The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-10-04


history, who got back recently
from a ten months trip to the orient
to obtain specimens for the museum,
and who, while in Korea, explored a
segion never before entered by q
shite man and discovered three lakes
In the north OF the country, gave the
following description OF his expe-
dition:
After finishing my whaling. spent
three weeks at Shimonoseki, Japan.
coliectidng fish, and then returned to
Korea and went to Seoul to interview
the directors Of foreign affairs, from
whom / got the necessary permission
to go into the interior. Then / went
away up the coast by ship to Sheshin.
From there | went on a push
railway-you get In car and natives
push you up on handcars-to a mill
tary station on the Tu Men river.
west OF Musan. The latter is a
walled town 500 years old. with it's
original public buildings and many
ancient houses. 1t is the last place
inland ever before visited by
whites. The Russians went there dur
Ing the war, and now there are Jap
anese gendarmes there, as in every
place In the country.
Il spoke little Japanese, the cook
had got at Seoul spoke English well,
and the interpreter l had spoke Chi
nese, Korean and little English. Be-
sides them | had In my party six Kor-
can horsemen and hunter.
The northern part Of Korea is alb
solutely bare OF trees, unless you so
classify the fir underbrush about
foot high. My cook, who was thirty
nine years DID, had never cooked with
wood in his life. The only trees
you see in the southern part OF the
country are those that have been left
about graves.
Plenty Of Tigers in Korea.
Il wanted TO get into the unknown
region, which was said to be wood
ed and full of game. The last was
true. There are leopards in tremen-
dous numbers in many parts of the
country. snow leopards, and there are
tigers in many districts. The former
are very shy, but they and the
tigers come to the villages when the
snow drives them and get children,
horses and dogs.
Il have a leopard skin which was
presented TO me which is nine feet
long, but l did not shoot one myself.
None has ever been killed by q
white man in that country.
II spent three weeks hunting two
tigers on the mountain and then de-
cided | could spare no more time. The
country is SO big, and | would have
had to beat over n great tract 1t
took a friend OF mine in the south of
the country two months to get two
specimens.
From Musan | Travelled 40 miles /
west before | came TO the edge
OF the big forest and the last vii |
lage. Nojido. a hamlet OF eight or
ten houses. Then | went directly |
toward Paik-tu-san, the white topped |
mountain. which is 5000 feet high. | |
went until the snow stopped me, which |
was in May. There were no trails. /
1 had to steer by compass.
The forest, found. was-mainly OF |
virgin larch, so to l60 feet high. with
some birch, with a very thick under
growth. My Koreans were afraid to
enter II because there we're reports
abroad that Chinese robbers were in
IT, Right near is the Paik-tu-sanis,
where the Manchus originated.
The mountain is a single peak. but
it is one of a range called the Long
White mountains. The Yalu has it's
source there. and II has been sup
posed the Tu-Men also rose there. but
] discovered its source was 40 miles
away We had to travel along the
river valley. camping and hunting on
the ridges nthe other side.
OF course. went into the big
woods primarily TO collect. but the
fauna was so limited IL was OF no use.
for a time I was running 80
traps aud hunting The forest was ss