The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-10

nearly lived out thelxallotted time. as
 people, Their slow sensibilities. an-
 cisnt customs. grave language and in-
 ert manner of life all beft the aged. They speak Of Europe and America as
 just beginning life; and in stated way
 they show they have no intention of
 yielding any Of their venerable ideas to such frivolous youth. No influence can
 move them to change their slovenly fit- | ting white cotton garments for any thing of 6 darker color or better shape. They insist on squatting on their heels when they work in your garden, while they use the short-handled. awkward Corean hoe of the past ages. instead of the civilized implement of to-day. This squatting posture is favorite one with them. We see long lines of squat ting mon by the roadside. in. the hot sunshine. resting; they seem to be per- fectly happy. in a half-comatose condi- ton, with watery eyes. after a surfeit of rice and pickle. dog chops and soup of garlic, strings of meat and dough, and some indescribabls white lumps neither flesh nor fish. bread nor fat, that cause q gagging sensation, when you feel them upon your tongue. and that slide down your throat as though they might be lizard or snake. This leaves fierce burning behind 1t. and your eyes All with tears; you plunge brass spoon full of rice into your mouth to put out the fire of red pepper.
 So welded Is the Corean to his ways that any change, even in the smallest detail of life seems to him perfectly absurd. With as much hope you might interfere with the rising and setting of the sun or try to change the stars In their courses. All his ancestors have sewed up their fearfully and wonder fully made trousers, queer stockings, long, flowing white outer garments in just the same painstaking way, and therefore the Corean of to-day refuses our offer to stitch the long seams on the sewing machine. rather choosing to "sit up of nights" and rip and sew &C., cording to the good old custom. They will tell you that some strange appear ance and movement in the water Is caused by dragon. You need not take the trouble to deny the existence of the winged serpent. for they will adhere to every old superstition.
 Our pretty little Corean bride, who has been educated in a mission school, could not endure the thought of fore going the custom of brides, so she glad ly bore the pain of having all the short. hair pulled out which is devoted to bangs by American ladies' Also pro- fessional in the art plucked out her eyebrows. It cost many tear, to be sure, but 1t was sufficient comfort to know she was following the good old custom. ''''' ''-
 The art of acupuncture Is practiced largely among the Coreans, and in the most reckless, unskilful manner. Ye Babang has a painful knuckle joint, probably a sprain. Though he Is a convert to Christianity, fine Chinese scholar and teacher, he contends most learnedly for many of these customs and superstitions. He has this suffer- ing joint punctured deeply in three places with long needles. Now. after three days, it Is infiamed so we fear lockjaw. Needles are often pushed into the bowels and stomach as far as the length of the hand without the least regard to the situation of the in- iternal organs, to say nothing of the ,uuivering nerves. Sometimes these needles are roasted in the fire and taken out red hot and dipped into the medicine the heat and medicine giving added agony-the, treatment thus be- coming more hopeful to the minds of these benighted people.
 The young man Mar was sick. All sorts of medicine men were called in. 1t was decided that some spirit was disturbing his head, SO they burned the top with a hot iron, but he grew worse, and the most learned of the wise men decided that the only remedy would be medicine made of a finger of his only brother. The devoted brother submit ted to have his finger cut of. In some way it was pulverized, so the sick man swallowed tive never knew with what result.
 Our teachers and translators in Co., req are philosophers in their way. They discussed the case of Hansabang, who had been i'll for long time. Our American doctor says he has consump- tion. These learned Coreans reported that there was doubtless some unbal- anced condition between the male and female atmospheres with the chest and stomach of Han. All sorts of medi- cines, made of the most repulsive rep tiles and unclean things, were mixed up, with lamentations and given, pot with no avail, for this morning the poor man lies silent in. death in his mud hut, and the mourners so about the streets wailing ,hideously. The old sorcerers say it was all because he had passed the point where anything could rectify his internal atmospheres. ,,,.
 There Is much unexplored country in Corea, and 1t would delight the heart of the intrepid sportsman to visit this un- frequented region. Among the noun tains he would find many wild animals. Tigers, leopards, bears, wolves, foxes, badgers, hogs and deer are not uncon- mon in the lower hills. Great numbers of sable, ermine and otters are trapped in the highlands, Multitudes of birds are met with on hill and plain. Game birds are seen in great numbers. The beautiful pheasants are extremely plentiful. The turkey bustard, water hen, pigeon, blower. quails and part ridges are common. In spring and au- tumn the waters, of every inlet and stream are crowded with such quanti- ties of wild fowl as to astonish and de-