Were the Italian
general to be successful--protected as he will be by the tremendous fire
of the powerful artillery he disposes of--in these twofold operations,
the Austrians defending the line of the Colli Euganei could be easily
outflanked by the Italian troops, who would have crossed the river below
Lago Scuro. Of course these are mere suppositions, for nobody, as you may
imagine, except the king, Cialdini himself, Lamarmora, Pettiti, and
Menabrea, is acquainted with the plan of the forthcoming campaign. There
was a rumour at Cialdini's headquarters to-day that the Austrians had
gathered in great numbers in the Polesine, and especially at Rovigo, a
small town which they have strongly fortified of late, with an apparent
design to oppose the crossing of the Po, were Cialdini to attempt it at
or near Lago Scuro. There are about Rovigo large tracts of marshes and
fields cut by ditches and brooks, which, though owing to the dryness of
the season [they] cannot be, as it was generally believed two weeks ago,
easily inundated, yet might well aid the operations the Austrians may
undertake in order to check the advance of the Italian fourth corps
d'armee.
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