A VISIT TO QUELPART.

Mr. Kenmure and I left Chemulpo on the 18th February by the Korean steamer Chang Riong for the island of Quelpart (Chai-Joo). Leaving Chemulpo at 6.30 p. m. we reached the first port, Kunsan. next morning at nine o clock. We went ashore to see Dr. Drew and Mr. Junkin, and as the day was Sunday, we had an opportunity to be present at the Korean service. We were pleasantly surprised to find a congregation of about fifty people. When I was visiting this place three years ago there were only some three enquirers; now Mr. Junkin has a membership of twenty-eight men and nine women. All the women have been received since the last annual meeting, and since that date the male membership has doubled itself. The building is now too small for the congregation and money is being raised for a new chapel. The contributions every Sunday amount to more than $1.50 and a good part of the necessary funds are already on hand.

Since the magistracy was removed from Kunsan a few years ago, the town has been diminishing very rapidly, and now the number of houses is less than half what it was before. But when the port is opened—which will take place on the 1st May—there is no doubt the place will revive quickly. Kunsan is situated at the mouth of the Chang-Po river, and the harbor is large and deep, the only drawback being the shallowness of the entry which can be passed by large steamers only at high tide. All along the river there are a good many towns and villages. Ninety li, twenty-seven miles, up the river lies Kangim, and twenty li farther east, Nolmi, two large towns, with periodical markets every five days, that are considered among the largest in the country. Three hundred li up the river lies Kong-Joo, the capital of South Chun-Chung do, with two semi-annual fairs. The river is navigable as far as Kong-joo. One hundred li east of Kunsan is Chon-joo, the capital of North Chulla-do. Boats can ascend to within thirty li of the place. North of Kunsan and across the river the hills are covered with dense pine woods, and recently a layer of coal was discovered. Opposite the harbor there is an island which is visited in the spring and summer by hundreds of fishing boats. The country all around is fertile and well populated, the roads are good, the weather much milder than in Seoul, and conditions for building up a prosperous port are favorable.

A peculiar feature of the country around Kunsan is the abundance of the human debris strewed about the fields and hills. The people instead of burying their dead frequently put them down on the ground and cover them up with a heap of straw about three feet high. With the rains and winds it does not take long for the straw to rot and be blown away, and the bones are laid bare. This I have never noticed in any other part of Korea except once in one of the southern cities of Chulla-do where some years ago a fight took place between the Tong-Haks and soldiers, and all the dead were left unburied for the dogs and ravens.

We left Kunsan at six o’clock next morning and arrived at Mokpo the evening of the same day. The entrance to the harbor of Mokpo is only about four hundred yards wide, and the tidal water rushes in and out with a speed or nine knots an hour, so small steamers are often turned back by the current. Inside the entrance opens a large bay with three inlets: north towards the magistracy of Moo-An, south into the rich valleys of Hai-Nam, and east by Mokpo. The harbor is very large and exceptionally deep, averaging ten fathoms and even within a hundred yards of the shore the water is as much as nine fathoms deep. Although I was in Mokpo twice before the port was opened I could now hardly recognize the place. The transformation was as in one of the Arabian tales. Two years ago Mokpo consisted of a few Korean huts anchored to a large bare rock rising abruptly from the water and surrounded by large stretches of rice-fields and mud-flats. Now all the huts have disappeared. Instead of the mud-flats there are nicely laid out streets with new Japanese stores all along them; the shore by the rock is reclaimed, and there is room enough for building customs store-houses and for loading and unloading boats.

Mokpo is situated at the mouth of the Kok river, which, famous in Korea for its peculiarly winding shape, is called the River of Ninety-Nine Turns. Three hundred Ii up the river lie five large cities: Na-Joo, Quang-Joo, Nung-Joo, Nem-Pion, and Wha-Sung, all of them some ten miles apart. Of these cities Na-Joo is the former capital and Quang-Joo the present capital of South Chulla-do This is the most fertile, and most thickly populated part of Korea. Every few miles one comes across large villages and towns; rice fields stretch for many miles and yield two crops a year—barley or wheat and rice. Hills are infrequent and not high and roads good. Rice, barley-beans, bamboo, as well as all the different articles made of it, native cotton and grass cloth, wood-varnish, dining-tables, writing desks, paper, and fans are sent out from there all over Korea. Since the port was opened the exports and imports have been increasing daily, and as Armore, the acting commissioner of customs, figuratively expressed himself, when the railroad connecting Mokpo with Seoul is built, it will not be long before Mokpo becomes the Shanghai of Korea. The port is growing very rapidly, and— we quote Mr. Armor again —when one does not go out for few days, he can easily notice the difference. There is in Mokpo a bank, an insurance company, a Japanese postoffice, Korean post and telegraph office, and a rice-mill. The steamers of the Soshien Kaisha have been regularly visiting there and from this spring the steamers of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha will also be calling there. As yet the foreign community consists only of Mr. Armore, a Roman Catholic missionary, Mr. and Mrs Bell and Dr. Owen.

