The Washington critic., 1888-04-14

Floflud or ltaIy. Inc country iS IN
very wild state, and the methods of
travel through il are rude in the ex-
treme. Mr. Pierre Jouv, who trav-
elcd through the interior for the Ma
tional Museum, said that the only
way TO get along was on horseback
and he tells me that the expense OF
travelling was very.little indeed.
Corea has about 100000 people,
or more than three times as many as
the State Of New York. 1t is divided
into eight provinces, and II has q
number of walled towns. 1t is gov
eTned by king, and the King of
Corea has absolute power. He is
thought to be almost divine, and in
times past il was considered high
treason to touch his person with iron.
This rule was so rigid that one Of the
former emperors Of about the year
1900 died through an abscess which
might have been cured had a lancet
been used.
THE PRESENT KING
of Corea is below the medium height.
He has swarthy complexion, black
hair and eyes and moustache and
imperial. He is about 40 years old,
and he is said to be n man of lntelli-
geDce and ability. The fact that he
has sent this legation to Washington,
and that he is sreorgani2ing the Corean
army, shows that he is animated
somewhat with the spirit of modern
progress.
Corean women are considered of
| little account, and none of these
Coreans have brought their wives
with them. A wealthy Corean has
his concubines as well as his wives,
and though polygamy is not permit
ted, man may have as many con-
cubines as he chooses.
AMERICAN LovE-MAKING
and courting is a curious thing to the
Corean Legation The Minister can
not understand it, and he hardly
knows how to take care of his eyes at
One Of these bare-necked and bare
backed receptions. He has asked
some of the Americans here as to
whether it was really right for him
to look at the ladies, but at the last
receptions have noted that he
makes no bones Of keeping his eyes
skinned, and that he admires many of
the pretty girls exceedingly. In his own
home women and men do not move
about so much together as they do
here. Marriage is settled by the
heads of families, and the bride and
bridegroom meet first on the mar
riage platform, where they are united
as man and wife. After they are
married the woman associates chiefly
with women and the man with men,
and the parties of Corea are l judge,
all hen parties or all stag parties.
There are very few chairs in Corea,
and the favorite way of sitting for
the Corean is to squat down on his
hunkers, spread his robe about him
and rest half of his body on his heels.
SEOUL, THE CAPITAL
of Corea, is about in the centre of the
country. 1t is some distance back
from the sea and you get to it by
horseback, after, passing up the Hong
Kong River for some miles. Seoul is
three miles from the river. 1t is q
walled town of about 100000 people,
and it has climate about the same
as that of Washington. There are
some American merchants there, and,
inasmuch as the country has 15,000,-
600 people, there will probably
be an opening for American trade,
The people are, however, very
poor. They can live on few cents
apiece day, they sleep in the same
clothes they wear, and their wants
are of the simplest nature. Where
the only coin in general use is the
copper "cash" of which it takes 525
to be worth q Mexican dollar, ex-
penses must be cut very closely. One
Of the funny things about this Corean
legation at Washington is
THEIR ENORMOUS sToMACHs
and in Corea it is sign of prosperity
if one is fat. The big-bellied man is
here supposed to be rich man, and
if the eating of rice and the drinking
of LIQUIDS does not make well to dc
man fat he bulges out his front with a
basket-work arrangement under his
dress. In other words, he wears O
hustle on his stomach, and picture
of one of these wickerwork bustles is
exhibited in the National Museum
and am hence able to give you G
sketch of it.
After the Buddhists left Corea the
Confucians obtained hold of the peo
pie, and there are many disciples oi
Confucius in Corea to-day. The re
ligion, however, is mixed with pop
ular superstitions and ceremonies
and sacrifices of animals are fre
quently offered,
EDUCATION IN coREA
is at low ebb, and the Coreans have
practically little literature to speak of
J They are, judge, by no means equa
to the Japanese or Chinese, and thC
Chinese here rather look down upor
! their almond-eyed brothers. The
Chinese at Washington are q mucl
nobler looking set of men, ant
they are as polite as any people n
the Capital. They are men of brains
as we'll rs culture, and they have as
keen an eye to the main chance al
have the lower classes of China WHIT
run the laundry establishments o
this country They are not parsi
monious, however, in their eX
like water There are lots of ricl
men in China, and the present minis
ter's father was one Of the wealthies
men of the country.
am told, however, that grea
reNolutiou is now uhWiiIlS upoli uii
Asiatic nations. India, through Eng
land, has become n network of rail
roads. The Land of the White Ele
plant, the almost unknown Siam, i
laying down iron rails through its in
terror. China has thousands of mile
of telegraph, and Japan is now build
: ing thirty -four new railroads, at
cost of over $50,000,000, and it ha
e hundreds Of miles of railroad alread,
4 bnilt. FRANK G. CARPENTER.