Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-04-11

four armed idol forty feet high ,surmounted
by 1888 bronze figures of natural
size in arnor, each different from the
other, representing military chief;ains.
priests and important persons who had
lived, fought and rendered services to the
people during a period of more than = 900
years. mound was pointed out to us
where so 900 ears, clipped from dead Co.
reans after battle, were buried. Temples,
idols and shrines were pointed ont to US,
numbering thousands, many of them upon
high hills apparently inaccessible by ordi-
nary means of approach.
February lst, lS79.-We left uiogo at SIX
O'Clock this morning and were on deck as
soon as 1t was light enough to see the
outlines OF the mountains and islands,
which with their coats of evergreen, in the
distance where they rise to the height of
three or four thousand feet, both on our
right and left, reminded us of the green
mountains in the east and AdirOndacks
in the west with Lake Champlain
between when viewed at sun rise
All day VIC have been steaming along the
Inland Sea of Japan, which is the water
connection between the Pacific Ocean and
the Yellow Sea. 1t has been mild, sun
light day. and not so cold but that we could
spend much of the time on deck. do not
think there IL another route in the world
where there Is such n stretch of continued
beautiful and interesting scenery as
the one We are to-day witnessing.
In some places We have been nearly
out OF sight of land, in others wind
ing our way among clusters of islands, then
through narrow straits into an open sea.
The sea varies in width from one mile to one
hundred and much more in many places it
sends out from its borders numerous bays,
some of them extending forty miles, winding
among the mountains and studded with
islands varying in sizs from few square
rods OF surface to that of many square
miles. Between tho sea shore and range of
mountains in the distance there are thousands
of mountain peaks, with conical SUBMITS.
varying from two or three hundred to four
or five thousand in height. their sides cover
ed with green and upon their tops a single
tree or cluster OF trees, many of them so
high and 50 far distant as not t) be seen
without the use OF the telescope. There are
many OF these mountains two thousand feet
high presenting cres. OF trees extending
from their bases on either side to their
submits, their branches int.rtwining, rest
ing against the sky, and the sun iigh.
shining between their trunks, producing
charming effect as viewed from the steamer.
it'iuoiy ~IA U ClUCh
this morning, the Colonel accompanied me
on deck to feast our eyes with tho scenery
Of the Inland Sea of Japan, which seems to
increase in novelty and interest as we pro-
gresS on our way. As the sun was rising
above the range of mountains in the
east, it gilded the SUBMITS OF thou
sands of dOmes, and cast dark shadows
between them and upon the smooth surface
of the sea, whose waters were disturbed
only by the paddles of the steamer, and by
large fish jumping up from beneath. In
less than an hour after we left our haltng
place for the night We passed through the
Straits OF Shimoniski and entered the Yel-
low Sea; narrow passage between portals
a thousand feet high, with perpendicular
fronts OF more than two hundred feet which
rounded off to their tops like cone. AZ
ter passing through tins gateway, we were
again amongst islands so numerous, that
during the most Of the day we could not
on looking ahead see any possible way OF
exit from among them. Many of the islands
were nothing more than cones of rock
which BY referring to the captains chart
measured from three to eight hundred feet
high. many OF them circular in form with
perpendicular sides Of more than one hun
dred feet. We saw one marked on the ships
chart as being eight hundred feet high with
a passage through its centre large enough
to allow ship of the largest size to pass
through. SAMUEL W. THAYER.