was crowded with the picturesque brigand- like peasants, whose sallow complexions and sunken eyes told the uniform story of agus, fever and insuMcient food, while waiting to be bired as laborers or berdamen, their caief occupation Deing the comparison of their lottery tickets, which are considered more indispensable tnan bread or clothr The drive to Ponte Gal alone snM@ces to prove not only the ne vue Wisdom of ameliorating the vast tracts of jand, which, endowed by oatare with such iife- | giving and life-sustaining powers, if men would but develop them, now exbalo but death and poison. Hero and there you wee Splendid vineyards, protected by the reeds piaced at right angles, fields of lupin and Waving corn wiready a foot high, but for the most part woary swamps, for whici no one would give $2 an acre, but which in England, well drained and “warped,” as tne Lincolnshire fens a, Would be worth from £100 to £159 aa THE AGRO ROMANO. With the exception of a very smal! portion the | whole of the land om the right of the Tiber, be- tween Ponte Galera (‘he railway station on the | Civita Vecchia tine) and Tinmictno, belongs to Prince Torionla, who purchased tt, with t neco villa doing small credit to his taste, from Paliavicint. The vast piain is scattered here anda there with | small red constructions whica look ilke tomb- stones, but watch are, in fact, drinking trougus for cattle, the water being brongat down from toe hilia in pipes about @ foot under ground. ‘Two since the Prince lost nearly 3,009 nead of 9@, and now Bas comparatively Bat enormous flocks of sheep were zing everywhere, The farm bulidings are well and strongly constructed, ana jadging by the huge hanks of beef hung out, one may bope ti servants are well fed. An inscription opposite the vilia throws light on the fact of Port Claudius, showing that tne Emperor, in order to factlitato the flow of the Tiber into the eea, dug new chan- nels A, D, 46, TRAJAN'S DOCK. Amhort distance beyond we como on Trajan's Neck. gow AmMarsay Inke, Giled Wish reeds and | ity, but | covered with water fowl. Evidently Ulaadians Port, rains of which stiliremain, must have been onoked up, or rather honid aay the shore oa, Wilh for (he lust 2,000 years t the rate of turee metres @ year, Tendered it useless, but tt seems to bi been a Magnificent affair with three plers and a light- house; at least 60 say the learned who have Sought out the traces in the meadows to the north, Trajan’s Lake was constructed in the second century; its form ts hexagonal, ita ciroait about 200 metres and the numerous ruins of what were once the storehouses s6ili remain, The thio, orignt-rea bricks which the old Romans used were decidedly made of better material ana netter baked than those of modern times. The water, Which is never more than ven feet deep, dratas off byakind of ditch into the Tibor Canal, walen seema olgo to Nave heea excavated by Trajan and ig now the omly navigable one, tho curreat in this channel ts at times tremend- ous, even ten miles an hour, Between this and the old Tiber chanue!, now entirely closed to | navigation, rises the Sacred Islaud, formed by the alluvial deposits brougus dowa, aud a glance at | {f the otc channel ve | opened, 4% itis proposed, this promontory itsel! | S map will show that Will In great part prevent the mud and saad from aliting up the new harbor, THE LITVLE VILLAGE OF FICMICINO forms the resort of sportemea, ‘Teal, widgeons, wild duck, wild geese, plovers, snipe and fia- mingees abounding Iu the neigkbornood, The oid castle, built in 1773 on the actual shore is now 320 metres from tie sea From the tower on the | top you obtain a magnificent view of sea and shore, and thus you get a sad idea of the enormous swamps of Marcerese and Ostia, lying east and Weat of Fiumicino, also @ perfect sight of the | Tiber currents, Whose yellow, turbid waters (orm & strange contrast to the intense emeraid green ol the a After the idea ofenlarging the Trajan dock was abandoned (Prince Torlonia is now commencing bis works of dratoing aud cleansing, #0 a8 to make an oyster pond of it) the next idea waa to exca- vate a large port inland, betwoen Fiumicino and the sea; but Nr. Wilkinson bas already convinced Qaribald! that this woald be not only unnecessary, but useless, a8 nO captains would bring in their crews with the cermaimty of taking marsh fever Bix Months out of the year. He proposos to bulld an outer mole, 2,060 metres tn length, In a weat- erly direction, curving slightly to the norih, aad an inner mole 1,698 imetres in length, where ships w uld discharge, by means of steam cranes, directinto railway wagons, To give you an idea of the general incorrectocss of the surveys and soundings taken, even by government engineers, in Italy, it may be stated that