The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-24

ing. Corea is rarely out of the habili-
ments of woe. Every married man has
to don them when death visits the royal
family. Were IL not for this aspect OF
Corcan life, 1t would be difficult at this
distance to conceive a use for cavalry
three-quarters of which goes afoot. The
chargers alone are amusing. They are
little ponies for which man must have
a high saddle to keep his feet from the
ground Perched on structure nearly
two feet above tae pony's back, the rider
finds his position anything but secure.
On the other hand, the animal defeats
all attempts 70 mount him with a West
ern saddle by crouching and backing out
from under his rider. His proper use is
as a burden bearer in a country where
no efficient wheeled vehicles are known,
and where the roads are mere paths.
The only riding machine with a wheel
depicted by the author was seen in
Seoul. This was a continuance with a
body like a stretcher set on an upright
franae which ran on single wheel. Two
men, one in front, the other behind, pro-
PEELED the machine and kept it steady,
while the man who sat aloft appeared
fully conscious of his dignity and of the
risk he ran. His flowing silk gown and
5eweled belt proclaimed him a man of
rank. In front of him marched a coolie
carrying his court costume, while in the
rear of his unsteady vehicle walked
number of servants. There you see
him. adds the author, "perched up in
kind of armchair at the height of about
five feet-sitting more or less gracefully
on lovely tiger skin that has been
tistically thrown upon it, leaving the
head hanging down at the back. Under
the legless chair, as 1t We're, there are
two supports, at the lower end of which
and between these supports revolves
heavy. nearly round wheel. with four
spokes. Occasionally the wheel is made
OF one block of wood only, and is orna-
mented at the sides with numerous
round-headed iron nails
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
When a woman is married in Corea
she signs the agreement either by ink
ing her hand and pressing it on the pa
per, or by laying it upon the paper with
the fingers parted and allowing an out
line to be made. When a man marries
he has to do UP his hair in queer knot
on top of his head. If he fails to marry
he is never allowed to use this knot, nor
even to don the clothes of an adult man.
but is forced to dress in childish fashion.
He has this recompense, that when all
the rest of the nation goes into MOURN
ing for dead royalty he escapes. Women
OF the upper classes are restrained by
social prejudice from second marriage
But peasant women are free to take a
new husband as soon as they are rid Of
the old one. The tradition is that wom-
en- must live secluded. Nevertheless,
they are the most potent element in the
life of Corea. The burdened taxpayers
blame them for'the wasteful lives of the
official class. They affect the course Of
Justice and politics. If of the lower
class, they are as little secluded as their
husbands, and when they choose to take
hand in fight they are not to be de-
spised. Once the author was witness to
quarrel between a citizen and a SOL
der in which the wife of the former in
terfered. She had q wooden mallet with
which she beat the military man almost
into insensibility. Mr.. Savage-Landor
tried to make peace, and received on his
knee painful blow from the mallet
which convinced him that he had VEN
tured out OF his proper sphere. The
Queen herself is said to be a stronger
minded person than the King. There
are those who call her the real ruler of
Corea The author describes her as
younger than her husband. How he got
glimpse of her Is story Of some de-
tail. During his stay in Seoul, his habit
or sketching everything visible on the
streets that interested him soon attract
ed the attention of the good-natured
populace. They gathered about him
when he was at work and displayed ex-
traordinary quickness in their apprecia-
ton. The rumor soon reached the court
that there was a man in the city who
painted pictures different from all that
had ever before been seen in Corea After
some preliminary negotiation, the artist
was invited to paint the portraits Of the
two princes. Min-YoungHuan, COM
mander-fn-chief of the Corean army, and
Min-Young-Chun, the Prime Minister.
The King even permitted the princes to
put on other than mourning robes DUR
Ing their sittings. though this violation
or the traditions OF the country was kept
profound secret. The pictures were
painted in due time. but not without
some strange criticisms on the part of
the sitters which cast light on some
points In primitive art. One of these
princes could not understand how he was
left with only one eye in side view, nor
how decoration which he wore behind
his left ear escaped the notice of the
painter. who was taking him full face.
He looked at the back Of the canvass to
see II the defect was resnedied there
The other prince, taken with three-quar-
tiers face. was puzzled by the shadows
He was dumfounded to find that one
side of the nose in the portrait was dark
er than the other. BY building a barri-
cade Of chairs so that the prince was
forced to stand at a proper distance
from the picture, he was at last con-
WINGED that the portrait was exactly like
him.
HE SAW THE QUEEN.
BY means of these portraits, Mr.. Lam
dor was admitted to palaces of the King
1AAo hiC PAAA'CS VII NCty ulllIIldtc tGTIuS.
He painted a portrait of the King, and
made sketches in various parts of the
palace and the grounds. One day Prince
Min led him to spot from which he re-
Quested sketch in the name of the
King. There was nothing of interest to
be seen. and at first Mr.. Lander was
puzzled. But. glancing UP to a. window
behind him. 1t occurred to him that the
whole affair was a bit of strategy to
give the Queen a chance to see him at
work. Accordingly" he adds, ST began
the sketch with my back to the window
for 1t must be remembered to look at
the Queen Is an, offense punishable with
death. had not been many minutes at
work before / heard the sliding window
gently move. | knew what was coming
and tried to screen the sketch with my
body. so as to compel the observer, who
ever 1T was. to lean well out of the win
dow, IL he wished to see it, A little way
off there were hundreds of soldiers walk
Ing or squatting on the ground. All of a
sudden there was piercing squeak and
q quick change of scene. Everyone
standing fell flat on his chest, the sol
diers to a man hid their faces in their
hands on the ground. Then for a mo-
ment all was silence; then there followed
another shrek. 1t was evidently a
a