Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-07-13

Some months since we laid before our
readers information which lead US TO be-
lieve that the Asiatic squadron would soon
be engaged in more exciting business than
cruising around the coasts of China and
Japan; and recent advices from Hong
Kong show that this belief was correct,
and that Admiral John Rogers has com
menced a small war against Corea, which
may produce important consequences
hereafter. Where and what the scene OF
hostilities is, may, therefore, be considered
an interesting subject just now.
Corea-the native name of which is To
cen koak-is a peninsular kingdom of East
ern Asia, tributary to China. 1t is bounded
on the east by the Sea of Japan; on the
south, by the Straits of Corea; on the
west, by the Yellow Sea, and on the north,
by Mantchuria. Including the subject
territory north of the peninsula proper,
Corea extends from "a to i3 degrees north
latitude, and lies between ia degrees and
100 degrees east longitude. Its extreme
length is estimated at abou. $50 miles, its
breadth between 200 and 800, and its area
Id the neighborhood of 90, 900 square miles.
Authentic information concerning the
country and people is exceedingly scanty,
owing TO the fact that all foreigners, and
Europeans especially, are rigidly excluded.
A few French missionaries, who penetrat-
ed into the inhospitable region, were ex-
PEELED or massscred in 1899. From the
accounts OF those who escaped, and the
narrative of one Hendrick Hamel, the
clerk of Dutch ship, who was wrecked
on the Corean coast in 1863 and held cap
tive thirteen years, we get the most of the
little knowledge we have. According TO
these informants the west coast Of the pc.
ninsula is studded with hundreds of small
rocky islands, known to geographers as
the Corean archipelago. The island OF
Quelpaerts, of the southwest coast, is sixty
miles in circumference, and mountain in
the centre is said to be 5000 feet high.
The Shdng-pe- range Of mountains
separates Corea from Mantchuria, and the
Chim-tai range, which branches off from
the former In south, southeast direction,
runs along the east side of the peninsula
to the Straits of Corea. The general slope
of the land is toward the Yellow Sea. The
two largest rivers known to exist, are the
Yolu Kiang and the Tuner Kiang, rising
in the Shrg-De-shan mountains, and run
ming with strong, deep current-the
former, westerly course into the Yellow
Sea; and the latter eastwardly into the Sea
Of japan. In the northern parts of Corea
the climate is very severe, and at Rin-phu,
the capital, situated in 81 deg. 80 min
north latitude. the adjacent river freezes
30 hard in November that loaded teams
cross safely on the ice. Gold, silver, iron,
rock salt and topazes have been discover
ed. In the southern portion of the country
rice, wheat, cotton, flax, ginseng, tobac-
CO and various sorts of fruits are raised in
abundance; some silk is also produced in
this section, but towards the north the
ground becomes rugged and barren, COW
cred with dense forests and supporting
only small population. Here are to be
found fine assortment Of wild animals,
including tigers. bears, boars deer, martin,
sable, ETC. Snakes and venomous reptiles
are plentiful, and crocodiles thirty
and forty feet long frequent the
rivers-which makes bathing an ex.
citing and rather dangerous amuse-
ment. Corea, as nearly as can be ascer-
tanned, is divided into eight provinces, con.
tanning altogether some $50 cities and
towns, large and small. The government
is an absolute despotism of the worst sort,
all the lands being held by the sovereign,
who exacts from the occupants one tenth
Of the agricultural product. This poten-
tate presents an annual tribute to the En-.
peror of China, but the latter allows his
powerful vassal to do very much as he
pleases in domestic affairs. The reigning
monarch of Corea appoints his own sue.
cessor, and the appointment is always
confirmed at Pekin. The Coreans ar
thought to be of Tartar descent, and are
described as a fine looking race, of agree
able manners and progressing address.
All their commerce goes to China, and
from China has been derived whatever
civilization they possess. The literary
men speak the Chinese language and study
the Confucian philosophy. Of the or.
binary tongue nothing is known, except
that it belongs to the monosyllabic class
of languages. Buddhism is the prevail
ing religion, and the priests and temples
of this creed are numerous. The populs-
ton of Corea is set down from 10000 900
to $4,000, 600. Missouri Republican,.