Canevari, who ie BOW the favored projector for the Tiver rectifica- tion scheme, is four kilometers out In bis sound. ings. Otner engineers aiso assured Garibaldt chat would find ten metres of water within a kilo- meter of the shore, whereas soundings taken from @ steamer hired for the pur- pose prove that even at two kilometers from the shove nine metres of water ts the usinost obtainable, This, however, would suffice for the entrance of the port. The width of this entrance, t@, the dis!ance between the two moles, ls to be 160 metres. Tho harbor petwoen these two break- waters wili bo protected from all dangerous winds and {rom the permanent ourrents from the south; wiil be easily accessible for steamers and sailing ships in any winds that blow; there will be sum- cient water tu float the Great astern, man@uyre and bring her in 300 metres, The area oO! tie pro- posed harbor will be abont half a square mile THE FIUMICINO BAREOR, ‘The moles are to be composed o1 bloeks of con- crete, weighing twenty-five tons each. In ing. land these blocks ace composed of lime, sand and stone; here they will be made or lime, pozzalano, basalt or lava, there being a deposit of lava about tour miles from the Tiber channel, 80 that the de- ereased expense of conveyance will compensate for the increase of price. “Tufa was proposed as & eudstitute, but 1¢ is such light, porous, brittle swf that it is astonishing to see it used for such aM enormous building as the present palace of finance nowin conetruction, and in the case of these blocks, where weight Is the essential, its use Would be out O/ the question. | The line comes trom Ort or Narai, sevouly miles irom Fiumic:no, and the porzclana ts already ly:ng in huge heaps along the shore of the river, whence tho coasting vessels transport it to ail parts, The Diocks, moulded im boxea on the.ahore, tus! be leis two months to consolidate and are constantly wa‘ered by a fire engine to prevent their cracking, ther.ce traueported by rail and lowered to soem icion, The breakwaters at Algiers, Port satd and Marseilies are constructed on this principie, and tt ts proved that the beavicst gales will hot move them, When dropped in at randora they .orim themselves natural into &@ slope Of one toone on the sde faciug the sea and Of hall to baif on the land side, The widen of the base of the outer mole will be 28 metres, the top 1134; tne base of the inner mole 27 metres, the top 14—this to admit of two lines of rail. The top of tae blocks will be paved with lava or granite, GARIBALDI'S OBJECTIONS, Garibaldi, who spent a couple of hours in exam- ining, discusstug. measuring and calcuiatiog with Wilkinson's plaus laid out beiore tim, made but | two objections—First, he wisues the space be- | tween tne blocks to be filed in with cement, as he goes noc seem convinced that, dropped in at | raudom, they will remain immovable in their po- | sitions But envineers say that this is quite | unneces#ary and will add twenty-five per cent to the expense. The otner romark he mace was that be should like the outer pier to be siigntly tonger and curved more inward, to protect the harvor Irom the south current; bat the chief pilot at Fiumicino, who is @ very intelligent aan aad who assisted at all the surveys aud soundings, says that | this Is not necessary. Ol course eacn mole ts to be rnished with & lignthouse and revolving lights suMciently nigh to be seen at twenty miles’ distance, Tae total cost of barvor, breakwater and lightno! Will be 15,000,000 @f itras ($3,000,000). Proie Fuopanti, Woo apent & Wuole morning in examining and discussing, is astouisued at tae SMALINES® OF THR ESTIMATRS, but Wilkinson 18 @ contracting engineer and offers to do the whole work lor the sum stated and cowplete i in g &c,, Will cost so much," aud, ill do it for ti m."* Wilkinson was with incidentally, that t ed oith “On, granite by all meaus, loo! roduced two big Docks Ol granite of the very nest quality, @ continued, Caprera granite; jand abounds in it; turoisn 1% at lorty francs per cabit meire mouth of Fiamicta Now, I am going over to Caprera on Wednesday, won't you come with me ana inspect tt.’ 6 General laughe proposivion, ana habe ayemee eras soon as anything is deci lop, composed two great sche head om account of expense, La) ‘y likely that they may entertain this project, anicss the jealousy of ltallam engineers shall mar tn d about of experts, on the ec x should the port be constructed the ratiway must be built Ores, as even the workmen mnat neve! line is So pertectiy level that have the rats down in a fortnight, The idea orig- 8 inated with the mountcipality of Rome, as it is Wished to set u bathing estaottenment at Pin- the surrounding country be m drained or Warped I cannot see now Fiamicind can servo lor