The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-27
THE COREAN CAPITAL.
The City of Seoul, Where the Natives
Attacked the Japanese.

Attacked the Japanese.
New York World.
Klung-Kei, the smallest of the eight Co
rean provinces, is, politically, the royal
or court province, and physically the basin
of the largest river inside the peninsula.
The tremendous force of the rivers cur
rent and the volume of its water bring
down immense masses of silt annually.
Beginning at point near the capital, wide
sandbanks are formed which are bare at
low water but are flooded in time of rain
or at the melting of the spring SHOWS
This river is named the Han, and is naviga-
ble certainly as far as the capital. for
large vessels.
The city of Han-Yang, or Seoul, where
the Coreans attacked the Japanese gar
rison on Monday. is situated on the north
side of the Han river which, singularly
enough, is called the Salt river, or the
River Salee, on our charts So, whatever
the outcome of the war there will be
chance for the photographers. The name
Han-Yang means 1.-The fortress on the Han
cy is seoe MheR MEANS
just as the Japanese call the eapitahof
their country Mako or "kio," instead
as the Kings Residence and on foreign
maps is marked "KingKi Tao" which is
lies distant nearly a league from the river liver
bank, but has suburbs extending down to
the sand flats 1t has about SO,729 houses,
give a population of over 10000 souls.
The natural surroundings of Seoul are
mountains rises as. a, wall. To the east
towers the ridge of barriers; the mighty
flood of the Han rolls to the south: The
scenery from the capital is magnificent,
and those walking along the city walls,
as they rise over the hill crests and then
into the valleys. can feast their eyes on
he glorious
tain views for which this country is noted.
The walls of the city are of crenellated
twenty feet, with arched stone bridges
spanning the water courses. The streets
Kings castle is in the northern part of
the city. Highroads to the eight points of
the compass start from the palace through
Naturally the military geography of the
country around Seoul has been well studied
by the Coreans and its strategic points
fortresses guard the approaches to the
royal city. These are Suwen to the south,
Kwang-Chiu to the southeast Sunto, or
Kai-Seng, to the north. and Kang-Wa TO
the west. All these fortresses have been
the scenes of siege and battle in times past
On the walls of the first three the rival
banners of the hosts of Ming from China
and of Takio from Japan were set in al
ternate succession by the victors who held
them during the Japanese occupation of
the country between the years 1892 and
1891 The Manchiu standards in 1857 and
the French eagles i'm 1866 were planted on
the rampant of Kang-Wa. Besides these
castle cities there are forts and redoubts
along the river banks, browning most of
the commanding headlands or points of
vantage. Over these the stars and stripes
foated for three days in 1871, when the
American forces captured these strong
holds. In most cases the walls of cities
and forts are not over ten feet high, though
in those of the first order the height of
twenty-five feet is obtained. None of them
would offer serious difficulty 10 an attack
ing force possessing modern artillery.
For political purposes the capital province
was divided into the right and left divi-
sions. The Kam-Sa, or Governor, lives at
the capital, but outside of the walls, as he
has little no authority in the city proper
His residence is near the west gate A
trustworthy census gives the number of
houses in the province, exclusive of the
of whom 106,573 are enrolled as soldiers
The inhabitants of Kiung-Kei enjoy the
reputation among the other provincials of
being light-headed, tickle and much given
TO luXuriant pleasure.
eft is the officials of this province" say
the Coreans who live outside of ii, who
give the cue TO those throughout the eight
provinces of rapacity, prodigality and love
OF display"
Official grandees, mobiles. literary men and
professionals generally are most numerous
in kiung-Kei. and so are singing and dane
ing girls and people WHO live TO amuse
others When fighting is TO be done. how
ever. as now, the government usually calls
upon the northern provinces TO furnish SOL
diers.