Asheville daily citizen., 1894-09-27
COREAN HIGH JINKS.
An Imposing Ceremony Over a
Deceased Queen.
China, Not to Be Cheated Of an Oppor-
tunity for Display, Attends with
Much Pomp and Cir
cumstanco.

Anybody who supposed the suzerainty
which China claims In Corea to be
matter Of small Importance would be
undeceived by the perusal Of q recent
article In the London Times. For cen.
turies, It says, the kings OF Corea have
received investiture at the hands of
the sovereign at Pckin, and all great
political events, including the dcccasc
Of royal personages, have been duly
and tremendously reported to him. On
the death Of the queen dowager Of Co
rea, In 1890, the king dispatched mes
sage to Pekin to announce the sad
event, and presented n memorial to the
throne, in which he declared himself
to be kneeling before his majesty in
great perturbation and ave." The Co
rean envoy spoke Of Corea as "vassal
state Of China" and went on to plead
that In tho then impoverished condi-
tion Of the royal exchequer 1t would
be an net Of infinite grace on the part
Of the emperor If he would not impose
on the king the expense Of entertain
ing the mission Of coincidence which In
other and happier circumstances 1t
would be customary for the emperor to
send. This was rs II the pastor should
implore the congregation to omit the
too burdensome surprise party. But
the emperor was jealous of his privi-
leges, and the only concession he would
make was to allow the mission to travel
as fur as possible by sea instead of over
land and not to insist on the usual
presents to tho members Of the mission.
In other respects the thing was to he
done in flrst-class style. Every prepar-
alton was made for receiving the mis-
sion Mt the port Of Chcmulpo, and con-
ducting 1t to Seoul, eighty Corean miles
distant. The roadway between the port
and the capital was repaired, levclcd
and widened, and gravel Of yellow
tinge was sprinkled over 1t In compli-
mcnt to the imperial color. First in
tho procession came the mission receiver
and the Corean officials In columns, one
on each side Of the road. Next
came the Corean escorts, the flags,
symbols Of authority, etc., yellow um-
brellas, drums, gongs, and bands of nu-
sic. Then came the incense, palan.
quins, and the shrine ION which was
placed the emperor's letter., followed
by the Chinese attendants, oil Of whom
were mounted. The commissioners fol-
lowed In their chairs side by side, and
behind them marched the high and low
deputies, with the supervisors and their
attendants. A l2th Of July procession
was simply not In It with this. At the
first halting place the imperial ENJOYS
were "kotowed" 10 by various Corean
officials, including parsonage called
q "health inquirer" who had been ap-
pointed especially to ask after the
health Of the Chinese visitors
Arriving at the Corean capital, the
envoys and the letter Of coincidence
were conveyed into the "hall Of audi
ence," where the ceremony took place,
the king prostrating himself four times
before the imperial shrine. At q funeral
service conducted In memory Of the de-
ceased the king acted the part Of chief
mourner, and "wsiled" At the bidding
Of the master Of ceremonies until the
time came for presenting the empcror's
letter and presents TO the departed
queen. Then, In the midst Of profound
silence, these imperial testimonies Of
regard were committed to the flames
and ascended In the smoke TO the gods.
The keys Of the city gates were handed
over to the visitors, who were thus
made to feel In the most practical way
that the town was theirs. In accord.
ance with the agreement the Chinese
refused tho presents offered to them,
but on leaving each envoy was fur
nished with four saddled horses and
four grooms, three drivers, one um-
brella bearer, two pathfnders, four at-
tendants, four litter ponies, four litter
pony grooms, four litter attendants,
one chief chsir-bearer and one sedan
chair, with eight sedan chair bearers,
one pony for carrying rain coverings,
two servants, four conch blowers, four
pipcrs and four horn blowers, four 50.
pervisors Of flag signals, six gong beat.
ors, and six frst-class lictors, and two
military officers In command Of two de-
tachments Of escorts, twenty-five silk.
embroidered flngs, one petty official In.
An~v,rn&as opo xuoitor nua oonlS nvd