New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
THE COREAN CAPITAL
A VAST BARBARIC VILLAGE.
NOT EASY OF AcCEss-HoMEs OF THE ppop,s
PALACES.


NOT EASY OF AccEss-HoMEs OF THE PEoprs.
PALACES.
| Travellers in Corea who have not hitherto bssa
! ,umerous are usually much surprised by the s,,.
! and appearance Of the capital. Seoul is in size ora
! NJ the great cities OF the East, having probable
anoOOJ inhabitants. But In appearance 1t is nothing
I'M, huge village of wooden huts 1t affords. how.
ever DESPITE its glaring wretchedness and poverty
! an ,r,erestl-g example OF what the manners ana
s,orr. ~ th.e Hermit Kingdom have been Ike 70.
oh.h,v The ,ast thousand years. The little port of
chamIno saws rec ent visitor, is the best sartine
point for the city, for hare pack ponies ana carren
NAV be hired. and a decent s'rt Oh roai the
two places The port is really l9ore japanese THAI
| Corean as there is quite colony the formN
people here and 1t is mainly through their In.
| that the place Is hourshing as It is.
| To reach Seoul In ore day. 1t is Necessary A.
start very early in the morning. as. althoush IA.
distance is only twentythree miles the road lead.
over a steep pass and 1t Is very necessary to reaeh
the city by sunset the gates are then lrrevocah,
shut and any luckless traveller who arrives afte,
ward would find himself obliged to the dIscon,
fort and danger OF camping out for the night The
| mode Of travelling, too, Is extremely slow; thu
quickest way Is to walk the whole distance unlesa
| one manages to procure an exceptionally actvs
| pony The road leads through well-cuiyated
country, though it possesses few natural beauties.
with the exception OF range OF hills which rise
abruptly from the plain, the country is as FIAT and
embarrassing as any cultivated land could be- The
last TWO miles of the journey are the most firing Of
all as the road disappears and gives way to 4
small plain Of deep dry sand. which was formerly
the bed Of the river which close to the
city walls and which is even In its present un-
dredged condition. navigable for small steame1
Here ferry Is waiting 10 take the travellers acrosa
and for the first time view Is obtained OF the ola
capital Of the Hermit Kingdom. II Is certainly not
a grand sight though the lofty range OF barren
mountains in the background make up very con.
siderably for the utter absence OF any architectural
beauties in the outward appearance Of the town u.
SELF which Is partly hidden by the wall which sur
rounds 1t and runs down close to the river bank
SURROUNDED BY WALLS
The city wall is built Of stone, and is battement.
ed: from twenty-five TO forty feet high and s,Y
miles in length. There are eight gates, each con.
sistnz OF a single archway surmoun,ed by huge
tiled roof. The entire space circumscrbed by the
wall is not built over for the latter climbs with
antelope-like facility the scarp OF the various rocky
hills and mountains by which the city proper Is sur.
rounded and includes much ground which could b.
no possibility admit OF human dwelling In fact
the wall may BE- said merely TO embrace defens.
bic area In the midst and low-ying portions Of
which has been placed great human hive. The
bulk OF the people are crowded into low thatched
hovels lining narrow and fetid lanes but in singu.
lar and truly Oriental contrast the main streets
three in number one of which runs from the palace
to the second. which intersects the city from
east TO west, while the third strikes oE from the
latter to the south gate. Each Of these Is Of Q
breadth and amplitude that would dignity Euro
pean capital. being at least fifty yards wide and
smoothly graveed: bu. even here the native love OF
crowd,ng and squalor is allowed to assert ITSELF for
the roadway is encroached upon by rows Of rude
straw-thatched shanties either hand. which
cumber the passage and reduce the space available
for lOcomoton % a narrow ribbon In the centre
Upon either side OF each street or alley runs
loa thsome and fostering gutter, which contains all
the refuse Of human and animal lie No attempt Is
made to flush these stagnant drains; while the only
sembance 20 a channel wntercourse that trans
sects the city Uhe river Han being three miles dis.
tanO is itself except In the summer rains or AFTER
the melting OF the SHOWS better than gigantic
Seoul is consequently a noisoms and NAL
odorous place; and exploration among Its hoynh'h'
inc alleys Is as dsagreeabe TO the nostrh a.
is bewildering 10 the eye. A few elevationsrpring
up from the general level OF the city basin; and
these have been opportunely occupied by foreigners
with a superior appreciation OF Site the B'itsn'
Russian and japanese Legations. and the French
Catholic Establishment being from any altitude
the conspicuous objects In the town A settle.
ment OF 1000 japanese has been in acute cornpet.
Cinnamon Nearly 100 Europeans and Americans
represent the remainder OF the foreign community
but this adm.xture makes little superficial impress
sion upon the whi,e-coited. whIte-trousered white
socked mass OF humanity that swarms 10 and fro
In the thronged thoroughfares Of the city.
The public buildings OF Seoul are remarkable for
their paucity and insignhcance. Few ancient cities
OF such size contain so little that appeals 10 the
archaeologist or student. Al the junction OF me
two main streets under a rooted pavilion and be-
hind wooden bars hangs the great bell. reported@
be the third largest in the world the tocsin VI
which has opened and closed the city gates Tor 'ow
centuries since II first erected as the inscription
upon It's surface relates. in the year 1858 In the
courtyard OF mean howell is small and exquisite
though much defaced white marble pagoda, whose
ascending tiers richly cared with scenes rom
the Buddhist Scriptures. This monument r Mnna
marks along with a neighboring inscribed taoet,
erected upon huge granite tortoise, tne s..
what was once an important Buddhist honsas ~
in the heart OF the city. Religion has no otner az.
tars In Seoul but the Temple or Conluclus .a an
cestral worship: the Temple OF Heaven. bare
open platform upon which annual saerlrce ;, The
God OF War one OF those sem-heroic additions 70
the Chinese pantheon which are familiar !" wv
traveller In the Celestial Empire.
ROYAL RESIDENCES
There are two royal residences in Seoul. known
respectively as the Old and the New palaces Ines'
tues nave, however, no reference " N'e
OF the buildings. but are interchangeable. Inc pa
ace the King is living In at any time Is caleo ""
New one and the temporarily abandoned '"'
Cd. The palace now occupied is the smaller OF 'n'
two in extent, but embraces within It's walls Wv
greater part OF the rugged hill that rises aotw's
behind. Entrance to 1t Is gained from the 0'v. .s
street known Palace-st by great gateway va"
three arches, in front OF which are two gro'eS'u'"
carved stone lions pedestas. The interior W.
slsts OF a bewidering series OF courts and ouiunse
which are crowded with soldiers. officials MI"
ters, secretaries. lackeys. runners. and hahse
OF every description. Five hundred guards proves
the Royal person. the remainder OF the garriso"
1900 being stationed in barracks outside ineie 80.
further reported to be about 1000 retaners N mad
palace Enclosure. The two main courts vt s,rS ia
hih IN ,hn oraa, Ha,I 81 Audience where a.e