The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-11-03
COREAN HIGH JINKS.
An Imposing Ceremony Over q
Deceased Queen.


\Aayhedy who supposed the suxerainty
N China claims In Corea to BE- .
-. tHsunan, Importance would be
- IA by fhePerusal Of . recent
Article - ther6 london Times. For CEN
turies, itsays, the kings Of Corea have
received invostiture at the hands Of
the sovereign 1t Pekin, and al great
political events, including the decease
|pf royal personages, have been duly
I'D ceremoniously reported to him. On
fhsileath of the queen dowager Of Co
rsa, = 1890, the king dispatched . mes
sage n Pekin to announce the sad
event, an presented . menorial to the
throne, In which he declared himself
TO be kneelne &:be1ore his ma in
great perturb&JzsdaEd aEdcr-w~>a,. 3s:ll :lla CO.
rean envoy spoke Of Corea as ''vassal
state Of China" and went on to plead
that In the then impoverished condi-
tion Of the royal exchequcr It would
be an act Of infinite grace on the part
Of the emperor If he would not icpose
on the king the expense Of entertain
ing the mission Of coincidence which in
other and happier circumstances it
would be customary for the emperor to
send. This was rs il the pastor should
implore the congregation to omit the
too burdensome sasp13Ee party. But
the emperor was isdlops Of his privi-
leges, and the only concession he would
make was to allow the mission to travel
as far ~ possible by sea instead of over
~ ~ {o< hA
presents to the members Of the mission.
In other respects the thing was to be
done in first-class style. Every prepar-
alton was made for receiving the mis-
sion at the port Rf Chemulpo, and con-
Quoting it to Seoul, eighty Corean miles
distant. The roadway between the port
and the capital was repaired, leveled
and widened, and gravel OF yellow
tinge was sprinkled over it in eompli-
ment to the imperial color. First in
the procession came the mission receiver
and the Corean officials in columns, one
on each side Of the road. Next
came the Corcan escorts, the flags,
symbols Of authority, etc, yellow um-
brellas drums, gongs, and bands OF mu-
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 18th Of July procession
was simply not in it with this. At the
first halting place the imperial cnvoys
were '.kotowed" to by various Corean
officials, including q parsonage called
. "health inquirer" who had been ap-
pointed especially to ask after the
health of the Chinese visitors.
Arriving 1T the Corean capital. the
ENJOYS 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 funeral
service conducted. .ipmemory Of the de-
ceased the hing akted the part of chief
mourner, and nwai1cd" ut the bidding
OF the master of-ceremonies until the
time came for f1esenting the emperor's
letter and presents to the departed
queen. Then, in 5he midst Of profound
silence, these mperial testimonies of
regard were Eonmitted to the flames
and ascendd IN the smoke to the gods.
The ke1 the city gates were handed
oyer tQfbe visitors, who were thus
made cl in the most practical way
that the fpkn was theirs. In accord
ance with the agreement the Chinese
refused tie presents Offered to them,
~ on leaving each envoy mas fur
nished with four saddled horses and
four grooms, three drivers, one um-
brella bearer, two pethfnders, four at-
four litte1lnRies, four litter
pony grooms, foud attendants,
one chief chair-b1 Ia one sedan
ehair, with eight 1hn chair bearers,
one pony for carrying rain coverings,
two servants, four conch blowers, four
pipcrs and four horn blowers, four su-
pervisors Of nag signals, six gong beat- !
era, and SIX hrst-class Kctors, and two
ofacers in command Of two de-
Of escorts, twenty-two silk
flags, one petty ofllcial In
teFpreter, one waiter, one cook and |
seven Interpreters Of the third order.
We cannot help thinking that there Is |
! pointer here for the next intcrcolon-
Il conference. The health inquirer
went along, too, and every new a1d
hen dropped on his knees and asked
he envoys whether the interior ar
were in good .esdtfT II =
evident that the ostsdfa1s are swny
head Of n In The patience with which
hey submit to be bored. Here tie
lea.th inquirer would b clsssed With
;le man who asks whether It l. hot
,neash for yoa to-day.
~. ss1neA Wooa Ter <Chines~ CoDnA
A curious source Of wealth Il szeported