this purpose, unless the Romans havo a tancy for sea bat.s in tne cold montirs, Torionia planting eucalyptus trees in iarge quantities, buc the soddeo, un ed Soli Will, fuar, be scarcely adavted to the growth of sais mow capricious tree. “ O; course great opposition will be offered to the Idea of & new port by the population of Civita | Veechia, bat that port is considered so dangerous ‘hat skips item have to walt days, and even weeks, before entering; and to enlarge and im- prove its conaition would cust more than creating the new harbor at Fiumicino, Also @ consider- bio part of the merchandise now carried to Naples will come into Framiciuo. Since writing tho Aoove L went up to see Gari- daidi, and found Him so enthusiastic about tne harbor that, not contented with presenting It himself to tae commission, which sat with him for several honts yesterday, he has sent General Medici direct to tue King to beg him to use his influence WIth the government to guarantee the five per cent interest on the capital sudseribed, and to nead the share jist itsell, Le nas aiso written # hearty letter to Wilkinson, expressing nis full And complete satisiaction, requesting Dim to gat | ent his detailed plums, to present them to the gor. ernment, the provincial and communal cou.ciis and the Parliam-nt, This is not necessary, how: ever, a8 Flamicino, being a third rate port, the sanction oO: Parliament is not needed jor the pti and tais wuil abbreviate matters conside- ral Garipaldi has also ordered Wilkinson to get out plans and e eS for stopping up present t Fiumiciao ‘ai trom the Tiver, aod by placing a lock In tt with two gates t canal Will then be filled with salt water, oxceps wen ships ‘ough the lock, or in times of When tho gates Would be opened ould not mace surprised ff, iter comes back from New Yor! thi 8S Flomeuae Will have been commen ‘The flow of | American Would | 13 GLISH TURE — THE EN Tattersall’s Great Salo of Steeple-Chasers. THE ROYAL PABDOCKS AT HAMPYON COURT Prince Charlie, Young Melbinrne, Thunderbelt, Gladiateur aud Other Noted Stailions, Lonpon, April 18, 1878, The racing thus far in England has oeem | Wretchealy poor, The season, it is true, has been very backward, and horses have not been tn readts Dess for their engagements; bus tuey are now im- | proving, and by the time the Two Thousand Gatoeas comes around al! that are worth anything will be in fit condition to-ran, Cambailo ts stilt tne favorite for the Guineas, notwithstanding te Was deaten last week three-quarters of @ mile oF Ecoraias and Blenheim, But such things here am being beaten before great events do not count, | Horses are entered in minor rdces merely to pres Pare them (or greater ones, end there is no way of judging of the capabilities of the candidates tor either the Guineas or the Derby by any puvii¢ tunoing they may do belore the big events take piace. Lt would be considered a horrid thing im America not to go fora race, Campbailo is tne beat locking three year old in England, and has tha! smoothest way of runing; and the borse that Deats bim the Rowley mile on the 28th inst. wilh most likely take the Gaineas, Balfe ts the second, favorite, but he 1s not the flog, rangy animal that Oamoalio i lie i# more of the Ortolan style, while Camballo would remind an American some~ what oi Tom Bowling. Oratg Millar, a sou of Blatr Athol, has jumped into favor (or the Guineas event within a few days—and so has Earl of Dartrey; but from what [ have seen o! the horses Jshould think that cext to Camballo [ would chos@’ Garteriy Beil for (he winner, The Craven Meeting at Newmarket comes off next week, and much anxiety is shown in sport ing circles about tne International Free Handt- cap, to be run on the last day, in which many oft the best bersesof all ages in Engiand are ame nounced to take part, The Newmarket Handi cap, which takes place on the second | day of the meeting, {8 also expected’ tq | be a good race, and will probably, have a good fleld of starters. A great many Londoners wiligo down to Newmarket; but if it was not for the datly and weekiy papers no one Im London would know tnat @ raco had taken place in England up to this time. I never near racing mentioned tn the hotel | am stopping at, nor in my walks, except i drop im at Tattersal’s or at the office of a sporting Journal ‘There was a great sale at Tattersall's on Thurs. day last of the famous stud of steeple-chasers of the late Mr. J, Gerard Leigh, which was largely ate tended, and some of the horses brougnt very good prices, There were fourtoen ots disposed of, the most celebrated of which wag the winner of the | Grand National of 18 Disturbance, a bay horse, | by Commotion, da Poliy Peachum, aged. Hg was purchased by Mr. Baltazz for £1,200 The same gentieman also purchased the brown gelde ing Defeace, by Defender, dam by Augar, who wag ahalf-vred mare, for £1,640—truly a pretty steep price for au aged gelding, The next high-priced one Was Palm, & bay berse, aged, hy Wes: Auatrar Ilan, out of Sabine, He broughs £1,350, and ts ins teuded for a@ fereiga couutry, Shallew, a bay horse, five sears old, by Master Fenton, out of Antelope, Was knocked down to Mr. Herring for £800, Tue remainder only ietcaed nominal summa Itook a rag down to Lssex tue oiner day tq look at Gladiateur, the winner of ail the grea turee-year-oid ovyents in 16s, He belongs to Oape tain Ray, of the Brick House, Dunmow, Gladin« teur ts a brown horse, aixtesa hands tigh, flacly | formed a!