cis awaited the doom of those
who only know how to take half measures.

The demoralisation, not only of the troops but of every branch of the
public administration in the kingdom of Naples, was not yet a
certified fact; and the enterprise which Garibaldi at Cape Faro had
before him, of invading the dominions of a monarch who still had a
large army, and whose subjects showed not the slightest visible sign
of being disposed to strike a blow for their own freedom, looked
rather fabulous than difficult. The only part of the _Regno_ where the
people were taking action was in the furthermost region of Calabria; a
fortunate circumstance, since it was the first point to be attacked.
Calabria, which had contributed its quota to the Thousand, contained
more patriotic energy than the rest of the _Regno_ put together. On
the 8th of August, Garibaldi sent over a small vanguard of 200 men
under a Calabrian officer, with the order to join the Calabrian band
of insurgents which was hiding in the woods and gorges of Aspromonte,
and to spread the news that his own coming would not be long delayed.
The Neapolitan generals had acquired the idea that, instead of these
few men, a large force had already disembarked, and so turned their
attention to the mountains; while Garibaldi, after throwing the
war-ships in the Straits on an equally false scent by various
intentionally abortive operations, crossed in the night of the 19th
and effected a landing not far from Reggio, of which, for both moral
and strategic reasons, it was of vital importance to gain possession
as soon as possible. He took with him 4500 men, and had between 14,000
and 15,000 more in readiness to follow. The royalist army in Calabria
numbered about 27,000, including the garrison of Reggio, 2000 men,
under the command of General Galotti. On the 20th, Bixio attacked the
outposts; and on the 21st, Garibaldi fought his way into the
city--not, however, without meeting a strong resistance on the part of
the garrison, which might have been continued longer, and even with a
different result, had not the Calabrian insurgents hurried down from
Aspromonte on hearing the sound of guns, their sudden appearance
making the Royalists think that they were being attacked on all sides.
Next day the castle surrendered, and thus a quantity of valuable war
material fell into Garibaldi's hands. His luck had not deserted him.

Cosenz and Medici landed their divisions in the night of the 21st of
Au