We left Mokpo the morning of the 22nd but after a two hours’ sail met another ocean steamer Hyenik which informed us that she was just returning from Quelpart and, on account of the strong wind blowing there, had not been able to discharge her cargo and passengers. This because of the absence of a harbor or any kind of shelter. So we had to go bark to Mokpo and stay there all day. We started again at midnight and arrived at Quelpart next noon. We dropped anchor within about a mile of the shore. It was raining and windy and we had to wait half an hour, the steamer rolling all the time very unpleasantly, until a couple of Korean boats came out dancing over the waves. We managed to Ioad our boxes on one of the boats and, after half an hours soaking got our goods and ourselves to a fisherman’s hut outside of Chai-Joo. From that moment our troubles began. The rain did not stop pouring for seven days and nights. All the time we were shut up in a dark room of just six feet square and less than six feet high. There are many different hardships one undergoes in traveling over Korea, but to be imprisoned in a small room of a Korean hotel for several rainy days is almost more than one can endure. It is impossible to imagine what it is, and one has to experience it personally in order to get some idea of it. During the day it was so dark that we could read with difficulty. To reward ourselves for this we often lit in the evenings our five large candles at once. We got at last so desperate that we almost made up our minds to leave the island, as it seemed the rain was never going to stop. Fortunately on the eighth day it began to clear up and we became more hopeful. Next day was bright sunshine, and in spite of the deep mud we wanted to start at once, but discovered that there was a stream to be crossed which, on account of the recent rains, was so swollen that it would be impossible to get across. We waited another day and then left for our trip around. Before going we tried to get horses, but found that at this time of the year they were too weak to be ridden, and we had to deny ourselves the pleasure of exploring Quelpart on “The Korean Pony.” The road was much worse than even those of KanWon-do and beats everything of the kind I have ever seen; in fact, it hardly deserves to be called road if not for the want of another name. It is only two stone walls, and is all one mass of all possible sizes and shapes, Here and there the walls had fallen and blocked up the road entirely. The rains filled in the spaces between the stones with water and mud, and while it may be possible to pick one’s way when the road is dry, we had to stet from edge to edge over the stones, and, of course, many a time our feet would slip and get into a pool of water. As we were not able to lift our eyes for a moment from the ground, our heads soon began to swing and by noon I had a severe head-ache The road was ascending all the time, and this together with the other discomforts made the walking exceedingly difficult. After a walk of four hours in which we covered only six miles, we arrived at a village of a few huts where  after a half an hours quarrel between our Koreans and the villagers, the latter consented to cook some millet for the Koreans and some rice for us. After tiffin we continued our way and by dark reached again a few huts. We were told before that there were no inns on the whole island but that midway between the magistracies there were government houses built and kept on purpose for travelling officials to spend the nights. Being quite exhausted with our day’s walk —which by the way, was not more than thirteen miles—we were anticipating a comfortable night’s rest in the house kept by a considerate government. You may imagine what we felt when we were shown to a room less than six feet square and a little over five feet high, with mud-walls and ceiling black with smoke and cobwebs, a bare mud floor, a three foot door that would not shut, a pile of grain-filled baskets in one corner, and another pile of dirty, old winter clothes, stockings, old straw bags, jars, etc., that took up one-third of the room. This was the best part of the house. Next to it there was another room not so good as ours to which the keeper had removed his sick wife Our Koreans had taken their supper and gone to spend the night in an open shed although the thermometer was below freezing point. I thought that if the official who had built this house for the government was not one of the exiles, he ought to be. As soon as we could w crammed ourselves in between the old stockings and dirty walls and went to sleep. I suppose we would have slept as well on the ground in the open air. Fleas, bugs, etc., were of no consequence to us, although we could easily see in the morning many marks of their presence. Early next day we continued our journey. The first thirty li the road was fairly good. There were but a few stones, and we were now descending. However, the last twenty Ii the road was worse than ever—if it could be worse. On account of its descent, our feet were coming down with more force upon the sharp edges of the stones and although we kept our eyes close to the ground we were slipping, stumbling, and striking the stones all the time. Not a house was to be seen all the way and only after six hours rapid walking we reached the city of Tai-chang. As the road was approaching the town we noticed that it was paved, but the pavement was of such a kind that we prefered to walk in the mud. Having arrived in the town tired and hungry we were anxious to find some place where we could stretch our limbs and get something to eat. In reply to all our enquiries we were calmly told that there were no inns nor any houses suitable for our accomodation. There we were, sitting exhausted on a couple of stones, surrounded by a tremendous crowd gazing at us and making all sorts of remarks. After half an hour’s unsuccessful arguing with them, we. decided to go to the magistrate and get him to give us some place. We found the old man ill but were received very cordially. The Chusa was immediately sent to find a house for us. The magistrate was sorry we did not call at once, appologized for the indifference of the people, and, in fact, was so taken up by our visit that he did not seem to know how to do enough for us. While waiting for the return of the Chusa we were offered different refreshments, such as rice, pomeloes, honey, whisky, powdered Japanese

(continued on the eighht page.)

