Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-16


HOTEL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AT SEOUL.
From TEE STARS Travelling Commissioner.
SEOUL. CoREA, October. 1888.
The great monastery in the mountains is one Of
those chosen and built by militant Corean sect
to serve, according to need. either as a retreat
Tor the spirit a refuge for the body. The
monks themselves do not look very warlike, but
the situation of the monastery is an almost i'm
! preSnable one. 1t can be reached by only one
road. long steep stony path. in which "a
thousand might well be stopped by three;' be-
hind ii on two sides are mountains of rock. and
on the fourth it is secluded by a very deep and
PERCEPTIONS ravine through which dashes a
noisy torrent. The central buildings. on the
edge of the ravine are the sacred apartments
OF the king. and they are kept i'll perfect
preservation and hourly readiness for his COM
ing.
The morning after our arrival Ito return to
my interrupted diary was walked by roars OF
unfamiliar laughter. Tracking the sounds.
came upon Capt. Walker performing his ablu-
tlons i'll the midst of hundred monks and de-
lighting them at intervals with the narrative,
In excellent baritone. of how
.The old woman in the garret
Let loose the talking parrot,
And there was another holly row downstairs!'
All round the group were the great heavy
eaved temples. through the open doors of which
could be seen the solemn faces Of sQuatting
gilded gods, while already half a dozon priests
were bending before the affairs with incense
ana drum. But some people have no rcyer-
ence. Not that the monks themselves cared
| for half an hour later was startled by gum
shots close at hand and discovered the ire
presslble navigator picking the pigeons off the
roofs of the very temple in which worship was
| being offered. at the urgent request OF the
crowd. who gathered up the dead birds with
! the greatest e&gerness. Yet we had been told
that the Korean monks never ate flesh.
INTERIOR OF RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS.
All the buildings of An-pien arc in the style
to which the traveller so soon gets used to in
the east-rectangular wooden structures with
high-peaked roofs and richly-carved curving
caves, generally with three doors at one side
and the chief idol facing the largest central
entrance. Before him are sets of altar uteu-
sils and little brass talow lamps and joss-sticks
which the pious visitor purchases for few cash
and lights ct his prayers. The walls are COW
cred with silk and brocade, mostly very old
and time-stained; the ceiling is marvelousy
carved and gilded. perhaps huge dragon ap-
pearing at one end and wOrming himself in and
out of the masses of ornament to the other;
and half dozen gongs and drums invite the
hand of the tOo-willing pilgrim. The interior
OF these temples is tawdry, but the massiveness
OF the wooden architecture. its bright colors. its
picturesquely -contrvedv istas of gate and gable
| and column and pavilion. taken together with
! the wonderful natural situation of the place.
form an impressive and romantic spectacle
The most curious sight in the monastery. how
! ever. Is four huge idols of brilliantly painted
wood, carved with good deal of appreciation
| of the heroic human face and form, which
| stare at one another across a narrow passage
from behind the bars of two great cages. a pair
of war-gods being on one side and "a king and
! queen (the latter playing a colossal mandolin)
on the other. My Japanese vocabulary I'M
fortunately did not permit me to make, through
my interpreter. any inquiries to their abb
stract theological significance.
THE HEAD-GEAR OF THE MONKS
beggars description. and We held our sides
again and again as new specimen emerged
from the dormitOries. Hats of paper. of wood,
of bamboo. of horsehair and of wire; hats
round, square. triangular. cylindrical. conical
and spherical hats like a clOthes-basket, like q
sieve. like pumpkin, like a flying crow like a
paper boat. like three three-cornered gridirons
fastened together at the edges, half of them
affording not the slightest pretense of protec-
ton against cold or rain or sun. but being
either symbols of sacerdOtal rank or else sim
ply the offspring OF disordered creative i'm
agination. Every priest, too, carried wore
rosary of red wooden beads, polished like
crystal by ceaselesS lingering. Itoid nv inter-
prefer to ask one of them by and by privately
whether a string of these could be purchased
as a souvenir He. however blurted out the
- NAN - va
nity priests ana the noSpitaDie ana deIShtful
Ola gentleman instantly TOOK on ms own rosary
Dracelet OF specially blS beads and
handed 10 me, saying: They
cannot De purchased; TINS Is a present.
Naturally before leaving wished TO make hlm
some present IN return, Dut raisacklnS my bag
produced hothlnS Whatever suitable. My re-
volver or knife could not spare. the old gem
tlelnan hau already refused TO taste whisky,
and there appeared to be literally nothing to
give MN. recollected, however that had
had some new silk pocket handkerchlefs made
and embroidered III Japan. and one of these
presented with many airs and the explanation
from the captain) that the monogram ON the
corner was good joss satisfied him COM
pleteiy. For our entertainment we left a few
dollars IN the treasury, the amount, attested
by our autographs, being solemnly and elabo-
rately entered IN the great ledger OF the mon
astery, ana when at noon we mounted our
ponies, a hundred OF the whlte-robed much
halted priests. led by the venerable abbot HIM
sef, came iittie way down the hill with US to
give US Sood-pv.
ALONE IN THE HERMIT LAND
Aftar q, hours r;da Tho ,,a.h ,,;. go. A..
'p. nv wv
anu the MATT vi our ieauer showed that the I'M
welcome moment OF parting had come. Capt
Walker had to make all speed back to Gensan
to take the Takachiho to sea again. and had
my weeks journey before me. ''Au revoir-
some Mhere' sdlu ,he captain, and tie best OF
cbarmins, e c3~nanions an u que VI tne most
hats to each other a few minutes till the hill