Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-17

ing of the country-"Oual keuiounni
eutesio" "How is your health to-day?"
and would not even return friendly nod.
More than half the time walked. and my
chief amusement was to get mile or two
ahead OF my caravan and enter village by
myself, walk into the middle of it and seat
myself calmly on somebody's doorstep as if
I were perfectly at home. The stupeGaction
of the native was delicious. Probably they
had never seen white man before, for only
three or four ever crossed Korea, and at least
two of these-Colonel Anderson and Lieu
tenant Prichard, of the Fifty-eighth, went
by the longer and better route.
A RECEPTION.
First they would stare from long dis
tanee, then they would drive off the dogs,
then some patriarch would approach eau
tiously and hazard question. 1 would
reply with few lines from Hamlet" or
paradise Los" whereupon they would all
laugh. Then one would remove his long
pipe from his mouth and offer it to me, and
though the courtesy was neither accepted
nor returned, it suficed to break the ice.
Invariably, they would begin BY feeling OF
my clothes, and the different textures of
these filled them, knowing nothing but the
calico which is their sole wear, with infinite
amazement. Especially the corduroy oil my
riding-breeches pleased them, and they
would send to the other end of the village
for old man to come and feel of it.
Childish and ignorant in the extreme they
were, knowing less of the outside world
than a Digger Indian. Poor, too, beyond
telling. 1 believe that SD would have
bought everything Except the crops) that
saw exposed Tor sale in hundreds OF shops
from the time, left Gensan till struck
Seoul. The men were well-built as rule
and fairly well-featured, but 1 did not see
a single woman or girl during my trip who
could have been called even moderately
d-looking. The daily labor in the fields
or at the millet-mill is too hard for that,
and the women are even more beasts OF
burden than the men.
As regards the country itself, it was far
more fertile in appearance and also much
more cultivated than had been led to ex-
pect. After leaving the monastery we
climbed till evening, then slept in a fiat
cession of narrow, rocky and difficult passes
till we reached an extensive plateau or
table-land 800 feet above the sea, stretch
ing between two fine mountain ranges, and
perhaps 40 miles in length. The mountains
were splendid in their autumn tints, the air
was superb. the weather perfect, and I had
not a lonely moment. In fact, I seldom
passed pleasanter DAYS than iour of those
spent riding or walking in utter solitude in
Central Korea. The chief crops grown in
the interior of Korea are rice, millet, beans,
and red peppers, the second of these much
predominating. and furnishing
THE STAPLE FOOD
for the people. So far as appearances
tell anything to an inexpert eye, Korea
ought to be rich in mi nerals, and there is
certainly plenty of land which would give
fair if not great returns for cultivating.
The village industries were few and lar be-
tween-a little spinning and little primi-
tive weaving Of cotton cloth. The country
is miserably poor at present, for nobody
cultivates much more than will support |
him, as the only outlet for the surplus, and |
that an unavoidable one, is into the pocket |
oil the nearest official.
Ny last days journey of 6hours brought |
me to the great gate OF Seoul at o'clock. |
This was the first glimpse of the East OF my |
imagination-the rocky ascent, the towering
battlemented walls, the huge black gates |
inexorably closed. Neither persuasion nor
money could open them, as the keys of the |
colossal padlocks were with the Kings |
guard at the palace. So rather than return
FIVE miles to choumak, rolled myself up
under my rug and slept'there on a big stone
all night, and when the morning broke and
the country men, coming to market, lifted
the corner of the rug and saw what was
they were not a little aston
shed. Then at daylight we rode into the
city. and Mr.. Colin Ford, Her Majesty's
most hospitable Consul, met me at his gate
IN gorgeous pyjamas, and extended the bath
Ind the breakfast and the welcome of civil
zation to tired and hungry and particu-
arly dirty traveller.
T1', HENRY NORMAN.