 CABINET CHANGES
This week marked another cabinet change and the new combination, to use a good political term, gives promise for the time being at least, of defeating a scheme on foot to raise Lady Om to the position of Empress. The Cabinet is conservative and as such will not introduce any innovations and we shall go along the even tenor of our ways. The request for a loan of three million yen from Russia, which we reported, is believed to lack proper support: the Japanese were approached with a similar proposition but tiw as not received with favor for the same reason.

WAR IN EARNEST
The situation in the Philippines remains about the same as at our last issue. For ten days from March 15 to March 25th there was almost continuous fighting around Manila. The Americans did not make any permanent advance until the 25th, but they seem to have been trying to discourage and tire out the insurgents. Heavy and continuous losses have occurred among the insurgents, and while the losses among the Americans have been small they will be felt. Colonel Egbert of the 22nd regiment was killed on the 25th. A German prince, Lowensteing, was also killed on that day while watching the battle. The Filipinos are certain that the Americans will meet with defeat as soon as they leave Manila, and therefore the Americans are moving very cautiously, perhaps too cautiously. Another rainy season is approaching and disease will work worse havoc than battle if great care is not taken.

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
Despatches from Hongkong dated March 26 state that on Saturday, March 25th, a battle was fought to the east of Caloocan in which 12,000 United States troops and 12 guns took part. The city of Malabon was birned and the insurgents retreated to Polo. The American loss was 22 killed including General Egbert who was killed while leading a charge, and 163 wounded.
A Peking despatch says that on the 22nd and 23rd of March the Empress Dowager caused secret instructions to be sent to the viceroys and governors of maritime provinces commanding them to resist by force any landing of foreign armed parties of men along the coast and holding said officials responsible for failure to obey.
In France Madame Dreyfus has been fined 100 francs for challenging three councillors.
The Pope’s health is much better and he has resumed the celebration of the mass.
A London despatch of March 24 says: Both England and France appear to be satisfied with the Nile Agreement. Lord Salisbury has gone to the Reviera. The Sirdar Lord Kitchener accepts the entire responsibility for disposal of the Mahdi’s remains, which were exhumed and thrown into the Nile. Lord Cromer entirely supports Lord Kitchener’s action.
Despatches from London in regard to Anglo-Russian differences under date of March 25 read as follows:
Negociations between Great Britain and Russia with regard to their differences in China have assumed practical shape, and an early conclusion is hoped.
The Daily Graphic states that, Russia has finally settled the Newchwang Railway difficulty ntirely to British satisfaction; the Tsar expressly intimating his desire to give a proof of his peaceful disposition on the eve of the disarmament conference.
A convention defining the respective spheres f influence will be signed shortly.

In regard to the difficulty between United States and Canada over the Alaskan boundary the Hon. W. St. J. Brodrick, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, has annoiunced in the House of Commons that the United States have proposed a “Modus Vivenda.”
The South African question keeps interesting as the following London dispatches show: A petition to the Queen signed by 21,000 “Uitlanders” has been presented to Sir Alfres Milner, “declaring that their position is intolerable and praying for enquiry.” The Times says, “Will President Kruger disregard the warnings given until it is too late/”
The Soudan railway has already reached fifty miles South of Atbara and will be completed in November next.
Late despatches from Apia in regard to the Samoan troubles state that Mataafa attacked Apia and during the fight three British and one American were killed. Later the Mtaafans were bombarded by the British and United States war vessels.
Italy is very much opposed to the Anglo-French agreement in regard to Africa as it excludes Italy’s occupation of the Tripoli hinterland.
A railway steamer, the Tella, on March 30th which was bound for Guernsey with 140 passengers struck rocks in a fog and sank in ten minutes. Over 80 persons were lost.
A later dispatch says that it is stated at Washington that the United States, Great Britain and Germany have come to an understanding in regard to the Samoan affair.

A four hours’ skirmish between Turkish and Bulgarian guards on their frontier has taken place and a number were killed and wounded.

OFEICIAL GAZETTE.

APPOINTMENTS.

