Telegram-herald., 1889-10-28
HOST CURIOUS LAND
some Interesting Foreign Trips
Described
fASIAESSES 0F FAR-AWAY k0kEA
taeF Are Naturally Beautiful Ars
Neadsred More - - Cultivation
-sozetinles the safe n@-
treaE 81 Eoyalty.

N21ts LAt44s las s~elleA % prepare basins
- situated a. q be rsacAsd perhaps, bY bus
one tortGous snd easily guarded approach,
@nile ths high peaks and inaecsssi lie ridges
which forln Tia sldss uaks fzst1sss almost
LIZ lpregnsbls.
There ars thrss q these plsces near to
capital, and When necezsaTy the royal falnll =
u-ay Ice q tLsn for protecE-oa. Two u them
are historic. Ia oae. siruate5 near tbs
mouth ot tie great river thaE flows past ths
capital The ladies' of tns palace sought safety
during the conquest b. tie Iartars, wL0 lad
llst conquered and SUI jecLsd China. Through
the psrdly q al ohieer TIE la = were be-
traysd into the hands Of the Tartar general,
sao then compelled the Korean king 10 cone
from bis stronghold and surrender. a large
pillar, eEgraVen with characters, deSotlng
The terms u tie surrender, was raised upon
the spot, and may stu be seen in dilapi-
dated condition, for while the Tartars still
rule over China, they seem content with
sxacting tribute from ths Koreans, who
naturally do not care % so that The grave
Is kept green in the case OF this monument.
The fortress La which the king took refuge
at this time IS situated some twelve miles
southeast from the capital IL IS basin
joined by severa. peaks that terminate a
q
tat plain extending away 70 the river that
skirts the city. This place Is well kept, and
has a Nall about the whole inclosure for fur
ther protection The yates are reached By
really excellent roads arranged after the plan
Of inclined planes and provided with pro
tecting guard where the one side sinB of like
a precipice. Within the walls the inclosure
seems like great park, with its dAshing
stream fed by living springs, the guard pavil-
! ions beautifully Gaping the loftiest peaks
aud the luxuriousness and variety OF the
| shrubbery and trees.
Quite little town win be seen nesting
down In the lowest portion OF the basin sur
rounding the great temples and stone houses
The beauty of this place is decidedly en-
HANGED by artificial means, though nature
has not been al all sparing in its gifts But
for wild, unta,ned nature a similar place, a
short distance north Of the city, excels. Seoul,
the capital, lies at the end OF a long ridge Of
high mountains, which here break sufficient
IL 20 allow room for the river and it, ada
cent low lands. \ few miles north Of the
city may Be seen number Of ragged comb
tooth" like peaks that are usually shrouded
Ia cloud They form the northern border Of
the faStness about 70 be described
In company with party Of officers from a
United States man-Of-war, we started out
one bright juno morning to visit this place
by royal permission Horses arrived for our
use al daybreak, and as they were all stations
and not remarkably attractive as TO dis
position, some lively and laughable scenes
took place before the whole party was mount
ed The saddles are somewhat after the style
OF a Mexican saddle, with circular hoop
across the front, where the pOInmel should be
this is for use in holding on. To make
things easy for the beast, very thick mat
| takes the place Of a saddle cloth, and as the
tough little animals are not very high, the
saddle thus attains a sufficient elevation to
keep a long mans feet from becoming en-
tangled with those Of his pony.
Naturally, with such an amount of padding
the saddle cannot be very we'll secured,
though the grooms brace themselves and
haul away ct the girths till the angry beast,
tired Of having his wind all corded out Of
him, takes TO kicking and snorting. This in
security IN the matter of girths was soon as
certained when one of our party, placing bis
foot in the stirrup, aSsayed TO mount grace
fully, but soon found himself on his back on
the ground, while his animal was creating a
terrific commOtion among the other ponies In
bis attempt to kick the saddle off his belly.
where il had slipped owing to the great
weight placed upon one stirrup After simi-
lar attempts and the successful mounting Of
one lively beast that had 20 be held with
mutfled head while the red haired foreigner
placed himself safely in the saddle, we START
ed of on lively gallop, which was kept up
for thsmost of the ten miles.
Instead OF taking the near cut, up the al
most inaccessible mountains, we went around
By a good road, that led through the rice
fields and around the spur Of the mountains,
to the easier ascent along the course Of the
stream that flows out from the fortress. 1t
was good climb from the valley 10 the out
side gate, which, by the way, only opened
into a walled In valley between two arms Of
the mountain, while the road 70 this gate
necessarily 50 followed the natural surface
of the mountain side that a Gatling gun
could have a perfect command OF the whole
approach.
The walls Of this gate were found to be
some twenty feet thick. while the doors
proper were Of heavy wood, sheeted with
iron plates Above the gate was the usual
pavilion, through which cold wind blew
down from the heights above, and from
which vide stretch Of valley could be seen,
through part Of which our winding path
/ a
which grew rougher as we ascended, while
alongside, and at times under Us. as we
crossed the bridges, dashed the cool, noun
tain stream. After good, long climb. dur
ing which every man blessed the tough. sure
footed little beast. whose surplus energies,
now being worked OF. bore him szfely along
sianang paths worn or rock sides, which at
times ended IN abrupt precipices. We arrived
at another gate made IN piece of vail built
across tho small gap between two lofty arms
Of the mountain. and underneath which
water gates with iron bars served % let toe
mountain stream eScape
From this place. only reached BY such a
rough and dangerous defils az 70 be almost
impassab.e 20 large bodies of men. and easily
guarded. our road vas more easy 20 climb,
though stiD very steep and rocky. while the
mountain stream seemed now to rest az times
in cool clear pools that should Rave been tho
home Il many trout In one placs Of exceed
ing beauty little pavilion had been built
outov the stream, on tai rock pillars. e. ~
% command a view from the lofty ridge at
the extreme opposite side. doen tho course #
the waterfall Co the inner gate. ani up n
rid valley a. right angles to the one -
we're ascending. where tigers were known 20
shound
After reclining and resting our weary
bodies while fsasting cur minds on tais rare
piece II natgre, Ne pushei ou % what seemed
- BE- the center q the plaza Hers ~ found
zrsst Buddhist temple and many surround
ing buildings. one of which had beer Cited
Up IS a banquet bal FOR tho naval guests
Here a foreiVn neal vas served b7 cocks
trained m foreign service sent from THE
kLngs palace. ard washed down with The