National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-16

n gentleman who, as agent Of tho Smith
sonian institution. occupies tho position
of special attpche Of tho American loga'
ton in Coren:
TUsAN, CoREA, Juno 90, 1ss4.-lt has
boon very warm to-day; not that the
thermometer has been very high-scarcely
above So, | think; but 1t has been par
ticularly close, tho air heavy with mois-
turo, one Of those oppressive, low barom-
eter days whom IL seems an exertiOn TO
breathe, when everything IL steaming
visibly, when ones socks run down to tho
heel aud ones undershirt climbs up ones
back. But why enlarge upon tho themcH
Tho day Is not unknown In Washington
The hills arc as green rs grass can make
them, nature seeming to enjoy the steam
ing.
my noble stoed and rode out to the old
Corcan town Of Pusnn. The harbor of
Fusan is about three miles In length, II
scmicirculnr bay, almost closed in on ono
side by Deer Island, rocky inlet about
loo feet in heighth. On one end of this
bay, fronting cast and south, rest tho
Japanese town OF Fusan; at the opposite
end, the old walled Coroan town of Pusan,
the Japanese changing the names to suit
their ideas Of euphony. Between these
places arc two miserable villages, occupied
by tho lowest class Of fishermen aud
farmers.
Tho road. bad enough everywhere,
winds over two rocky hills, and Pegasus
is covered with foam before we have had
chance to gallop. At last we reach she
other side Of the hill, and, having a COM
paratively level road, we go swinging
along under the pines by the beach until
we reach tho first village. NANCY dogs
dart into gates and growl as we pass. The
houses arc squalid. all of one story, and
almost all Of them of one or two rooms,
built Of stone and mud, with thatehed
roois. A bolo in the wall serves for q
chimney, supplemented occasionally with
straw funnel to servo as smokostack.
All the houses have walls to screen
them from the vulgar gaze. My exalted
position on horseback gave me On I'D
vantage. Hooked over the walls and saw
women at work everywhere, some pound
ing rice In huge wooden mortars, others
carrying water on their heads in large
earthen jars, while grandmothers nursed
the babies. Children ran naked every
where.
The sound of singing and the beating
of drums little further on attracted my
attention. and, refining up at the place, /
saw two men dancing and two beating
drums in time to the music. One man
lead tho song the crowd joining in the
chorus. All were flushed with saki, and
"joy roigned supreme" The dancers
chasseed forward and back fitting their
bodies from side to side. holding up their
long coat tails. Ono Of tho dancers
started to come toward me, and as had nc
Cash" / galloped on. Presently we
crossed small stream, and found more
women at work, some filling water jars
others washing vegetables. One was
washing clothes on a fiat rock, beating
the folded garment with o hard, Hal
stick-a very laborious method, but as
they have no soap 1t is tho only way tc
get the clothes clean.
Through the next village, with similar
scenes and moro squalor. we passed, near.
ing Pusan. This was market day. There
were fish in tubs and baskets; mackerel
splendid specimens fifteen to eighteen
inches long, and porgies one could mo-
tell them from our own soup. Dried sar.
dimes were plentiful; dne bass, ou
''rock fish" for all the world, but withou
the stripes, while sharks and shell fisl
finish the list. There was no order o
natural sequence in this market; overy
thing spread out in tho road, so that til
next mot was native cloth, coarse .linep
and cotton. and a kind of grass cloth, un.
bleached, and looks like buckram. Her
also were few foreign goods, Victori
lawns and gray shirtings. In q stall wer
specimens of o sleasy Corean silk, ais
dies and various other articles. A ma,
in the road offered me two punches @
human hair, not black, but dark brow
and glossy, probably sold by some Coroa
maiden, a frequent occurrence in poo
families.
In other stands and stalls were foun
rice, beans, wheat, kelp, and rock sal
vessels of brass and native pottery, com
mon stone china bowls and bottles of
dirty, blush white and cream color, wit
very little ornamentation; nothing brigh
and artistic as ono sees in China an
Japan; pipes and knives there were alst
with few iron tools, hoes, and rake
rude and clumsy. The market straggle
along and finally had tho tomerity to z
into the walled town through the ponder
GUS iron-studded gates, whittier we fol
lowed, finding the market abruptly endin
In tally made of barley and various pref
arations of rice and beans, and, lastly
tobacco in tho natural leaf, plentiful {
good color, but badly cured and bitter.
After dismounting and tying my hors
to building with piece Of straw rome
was detained a few moments by fgt
between two men who were loudly iawin
and clutohing each other like two chi
dren. Finally ono grabbed tho other
long coat and tore IL from top to bottom
Instead Of squaring off and punching eac
other like Christians, they immediatel
sat down in tho road and talked about /
asubdued crowd forming ring. Leavin
them to end their battle in their ow
quiet way, passed on.
There Is really nothing to sec in
small walled town like this oil bushes
being dono outside. The walls simpl
inclose and protect the local official
whose house 10 further inclosed by seyeri
other walls. Desiring to get upon sma
wooded hill, which roso above the offici
residence, | passed through several gat,
unmolosted and began to congrstula
myself that had eluded official vigilanc
when some one, somewhere, shoute
"Moen tsterA" C"Close the gates''), and
was very politely but very firmly put ou
only caught q glimpse OF the inn,
court and servants quarters as ! slowl
passing around the walls. nothing daunte
finally struck path leading up the hi
Heavy stone buttrcsses lead up its sid
by easy terraces. What delightful su
prise awaited ne NJ the top2 Was the
m elegant summer house, with mob
gardens aud luxurious couches? Won
i behold fair Corean msidens strollir
around in blissful unconsciousness
foreign deyilsH Alas all such hopes we
doomed to disappointment. No SUNNI
house, no Corean maidens, simply fla
weody, Rrass grown hilltop, with an O
crumblinR stone monument and a sma
tilo.roofed, mud-wallod shrine. with d
ancient stone slab orumbling away insid
This Is typical Of Corea and tho Cbroans
plenty Of mystery with nothing TO hid
Having exhausted my energies on Il
hill, | returned to my horse and pass,
out OF the gate homeward. Going throus
the town, alittlo child ran across tho rol
and, stumbling, fell under tho horses fec
refined up, aud Pegasus forebore to plal
his foot in tho middle Of the ohlld's bac