FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF A YOUNG SAILOR—MY FIRST VOYAGE—MY
ACCOMPLISHED CAPTAIN—MY SECOND VOYAGE—FIRST VISIT
TO ROME—IMPRESSIONS—MY PRAYERS—JOIN THE SECRET
SOCIETY—SENTENCE OF DEATH—ESCAPE TO FRANCE—INCIDENTS AT
MARSEILLES.
How everything is embellished by the feelings of youth, and how
beautiful appeared, to my ardent eyes, the bark in which I was to
navigate the Mediterranean, when I stepped on board as a sailor for the
first time! Her lofty sides, her slender masts, rising so gracefully and
so high above, and the bust of Our Lady which adorned the bow, all
remain as distinctly painted on my memory at the present day, as on the
happy hour when I became one of her crew. How gracefully moved the
sailors, who were fine young men from San Remi, and true specimens of
the intrepid Ligurians! With what pleasure I ventured into the
forecastle, to listen to their popular songs, sung by harmonious choirs!
They sang of love, until I was transported; and they endeavored to
excite themselves to patriotism by singing of Italy! But who, in those
days, had ever taught them how to be patriots and Italians? Who, indeed,
had then ever said, on those shores, to those young men, that there was
such a thing as Italy, or that they had a country to be ameliorated and
redeemed?
The commander of the Costanza, the vessel in which I had embarked, was
Angelo Pesante. He was the best sea-captain I ever knew, and ought to
have the command of a ship of war of the first class, as soon as Italy
shall have such a fleet as she deserves,—for a better commander could
not be. He has, indeed, been captain of an armed vessel. Pesante was
able to make or invent every thing that could be wanted in a vessel of
any kind whatsoever, from a fishing-boat to a ship of the line; and, if
he were in the service of the country, she would reap the advantage and
the glory.
My second voyage was made to Rome, in a vessel of my father's. Rome,
once the capital of the world, now the capital of a sect! The Rome which
I had painted in my imagination, no longer existed. The future Rome,
rising to regenerate the nation, has now long been a dominant idea in my
mind, and inspired me with hope and energy. Thoughts, springing from the
past, in short, have had a prevailing influence on me during my life.
Rome, which I had before admired and thought of frequently, I ever since
have loved. It has been dear to me beyond all things. I not only admired
her for her former power and the remains of antiquity, but even the
smallest thing connected with her was precious to me. Even in exile,
these feelings were constantly cherished in my heart; and often, very
often, have I prayed to the Almighty to permit me to see that city once
more. I regarded Rome as the centre of Italy, for the union of which I
ardently longed.
I made several voyages with my father, and afterwards one with Captain
Guiseppe Gervino, to Caglieri, in a brig named the Emma, during which,
on the return passage, I witnessed a melancholy shipwreck, at a
distance, in such a storm that it was impossible to render any
assistance. In that instance I witnessed, for the first time, that
tender sympathy which sailors generally feel for others in distress. We
saw Spaniards, in a Catalan felucca, struggling with the waves, who soon
sank before our eyes, while my honest and warm-hearted shipmates shed
tears over their hard fate. This disaster was caused by a sudden change
of wind when the sea and wind were high. A Libaccio, a south-west wind,
had been blowing furiously for several days, and a number of vessels
were in sight, of all which the felucca seemed to make the best way. We
were all steering for Vado, to make that port for shelter, until the
storm should subside. A horrible surge unexpectedly broke over the
Spanish vessel, and overset it in an instant. We saw the crew clinging
to the side, and heard their cries to us for assistance, while we could
perceive their signals, but could not launch a boat. They all soon
disappeared in the foam of a second surge, more terrible than the first.
We afterwards heard that the nine persons thus lost all belonged to one
family.
From Vado I went to Genoa, and thence to Nice, whence I commenced a
series of voyages to the Levant, in vessels belonging to the house of
Givan. In one of these, in the brig Centesi, Captain Carlo Seneria, I
was left sick in Constantinople. The vessel sailed; and, as my sickness
continued, I found myself in somewhat straitened circumstances. In cases
of difficulty or danger, I have never, in all my life, been
disheartened. I then had the fortune to meet with persons kindly
disposed to assist me, and, among others, I can never forget Signora
Luigia Saiyuraiga, of Nice, whom I have ever since regarded as one of
the most accomplished of women, in the virtues which distinguish the
best and most admirable of her sex.
As mother and wife, she formed the happiness of her husband, who was an
excellent man, and of their young and interesting children, whose
education she conducted with the greatest care and skill. What
contributed to prolong my abode in the capital of Turkey, was the war
which at that time commenced between that power and Russia; and I then,
for the first time, engaged as a teacher of children. That employment
was offered me by Signor Diego, a doctor in medicine, who introduced me
to the widow Temoin, who wanted an instructor for her family. I took up
my residence in the house, and was placed in charge of her three sons,
with a sufficient salary.
I afterwards resumed the nautical life, embarking in the brig Nostra
Signora della Grazia, Captain Casabana; and that vessel was the first I
ever commanded, being made Captain of it on a subsequent voyage to Mahon
and Gibraltar, returning to Constantinople.
Being an ardent lover of Italy from my childhood, I felt a strong desire
to become initiated in the mysteries of her restoration; and I sought
everywhere for books and writings which might enlighten me on the
subject, and for persons animated with feelings corresponding with my
own. On a voyage which I made to Tagangog, in Russia, with a young
Ligurian, I was first made acquainted with a few things connected with
the intentions and plans of the Italian patriots; and surely Columbus
did not enjoy so much satisfaction on the discovery of America, as I
experienced on hearing that the redemption of our country was meditated.
From that time I became entirely devoted to that object, which has since
been appropriately my own element for so long a time.
The speedy consequence of my entire devotion to the cause of Italy was,
that on the fifth of February, 1834, I was passing out of the gate of
Linterna, of Genoa, at seven o'clock in the evening, in the disguise of
a peasant—_a proscript_. At that time my public life commenced; and, a
few days after, I saw my name, for the first time, in a newspaper: but
it was in _a sentence of death_!
I remained in Marseilles, unoccupied, for several months; but at length
embarked, as mate, in a vessel commanded by Captain Francesco Gazan.
While standing on board, towards evening, one day, dressed in my best
suit, and just ready to go on shore, I heard a noise in the water, and,
looking below, discovered that some person had fallen into the sea, and
was then under the stern of the vessel. Springing into the water, I had
the satisfaction to save from drowning a French boy, in the presence of
a large collection of people, who expressed their joy aloud, and warmly
applauded the act. His name was Joseph Rasbaud, and he was fourteen
years of age. His friends soon made their appearance; and I experienced
very peculiar feelings excited in my heart, when the tears of his mother
dropped, one after another, upon my cheek, while I heard the thanks of
the whole family.
Some years before I had a similar good fortune, when I saved the life of
my friend, Claudio Terese.
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