The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-01-06

Gers, ana btOTkb III Ceso Va WIG Ai6A
civil officials and ministers OF state.
The hats were especially fine, and as
We slipped our champagne, was told
that the big tapping wings at the back
of them, which look like ears, repre-
sent the quick receipt of the orders of
the King and the desire of the owners
to hy in response to them. AS for
the minister and myself, we were, Of
course, in full evening dress, and had
q gentle hint before we went to the
King that must remove my eyeglasses
as spectacles are in Korea an emblem OF
rank, and no one presumes to rank be-
fore the King.
Our audience had been fixed for 4
O'Clock in the afternoon, an especially
early hour, on account of stress OF
business and of my desire to depart
for China on the morrow. The bust
ness day of the King of Korea is, to
use an Irish expression, At night. He
begins his work at 3 O'Clock in the after
noon, and closes about 8 in the morn
ing. His most important consultations
are now held under the rays OF the
electric light, and his hours are practi-
calIy the same as those of hard work
ing newspaper man. 1t was promptly
at 4 that our procession walked out of
the foreign entertainment hall and with
measured tread and sober faces solemn
ly moved on toward the audience
chamber of the King. The royal
palace is labyrinth of passages and
massive one-story buildings. We
walked through long passage ways,
walled with stone by red-capped, red
gowned servants, past soldiers IN gorge
Gus uniforms and on to q gate OF .
large court yard. AS we neared this,
the yellow faces of the ministers grew
more solemn; their heads were bent
over and their eyes were cast upon the
ground. We had taken of our hats
and walked behind. We thus passed
through the gate and stood in the
presence of the King.
We were still, however, in the oper
air. The King was in his audience
chamber across the court. It was a
low room, perhaps fifty feet long, raised
about five feet above the ground and
reached by three flights Of steps. 1t
was open at the front, and was not
more than twenty five feet deep. At
the back of this room and in the centre,
in front Of a screen and behind small
table, His Royal Majesty stood. The
ministers preceded US, their heads go
ing lower and lower; walked up the
left steps until they reached the floor
OF the room when they got down on all
tours and bobbed their black-winged
heads against the mating. They then
| took their station on each side of the
King holding their heads bent over,
for it is against the law to look upon
the face of the King, and during the
whole of our interview these noble
ministers raised not their heads once.
ever touched the King, and in the
writing of his name stroke had to be
omitted out of respect to His Majesty.
Minister Dinsmore followed the kor-
can officers, and walked directly be-
hind. AS we mounted the steps we
solemnly bent over and bowed to the
King. We walked ten steps across the
| floor, then bowed again and then on
until we stood directly in front Of and
not more than three feet away from
His Majesty, and here we made our
third and last bow. AS we talked we
did not bend our heads like the Kor-
cans, but look straight into his royal
tvs eyes, smile answering smile and g
Korean laugh now and then coming
from His Majesty upon hearing some
of our sentiments which were especially
pleasing to him.
The conversation was carried on by
means of our interpreter, Mr.. H3, who
bent himself over in the shape OF {
right angle and thus bending, in low
tones translated the words which wen
back and forth in the two language
during our half hours talk.
The scene was an impressive one, an,
thoughts of the past and the presen
crowded themselves fast upon one an
others heels in our minds as we glance
about us. At the right and left of tn
King stood General Han and Genera
J Ye, each with a great sword stil
, sheathed in his arms, and behind tn
table and on each side of His Majesty
holding him. as it were, by the arms
, were two dull-eyed stolid-faced, black
= gowned, hap-hatted eunichs. Thes
men said nothing during our visit
, They are, I am told. among the ad
yisers of the King, and are with him il
, accordance with custom which come
= down from the Asiatic past. They ar
: a part of the centuries gone by, and a
Il | locked at them, my eye caught tn
Edison electric light globes hangin
overhead and the French cloth upo
: the table beneath. 1t was the civiliza
ton of the west and the east comm
! together, and / wondered whether tn
Monaghan and the Christian would ne
soon be kissing each other. l wonder
ed the more, as in low tones 1 talke
!, with this ruler, the most progressiy
Korean in Korea, ard heard him as
questions which showed that he kne
that q big world existed outside b
:, Town, and which evinced desire
know the best that was in it.
But let me tell you how the Kir
t looked.
q He is a man that would attract a