The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-14
DINING WITH KOREAN EMPEROR.
Besides the Dinner There Were
Dances, Games and Music.

Dances, Games and Music.
DR.. Hagen in Tour Du Monde.
When the time fixed for the audience
arrived we entered into a very lofty
room, the carpets of which were by
no means costly. Behind a table sat
the Emperor, with the Brown Prince
and the eunuchs. The Emperor Li-Hsi
thanked us for our visit. and asked
us how our trip was progressing and
whether we intended to remain a long
time in Korea. The Crown Prince ask
ed us exactly the same questions. He
is about 80 years of age; he has an
inert look, a beardless, fieshly face,
and thus he does not give one the i'm
preston of being healthy and capable
of doing much. He has several wives,
but no children; he himself is the son
of one of Li-Hsi's concubines.
He certainly will not ascend the
throne without a great deal of trouble;
the Japanese already have another
Crown Prince is readiness at Yoko-
hama. This latter Prince has joined
the Japanese, and he will be support
ed by them when the proper moment
comes. The Crown Prince joined but
very little in the conversation; even
the simple questions that he asked were
suggested to him by the leader of the
eunuchs 1t is scarcely to be supposed
that the Crown Prince will ever think
of shaking himself free from the influ-
ence of that powerful and feared caste
whole role in Korea, as in China in
olden times, is noxious. At the end
of the audience, which had lasted
scarcely twenty minutes, the Emperor
took his leave of us in a few amia-
BILE words.
Before the dinner we were offered a
glass of Vermouth in the next ROOM
The dining room was we'll heated, and
furnished with European furniture; the
table was decked out richly with cut
lery, glass, linen, flowers and fruit; the
cooking was exquisite, and the wines
were many and good. For some years
the imperial household has been man
aged by lady from Alsace, and she
knows her duty very we'll. Formerly
the dinner would have cost the EN-
peror $50 per guest; now each guest
costs him only about ga. Korean serv-
ants, wearing the national garb wait
ed upon us most attentiVely and noise
lessly.
1t seemed amusing to us that the
Emperor remained invisible behind a
curtain during the dinner; still, he kept
himself informed of all that happened
at table, and asked repeatedly what
impression the foreigners were receiv-
ing. The Koreans present were fully
acquainted with the manners of the
West, and they did not offend either
the rules of etiquette or those of
good FORM
After the dinner the room was turn
ed into a concert hall for the enter
tainments that were to be given. In
the outer hall played some thirty mu-
sicians, squatting upon the ground,
mandolins, guitars and other stringed
instruments, as also drums and tam
bourines. To foreigners the Korean
music seems to be only ear-splitting,
for it has no rules of melody and is
monotonou& At first appeared only
two men, clad in very rich garments,
to represent lion and a tiger. They
danced aroud to the music. rubbed
together their noses as they uttered
all kinds of weird sounds, and then
they vanished finally.
Thereupon about a dozen remote
dancers appeared in beautiful gold
shimmering colors, and with their hats
and other head coverings decked with
flowers and with sandals and we'll fit
ting white stockings on their feet. AL
though they were young and pretty,
their faces were much painted. Round
their necks and on their foreheads
they wore pendants, and their dresses