The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-11
TREATY PORTS OF
KOREA
THE harbor of Wonsan, Korea,
the northern arm of which is
u Port Lazaro6, has an area of

| - VI AdZdIOlI, Has an area OF
forty square miles, depth
OF from Six to twelve fathoms, and
could accommodate the navies of the
! world. In this harbor is Deer Island
which Russia desired to share with
japan as coaling station, and a few
years ago was a burning question
Wonsan IS treaty port, neat, trim
town on its Japanese side, of about
$1,000 inhabitants. But immediately
back of Wonsan is fringe of high
hills which retire into an almost i'm
penetrable tangle Of peaks and wind
ing valleys. In these the Tatong river
rises, cutting across the land until it
empties into the Yellow Sea, and wa
tering enc of the most fertile re-
gions of. Korea.
Otherwise the treaty ports, with the
exception Of Fusan, are on the Yellow
Sea. The treaty ports imply the
most practicable harbors. .Fusan is on
the straits, and has been in the pos
session of Japan since 1862. 1t is a
typical Japanese town Of about fifteen
hours by sea from Chemulpo, the port
of Seoul, and $50 miles from Seoul
by land
The sea voyage is through a danger
GUS archipelago that skirts the west
ern coast of Korea. The islands are
frequently by precipitous bluffs, and
others in the high tide of the coast
are often concealed. Fogs and mists
make the journey very dangerous. On
the other hand, the mirage, such as
we saw from the ''Gonka Maru,"
makes the sight one of a lifetime.
Glowing in the distance apparently
were handicapped palaces and tow
ers, opal1ne tinted, and curiously in
superlmposed pairs. These dissolved
as we approached into islands, and
others took their place. 1t was the
prolonged phantasmagoria of dream.
The harbor Of Chemulpo is for the
most part mud fiat. Steamers lie d
mile from shore transferring cargo
and passengers by sampan, while men
of war must lie in the outer harbor.
Into the sea at Chemulpo empties the
River Han, on which, fifty-seven miles
from the mouth of Seoul, the capital
of Korea is situated The Han is
navigable I35 miles above Seoul, but
is traversed by crazy little steamers,
and impossible to steamers of any
draught owing to the shallow harbor
Over land the distance from Che
mulpo to Seoul is but twenty-seven
miles. Until the building of the rail
way a couple of years ago there was
only tortuous foot path, and the
necessity of crossing the river three
times.
The other new treaty port is Chin
nampo. This is town at the mouth
of the Tatong river, ten miles from
Ping Yang. Here in the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries the Japanese and
Koreans fought those bloody contests,
the last of which ravished Korea of all
its arts.
Under the walls of Ping Yang, i
may be mentioned, the General
Sherman" was burned, and its men
killed. This was a sort of privateer-
ing enterprise, which, however, this
country was obliged to retaliate for BY
destroying the forts on the Han
| Ping Yang has other distinctions
Here, when Methusa1eh was in arms
came Dan Koum, Son of Heaven, anC
set up his dynasty. Then came Ki-ju
the great statesman and first single
taxer, who settled the land question
and brought prosperity to all thu
country Ki-ju is buried at Pins
Yang, and his tomb is an object o
veneration. Ping Yang moreover i
at the foot of the Tatong river, AM
J; the depot of its commerce. Vessel
t drawing ten feet have crossed to with
! in ten miles of its walls, and here i
the port Chin-nampo.