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Bersaglieri's gunfire- even the Garibaldini disappeared. It lasted no longer
than ten minutes, but this was more than enough. Twelve dead lay on the ground-
five Garibaldini and seven regulars- and thirty-four men were wounded- fourteen
regulars and twenty Garibaldini. After the ambush they all gathered under a
tree where Garibaldi was lying with his half cigar still in his mouth. Three
doctors of his regiment- Ripari, Basile and Albanese- were inspecting his
wounds. ("Seven soldiers and five volunteers were killed. They must have
deliberately aimed at Garibaldi, as he had been hit twice. He sat down, lit a
cigar and calmly told the doctors to amputate his seriously wounded foot at once
if necessary." From Denis Mack Smith: Garibaldi. A Great Life in Short.
Bari, 1960) "...The descent on Scilla, on the night between the 29th and
30th, was wearisome. The general lay on a rudimentary stretcher and was covered
with several jackets. He smoked one cigar after another; an officer poured
fresh water over his wounds. The procession was preceded by a few
torch-bearers, who lit the way." Two years have elapsed. In April 1864,
during his triumphant journey through England, Garibaldi is in London, where he
is the guest of the Duke of Sutherland. "A docile and gentle Garibaldi let
his host lead him through a series of parties and ceremonies that were not
congenial to his reserved nature. Everyone applauded his simple and dignified
demeanor. However, this spontaneous man knew how to "act" when it was
necessary. He accepted gifts as if he had been doing it all his life. He had a
kind word for everybody. Garibaldi- a person used to eating dried codfish,
tomatoes, broad beans and cheese- even pretended to relish the intricate English
cuisine. Only once did he cause a bit of a stir: surrounded by duchesses and
countesses, he pulled his half cigar out of his jacket pocket and lit it
enveloping the noble ladies in a cloud of smoke that nearly made them faint. No
matter at what time they let him retire to his room, he would always be up by
six in the morning. And he made his own coffee, because he did not like the
Duke's." This brings us to the end of this brief excursion into the life of
Garibaldi and his cigars. The excerpts on the hero's life have been taken from
the biography written by Indro Montanelli and Marco Nozza. (Montanelli-Nozza,
GARIBALDI- Milano, 1982.)
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