The times., 1899-03-23
THE DRUMMER IN KOREA.
Consul General AIIcn's Advice to
American Commercial TrnNeler.-

American Commercial Travellers
Horace y. Allen. Consul General at
Seoul. writes, under late date. to the
State Department upon the subject 81 CON-
merciai travellers in Korea Mr. Allen says
that Korea should ordinarily be avoided
during TIE months of July and August.
when the excessive rains food the country
and make travel very difficult and Disagree
able. English and Japanese are the ian
guages most needed. English is usually
ample for all purposes.
Continuing he SAYS: During June.
July, and August the lightest clothing is
worn. White duck suits are the common
dress Of foreigners. For April, May Sep
tember. and October, which are delightful
months in Korea, ordinary weight cloth
ing. with good wooden underwear for the
cold nights. is best. During the latter part
/ OF November. as well as during December.
January, and February. the very heaviest
| clothing is essential Many people wear
thick sweaters for undershirts during the
coldest weather The winters are usually
dry. cold. and clear. and. with warm cloth
ing. the climate is delightful.
Commercial travellers should carry
| United States passports for purposes OF
| Identification. These are visaed in Gaze
Of a trip to the interior. Passports are not
needed for the ports or within an area OF
thirty-four miles therefrom, which includes
the capital. Seoul.
Travellers are subject to no tax in Ko-
rea.. and personal luggage is not dutiable
at the customs. Luggage of Americans Is
seldom even examined.
Hotel accommodation at present leaves
much to be desired At Chemulpo. thera
are two comfortable hotels. One kept by
Japanese-Hotel Daioutsu-a three-story
| brick house with good view clean rooms
and fair hais hut ind
other-Steward's Hotels owned and con.
Quoted by English-speaking Chinese. and
has the reputation OF serving better fcod
than the first, though the rooms and beda
are said not to be so good. Seoul has
purely Japanese hotel where foreign food
is served II desired. The beds are in tha
Japanese style-on the clean matted floor.
Hotel Bijno. Seoul. is a stopping place in
the foreign quarter where four rooris over
a diningroom and provision store afford
all the comfort that an accommodating
Italian and his wife can furnish Prices at
all these stopping places are at present
yen tS2 gold) per day. Travel in Seoul is
by jinrikisha. electric railroad, and sedan
chair. To and from Chemulpo, it is By
chair. pony. jinrikisha, or boat. A railroad
will soon be completed connecting the two
places. after which 1t is supposed that be,-
ter hotel Accommodations will be provided.
Il DO not think four weeks stay in
Seoul or Chemulpo should cost over Siec
gold, exclusive of the purchase of curios
and personal effects.
''The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation has an agency in Chemulpo.
as also in several places in America no.
tably New York and San Francisco Japa-
nese banks are to be found in Seoul and
Korean ports. Japanese notes are freely
current in Korea American money might
be difficult to exchange.
[ In reDly the nuastfon IN xrha
drawback is allowed on the withdrawal
OF samples from the country I would say
there would be no difficulty in securing
such drawback. if the samples were OF
SO extensive nature as to fail to pass
as passengers luggage.
I would not recommend Journey from
the United States to visit Korea as a COM
mercial traveller. without especial induce
ment. However. as the steamers from ia
pan to North China stop usually for twen-
ty-four hours at Chemulpo, a commercial
traveller could very well see the principal
importers during that time and be able to
judge for himself whether it would be
wise TO stop over a steamer (say a fort
night or not
As TO the opening for American goods
should say that cotton and cotton n anu
factures would be the most promising line
since the whole population of 5000 coo to
12,O0O0cO dress in cotton cloth. which is
padded with cotton in the winter They
raise little cotton. and every individual
probably wears at least one garment that
is made of imported cotton sheeting aThe
Koreans are fond of watches and clocks.
Needles. thread. matches. dyes, etc, are all
imported Knives made to suit Korean
uses should find market here as should
! cheap low shoes and socks. Timed milk
butter, and provisions are in steadily in
creasing demand. Farmers in some dis
tricts are said TO be enquiring for the
! simplest agricultural implements OF Amsr-
can manufacture; but something in the way
| of revolution in customs must take
place before foreign agricultural imple-
ments will be used in Korea to any great
I extent
Korea is an agricultural country. Rice
/ and beans are the chief crops and form
the heaviest items of export Manufacture
! ing is done crudely by hand. and the ar
ticles OF native manufacture are exceed
ingly expensive, so that foreign-made ar
ticles usually have an easy entrance, il
| they are in demand and appeal TO the
| natives When the crops are good and the
export is heavy, buying is free; the con-
/ trary is the case when the crops are short
! The absence of native banks and the
liability to lose money by extortion tempts
| the common man who has a little money
TO spend it and get the benefit of il be-
! fore it is lost. They are. therefore free
buyers when they have the money"
A Chilly Comment
| CFrom the Cleveland Plain Dsa1arl