Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-06-09
NO.. %.

sons become priests, and daughters prosti-
tutes but we could not discover whether
this was actually the case. We saw some
japanese hair-oil which they said was used
by the women. The custom of excluding
women from the public gaze seems TO exist
in Corea as in China, and it is said that
even among themselves visitors are not
permitted 10 see the wife. Thus we can
give no description of the Corean women.
Men do not use oil for the hair, which they
pin up themselves. We saw no public
baths or hair-dresslng shops, and we heard
that the Coreans do not bathe. In the
warmer days OF summer they 90 to the
river or seashore to wash themselves, and
In the hotel where we stayed there was not
such athing as bath, so that we had TO
send 10 the ships for tubs in order TO wash.
This accounts for the filthy state in which
the Coreans keep their persons, and for the
dirty hue of their once white clothes.
The literature of Corea, scientific and or
dinary names, and the designations of of
fcials, are tax en- from those of China, Our
countrymen have long imagined that Corea
is fertile country. They had no grounds
guished Coreans have esteemed themselves
only barbarous people, having but little
knowledge of literature. These few words
are almost sufficient to explain fully the
condition of Corea, whose customs and
manners after all are nearly tho same as
those OF our island of Yezo; the principal
part of their literature consists of the teach
ings of Confucius. The people seem to feel
great sorrow for our wearing European
dress, and they thought that we had abol-
ished his doctrine. Among the presents
made to our ambassadors by one of the
highest officials of Corea were four vol
umes of 'MiSho. This is quite enough to
indicate the Corean opinion of us. notice
no advance in their pictorial art. japanese
pictures painted in the style of the KLno
clan, are esteemed very highly by the CO.
reans. No one among them has been dis
tinguished for his skill in painting. Pub
lie buildings are adorned with screens, on
which japanese and Chinese pictures of
the commonest kind are papered. They
have also no ephemeral literature, in fact
nothing but few books of the doctrine Of
Confucius. Corea produces Gensing and
few other medicines, but she seems to have
no commercial prospects, beyond the ben-
eft she may derive from the export of ara
6i.
The climate of two of the eight districts
into which Corea is divided is severely
cold, something like that ef our island of
Yezo. The principal food of the people is
millet, but they are very fond of animal
flesh. One district named Shnrado is
warmer than the others. 1t seldom rains
in Corea. The people are very idle; but
then they can live for one and half or two
cents day. A fowl costs six or seven
cents. Most of the people spend their time
in smoking pipes three or four feet long.
The population of Corea is supposed 10
be about five millions. The country is
very poor and the Corean government
does not know how 10 protect the people
from injury. Some persons say that The
revenues OF the government are less than
those of our e1- DGiHio Kaga and it is also
said that the government could not keep in
food the soldiers who were stationed at
koka on the arrival there of our ambassa-
dors.-Jdp1n Gazette.