The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-08-24
TIE KING DOM OF ooRgA.


possession of Corea can never be
guessed at by the unlucky American
who has tried to travel through that
incompatible country 1t is the most
remarkable nation in the world-+-for
its inconvenience, and the most
original in its administration. For
eccentricities Of government Tam.
many is an ideal in comparison, and
the duped Detsites are happy capi-
talists beside the population of this
somnolent peninsula.
Not only the most searching and
exasperating examination made by the
custom officers, but the pedigree of
the amiable visitor is taken, a record
of his life and his intentions, where
he is going and how long he has
money enough to remain. Naturally,
when they see anyone come volunta.
rily to such country it arouses their
suspicious.
In the treaty ports on the coast
where strangers land, il they land at
all, wealth makes its great display
AT such places Japanese and Mexican
dollars are circulated with limited
freedom that almost amounts to fami-
liarity. One OF these silver dollars is
worth SO cents in the coin of the
United States realm, but has the
dignity of being the largest piece of
money IN circulation. The Govern
ment goes to very little expense in
It's Treasury Department, the only
coinage being small copper disk
called " kash,' exchangeable for sill
yer at the rate of 10 pounds of kash
for one Jap or Mexican dollar.
Away from the coast this kash is
the only money that circulates. The
natives have no confidence in any,
thing else. This necessitates the pur-
chase of a few hundred pounds OF
copper disks al the seaports, and
then the traveller must hire hall
dozen ponies-there are no horses -
to carry sufficient money to meet the
expenses Of his trip. The other i'm
pedlment is transported by porters,
and these porters are the most ex-
travagantly paid of any laborers in
Corea. This is probably so as to put
them in such an independent fnan
cial position as to relieve them of the
necessity Of killing their employer tc
get his money. Each porter receives
one Japanese dollar per day.
Now 1t is the custom in Corea tc
pay everybody for all work done every
night, custom that has doubles:
grown out of the universal distrus
each individual has for each othel
individual. But whatever may have
been It's origin the inconvenience to
strangers is pleasant to contemplate
Nightly the unfortunate traveller with
his string of copper ponies is forced
to unload his affluence and weigh ou
10 pounds of metal for every man II
his train.
Then the balance of the night h,
has to sit up in the midst of firearm
and see that the faithful attendant
don't steal what is left. So taking on,
consideration with another, travelin,
in Corea has its trials.
For many years no stranger wa
able to get beyond five hours trave
away from the coast, and the interio
was therefore a terra incognita. Th
reasons for this were various. 1t ha
not then occurred to the Corean pub
lie 10 use ponies to carry baggage
and all the carrying was done by men
no porter will carry more than /
pounds ; days work is 10 hour;
When the caravan was started eac
man was loaded down with 10 pound
of kash. After they had marched fiv
hours they would wait on the travele
and deliver themselves somewhat i
this strain "We are five hour
journey from home; if turn aroun
now and go back our days work c
10 hours will be completed by tn
time we get home, and we have I
pounds Of kash to pay us. If we 6
on another five hours we will be a
entire days journey from home, an
as we only have money enough fc
one day with us how shall we get pa
for tomorrow Being unable
answer this inquiry satisfactorily, the
would all turn about and retrace the
steps.
These local peculiarities interfere
slightly with free intercommunicatiol
The climate, if one remains Ion
enough to test it, will be found VI
certain. 1t may be balmy and dellgh
full at sunrise and hailing like c
clone at noon it rains when it fee
like it, and nature never takes ii
trouble to warn by as much as
cloud it just turns the water on ar
floods everything, while there is a
parently a clear sky and a cloudle
horizon. Where the rain comes fro
no one but a native of the country
sufficiently familiar with its resourc