Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-22
NOT A DESIRABLE SPOT.
Nothing Particularly Attractive About
This Part of the World.

ChemulpO, Corea, Sept. 17.-After a
trip in and out among numerous is
lands and banks including some of a
decidedly foggy nature, one finds him
self here, if it be low water, but if the
tide be well on toward high it is only
with considerable difficulty tht he can
begin to form an estimate how far off
the nearest Place is. The tides are
enormous, and m that respect bear Il
somewhat close resemblance to those
of the Bay of Fundy. Before reaching
here one passes from water of beauti-
full blue to that of a muddy yellow,
hence the term Yellow sea. The large
and small rivers that empty into this
sea bring down immense quantities
OF. yellowish sand and mud, which
spread out a great distance into the
rather shallow water of the sea, and
take their discoloring matter with
tHem
We'll acquainted though one may be
with the countries that border on the
other side of the waters that wash the
Coreaa8 coast, when he steps on Corean
soil he finds himself truly in an I'M
known and strange land. All foreign
ers here seem to experience this feel
ing ofslsoiation which does not appear
to affect them, even in some of the less
well known Chinese towns.
Is The flag itself Is a strange one to be-
gin with, and the figure in its center
looks like two commas interIaced. or in
.theSmor ordinary days. like two old IN
'styled powder horns fitted to each oth4
Ter. sWe@are told by Lowell in. his sUvtSl x III
s0ns S,orSR that in Chinese philosop hss
there arc two great princip pals. aesaictlkI
may be designated as male ard fes..
:tn:lle, and that the Cafeliss al tie time
they adopted other chinese customs
Became students Of this philosophy, Il
Converts arc proserhiaily m ore zealalIss
than those who iialIef lief .It il. |
perhap s. herefo S5nattsr ofFsur-E'
prise that in areent kdrira ton of this
philosophy they rpr3se even their
teakAers. Now IT'D Isl Eastern philoso-
physs nlystic sylnh play very impor-
tanf role. Arnon dfese, perhaps. the
most icons .SicRous IL what is known in
Japanese ssls toEicye, a sort of scroll
but its origin tn 8inese. 1t always lies
coiied Within Eff6Ie. Sometimes it is
alone; sometimes two scrolls share the
circle. sometimes three. In Corea there
are always two. and they represent the
hight and the shade, or the male and fe-
male principles of Chinese philosophy.
They are called in the language of this
place the Yong and the Yong. SO at
tached are the Coreans to this symbol
that 1t may be considered their dis
tlnctive mark, or national badge. The
people so consider it themselves, and it
forms the center of their national flag
Corea at present, instead of being
rent in twain by the two contending
powers. Russia and Japan, seems to be
N that most uncomfortable state of
compression that anything finds itself
N Wnen between the upper and neither
and the state of affairs here
y certainly most peculiar one. Many
RUSSIAN troops are quite well known to
De coming across the country in the
lrans-Siberian Railway cars. just how
ar tfese troops will come south before
ne cold weather sets in is the question.
IN the other hand, Japan is bristling
III over for fight, and IL a sufficient
supply OF the sinews of war can be
cund, she will try and drive the Rus
slams back.
Those who do not believe that war is
possible hold that the activity now be-
ng shown by the Japanese is all brava-
10. as the pecuniary state of that coun-
ry viii not admit of anything being
lone on so large a scale as would be
necessary were Russia TO be the antag-
mist.
II is very natural that this country
mould fall TO the share of Japan should
mere ne partition and it seems to the
ar -minded as though Russia should
onsent herself with Manchuria. But
apan has Formosa, and with all that
possible in that semi-tropical island,
ne certainly is supposed to have rich
ossession Russians claim that they,
90, are entitled to extend their domin-
On TO the southwark. In gaining Corea,
oVeVer. they would be able to too
.oseiy scrutinize Japan, and would be
constant menace.
William Henry Parker, colored