The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-07-07
The Kingdom Of C0rea.

The prospects of our opening very
soon the kingdom of Corea to communi-
cation with the external world will,
says New York paper, be welcome to
our own and to all civilized people: 1t
is now the sole country on the globe
sealed against commerce and progress,
and the general and inevitable ignorance
of the land, its people, and its customs
has been sufficient to nuke it interest
ing, for the unknown is always attrac-
tive. This peninsular kingdom of Asia,
tributary to China, is mountainous
throughout. densely wooded in some
istricts, with tolerably fertile valleys.
The climate, glacial in the north, is else
where like the climate of Japan. Rain
is excessive there, and snow is univer-
sal in winter. The inhabitants are
probably of Tungusic stock, the same
as that which has populated all North.
ern Asia. They are in feature more
positively Mongolian than the Japanese,
whom they yet closely resemble. Their
language, differing materially from
both Chinese and japanese, is like the
latter in it's po,ysy liable form and alpha
bet of twenty-seven letters. The native
alphabet and writing are nearly obso'
leie, but the Chinese characters are
everywhere familiar. The religion and,
indeed most of the political institutions
arebased on those OF China. The Chinese
state deities are generally worshiped;
Buddhism and Taoism have many ad-
herents, and the learned classes cleave
to the moral system of Confucius. The
monarchy is despotic, somewhat tenn
pered by privileged ranks ana hereditary
nobility, and the officers are. chosen.
The Coreans live very plainly, even
primitively, their principal food being
inferior rice and grain. Some cotton,
silk and tobacco is raised; but agrlcul-
ture is not understood or practiced to
any extent, although considerable pep
per and ginseng are exchanged with the
Chinese for other products. Minerals
are plenty, yet very small quantities OF
gold, silver, copper, iron and lead arc
mined. The population has been esti-
mated ut from 100000 to 10000, 600,
and is probably in the neighborhood OF
l4,0OO,0OO. The Kingdoms policy OF
strict isolation from other people has
included even the Chinese, with whom
they hold no intercourse, except at the
annual embassy, accompanied by lew
privileged traders. and of the fairs,
periodically held at the Gate-town, near
the Mantchusian City of Feenghwang.
The Chinese hatred Of everything
foreign is intensified by traditions OF
ancient enmity between them and the
inhabitants of Ch'ao.sien, rs Corea was
once called. The Mongol conquerors Of
China subjugated Corea likewise; but
the Ming dynasty restored the sover'
eighty Of that country. which in time
got its present name. Christianity was
planted there. oddly enough, in 1892, BY
Christian converts among the invading
forces of the japanese usurper, Taico
sama. Until recently nearly all intor
nation about Corea came from the ac
count of Hamel, a Dutch sailor, wrecked
there and detained for thirteen years
We have made two offensive expedi
tions to the kingdom in consequence o
attacks by the natives on our vessels
We did not succeed in breaking dowl
the barriers of the peculiar people, bu
we shall probably succeed the mex
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