Garibaldi's Maltese Corsairs

Garibaldi's connection with Malta and the Maltese dates back to 1837 when he had already taken refuge in South America, mainly in Montevideo. It was there that he met with other Italian exiles on the run from the despotic governments that held Italy in thrall for so many years. In Montevideo he teamed up with Luigi Rossetti, undisputed leader of the followers of Mazzini in South America. In their battle against despotism these Italian refugees had taken up the cause of the secessionist province of the Rio Grande do Sul against the forces of the Imperial Government of Brazil. In 1837 Garibaldi was given Letters of Marque by the rebellious province, to run after Brazilian ships. Among the crew of "corsairs" Garibaldi had approached and enlisted two Maltese - "due maltesi" - whose names he does not give, and consequently none of his many biographers. Garibaldi's exploits aroused the ire of the Imperial Brazilian Government which made pressure on Argentina and Uruguay to desist from giving help to the rebels or offer facilities in their ports. In one of his skirmishes Garibaldi was grievously injured and left for dead. The sea-battle was fought bravely by four Italian sailors from Genova and the two Maltese who managed to ward off their attackers. The corsairs headed for the Argentinean port of San Antonio del Gualeguay where the ship was confiscated and the crew underwent an interrogation by a special commission. That testimony, dated July 1837, is recorded in 18 pages of legal paper in which the crew give their names, nationality, profession and age. It is by the testimony that we come to know who the two Maltese were, thanks to an Italian diplomat who transcribed them and published them in a little-known book in 1964. The original legal papers are now being published for the first time.