The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-21
THE CELESTIAL EMPIRE.
Mr.. PurlinRame's Arrival In Chlna-The
Troubles i'm the COreR-BarbarOuS Con-
duct of the Natives-ExcursiOns into
the InteriOr-InterestingR Researches. .


Troubles i'm the COrea-BarbarOUs Con-
duct of the Natives-ExcurSiOns into
the InterIOr-Interesting Researches.
TIEN rsIN, China, November 2.-The threat
ened determination of foreigners alluded to in
my letter OF September did not take place,
so your correspondent is spared to write you
apain from the FloweTy Land.
IkThe American Minister, Hon. Mr.. Burltn-
game and family passed through this city No
Vemher 3, en- route for Pellin. He was expected
for weeks before he arrived. His progress since
re left California has been slow, and in some
respects quite disagreeable. The voyage over
the Pacific 10 Japan was tedious and unplea-
SAINT. Between Japan and Shanghai he encoun-
tered very dangerous typhoon. The safety OF
the steamer was for some time despalred OF.
and the passengers and crew, with few II any
exceptions, gave up hope OF escaping watery
grave.
Last spring. early in the summer, some Ro-
man Catholic French missionaries, laboring in
CoIea, were brutally murdered, 1t is believed at
the instgation of the authorities. One or more
escaped in a Chinese junk to Chefoo the near
est Consular port in China, and reported the
facts to the French officials at Chefoo and at
Shanghai. 1t was soon decided that the French
Admiral in Chinese waters should visit Corea,
and demard satisfaction.
In the meantime. before extra French war
ssels and soldiers had arrived in Northern
China, which had been ordered up from Saigon,
in Cochin China, one or two private individuals
or firms sent vessels to Corea with arms am
munition, etc., with intent to sell clandestinCly
or without the protection of treaty. In other
words, attempts were made to smuggle or carry
on n contral and traffic with Corea although
the hostility of the Government to trade with
foreigners was well known, the Corean Govern
ment having entered into no treaty with West
ern nations.
One of these attempts made by an American
schooner, the General Sherman, commanded
chant living here, was not successful. She left
Chefoo August 0, and in due time entered the
mouth of the river on which the capital OF
Corea is situated. While ascending 1.-The river
she grounded on sand-bank. According to
information received by one of the refugee
French missionaries, who went back in Sep
tember on one of the French vessels TO Corea,
1.-The Governor at once sent to the Kings father
for Instructions whether he should put to death
those on board, or should burn them and the
"The Kings father replied. to burn the vessel
and all hands. Tnis barbarous order was
executed" Another account states that the, the
ordered by the King himself. According to an
account contained in the China Mail published
were tied down below in their berths, and the
ship was TIL en- fired, the unhappy victims being
alleged by Coreans was that the vessel was a
pirate, as she had arms on board"
1t remains to be seen what will be done by the
American and the English Ministers located at
Pekiu in regard to the burning of the General
sherman and the murder of the crew and pas
sengers. That schooner was professedly on
smuggling or unlawful expedition, and It's con-
fscaIfon or destruction by the Corean Govern
ment, in any civilized manner, would have been
justified by the laws of nations. Butth brutal
method of putting to death It's crew ana passen-
gers cannot by any means be JUSTIFIED by the
laws of nations.
The Coreans need 10 be taught that such de-
tions concerned in commerce in China and
japan. In all probability they will be obliged,
by force of arms. If necessary, to enter into trea-
ties with the principal countries engaged in
commerce in the East. which shall prevent, as
far as treaties can prevent, the recurrence of
such a fate to any other foreign vessel as that
| which the American schooner General Sherman
met in August last.
| interior Of the empire are much more frequent
| and safe now than formerly. Travellers must
! have passports issued by their national Consul
! Rev. MessTs. A. Williamson, of Cheefoo, and j
/ Lee S. of this city, have within few days re-
| turned from trip of ten weeks. They started
/ from Pekin in September, taking along with
/ them large quantity of Christian tracts and
books They proceeded TO the southwest as far
! as Singan-fu, In the progince OF Shensl.
| There they spent several days. They obtained
several copies and fac StnltteS OF the inscription,
| in Chinese and Syriac, engraven on the cele-
brated HISTORIAN Tablet, commemorating the
| labors OF HISTORIAN missionaries who are be-
/ lieYed to have entered China as early as y. ID.
! sos. The tablet was erected A. ID. 7Sl. II was
| discovered in 1925, by some Roman Catholic
missionaries. Our travellers obtained fac StnlLeS
ofother rare and uniqueincriptions on marble,
/ relating to subjects of interest.
| Our travellers were treated with uniform
| kindness by the Chinese. They sold about
10000 tracts and books, some of them for nearly
| the cost price, RECEIVING in copper coin the
| value of about $500, or about 10000 cash, the
| only legal coin in universal use in China
| We are looking with interest to the COM
| mencement of the running of the American
line of mail steamers between China and San
| Francisco. We hope those steamers will con-
| meet this empire more closely than now with the
United States, affording increased facilities fol
| travelling, correspondence, ana trade, resulting
| in great good to the world. Some complaint i
made in China that the charges for passengers
| are not considerably lower than they are adver-
tised 10 be via the Pacific Company of steamers