| over except his forelegs, which are thé most shaky tuat lever saw. Tney are not bent or crooked iu tho least, but theré 1s continnaf tremor to them resembling paisy. He ts now thirteen years Old, but looks quite young, and hag a bright, inteltigent eye. He would, art from the forelegs, remind aa American of Mr. Sanford'a Preakness, a horse that be resempbies greatly, | Gladtateur {9a shage darker, but his neck, back sud bind quarters are very muct like those of thg great sons of Lexingtou and Bay Leaf. He hag not been asuccess aga staliion, none of his got proving winuers of big events Mr. Riy bag | eighs yearlings of Gladiateur’s out of good mares, | which be intends seling this summor, some of them very fine ooking youngsters, of good siz> and substance, Speaking of Gladiaseur’s sucecss in oid three-year-old iorm fa Engiaud, @ mam Who owus Gouduier, a hals brotner of tae Freacy horee, having oeeu got vy Mouvares, said that | twere Were Bo real good Colts outin 1965, and that + if there bad been Giadtatear's chances woutd ha’ been vat moderate; that ve did aut consider i a frst clase horse, However, Mr. Ray, bis owner, thinks well of im, a8 6O Many otuers, for be wad Well patronized last seasoa and Will be tala, ihe royal paddocks at Hampcon Court contain only fiye stallions and a iew mars with theit foals. I Was mack surprised to find such & grand pisc ¢ as this is Jor breeding purposes so aeserted, ere, however, Lsaw tue great Prince Chariie, and that repaid me lor wy Visit. Ubariie is considered 1, OF that probably e qual idea of endes beat him last year with the French colt Pe! ¥ 6 Most ridiculous thing that could race was ouly e the great horse became jad had to ve retired irom tae groom if ne thuuchs sed, He did net know ot, but Wue very cere. te hors® that can be imagined. rouad a8 a Shetiand pony ls develo) superb, Ho has @ magnitic head, nec | back, and propelitn; England caa equal. he wouid look smail along: ana notwithstaading this horse's inflrmy being @ roarer numbers of bre their mares to him. He is iusity been full some rere te be huped tusy Wii Dever Nave. The couganions of Prince ¢ exoung Melbvurge, a At the stad he nas Dern anccessrul and iq still soagnt after, Young Meibuurne was Db; bourne, out 01 Clarissa, by Pautaloon, Wit limbs, and grandly proportioned all over, he is Most poweriul and compact apimal. Next te Young Melvourne was ths Ons olt = ter, by Orlando, dam Cavitana. Thi: horse, with Waite face and off tor ance, He 1s simeteen years old, s Xteen bands nigh and fineiy put together, Was third tor toe Derby in bis year, Mis best win \# said to have been for toe biennisi at Bath, where we beat a large fed jood ones, He has been the sire of some very Joat ruaners, Lady Kuzabecn being amen Aumper, St. Aloane is aleo paddocks o mpton Court, He is & chestnat, witha white face und two white stockings behind, st. Albang Was sired by Stockwell, out of Bribery, and fa fiiteen bands two inches high, bat looks muct larger. Ta tronage of tas grand and fin Provortioned horse, wich is very “large, Prompted by excellent judgment, as he was a good racer in bis day, having won the Metropol. tan, the Chester Ng 4 and the St, Leger im nia shree-year-oid form. His progeny can all ran weit, Menimore, anotier old brown horse, ia also here, He 19 above twenty years oid, and was sires by Melbourne, out of Emeraid, dy Deience. He hat ho white aoout him, but is Of thal peculiar cook so prevalent im race horses in Engiand at tia resent time—tiat is, drown, with black less, yet about the muzzie aud under flanks & great deaiof tan celor is observab: Meatmore Was a short distance runne: never go Over a mile, and six furlongs suited not Touch better. He ti we Dis get a i MON: tt jon here is rse, With White face aad ni if way to the hock, six y: nearly sixteen hands high. f at Hampton Court for paddock dutics, ely iormed, periectly sound and has & Pou Mell, bind leg 3 old and his is (he bees horse Ue t# ja vsian. appearance. There is no aoubt thal quality. He was by Me/bourne,ous of Makes Pell Meli was @ One race-