April 10.—Sim Keui-sun, Prime Minister; Min Pyeng-sok, Minister of Education ; Min Yung-keui, Minister of Agriculture; Cho Pyung-jik, Minister of Finance; Pak Ja-son, Minister of Foreign Office; Yi Keun-ha, Minister of Home Office; Yi Ha-yung, Prime Minister.

COMPLIMENTS BY WIRE.

Hon. H. N. Allen arrived in safety in Fusan and on the 11 inst. telegraphed his “p. p. c.” to THE REPOSITORY. The message left Fusan at 12.40 p. m. and reached our office at 1.50 p. m.—an admirable record. THE REPOSITORY returns the compliments and wishes the Minister and his family a pleasant voyage and an early return to Korea.

A CORRECTION.

DEAR MR. APPENZELLER :

Please allow me to correct a statement in last week’s REPOSITORY, and with which I am concerned. The pears which I was able to keep till some time in March were Easter Beurres. As the name might indicate these are pears that ripen in the United States of America at about Easter time. The Kieffeis Hybrid is a late fall pear.

Yours truly, .

Wm. McE. DYE.

TO CHARITY BAZAR PATRONS.

The undersigned have the honor to express in the name of the Japanese Ladies’ Benevolent Society their sincerest thanks to those ladies and gentlemen who have shown their kind sympathy on the occasion of the Charity Bazaar which was held by that society on March 21st.

Due to their liberal disposition the sales of the bazaar and other contributions amounted to 700 yen; deducting from the same the expenses incurred there still remains some 500 yen which are to be used for the benefit of the poor and sick Koreans. With renewed thanks we are

sincerely yours,          

MRS. HIROKI

MRS. AKIDZUKI.

CITY AND COUNTRY.

The types or somebody got ahead of time. Last week’s edition was not April 10th but April  6th.

W. F Sands took charge of the United States Legation on the 8th inst. as Charge d’ Affairs ad interim,

Bishop Cranston will he in Korea on his second episcopal visit about the middle of May at which time the Annual Meeting of the Methodist Mission will be held tinder his presidency.

The Korean edition of the Independent was four years old on the 7th inst. Dr. Jaisohn, the founder, began it as a triweekly but last year in July under the editorship of Mr. Yun it became a daily.

We notice a tiny French flag displayed from day to day in the yard where the secretary of the French Legation lives. We wonder if the eagle eye of the police saw it and investigated the matter as they did that of the American lad.

Messrs. A. A. Pieters and A. A. Sykes of the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Rev J. S. Badcock of the English mission, left on the 12th inst. for an overland trip to Wonsan, via the Diamond Mountains. Mr. Pieters will continue his journey to Vladivostock and visit the Korean settlements in the Anum province.

Mrs. J. N. Jordan with her children went to Chemulpo last Thursday on her way to take passage for Europe. Her youngest child, less than a year old, was not feeling well at the time of leaving Seoul. When they reached the port the child became worse. The physician advised against exposing the child to the hardships of sea-travel. In view of this delay Mrs. Jordan has decided to defer until autumn her trip to Europe.

We notice the guard in front of the southern gate at Paichai school moved up of the knoll some time last week and later down to the well by Mr. Kenmure’s front gate. The guard consists of four men who either ornament the side stones of the well or sprawl over the street and interfere with travel. We should try to put up with grace the presence of a well-disciplined guard but to have four men, whose slovenly manners remind you more of loafers than soldiers is more than we ought to be expected to stand and we are quite prepared to hear the word “pass on.”

SHIPPING NEWS

ARRIVALS

March 28— Genkai from Chefoo; March 29—Kyeng Chae from Pyeong Yang; Higo from Japan; March 30—Sagami from Shanghai; April 6—Chita Mar from Pyeng Yang; Owari Maru from Chinampo; April 7—Kyeng Chae from Pyeong Yang; April 8—Chikugogawa from Japan; April 9—Higo from Chefoo; April 10—Tamegawa from Japan.

DEPARTURES

March 29—Genkai for Kobe; March 30—Higo for Chefoo; Cheta for Pyeng Yang; April 1—Sagami for Vladivostok; April 6—Hyenik for Kunsan and Fusan; April 7—Owari for Japan; April 9—Chento for Kunsan and Fusan; Kyeng Chai for Pyeng Yang; Chikugogawa liar Japan; April 10—Higo for Japan; April 11—Tamagawa for Chinampo.

Robert Barr, the novelist, says that he will wager he can step off a train at any village in England and at two out of every three houses receive an affirmative answer to the question: “Have you any relatives in America?”

A VISIT TO QUELPART.

(Continued from third page.)

sugar, and pipes which a servant carefully lit by taking a few puffs from them. After some time the Chusa returned and escorted us to our lodgings. This was the usual six foot room. only this time its two doors opened, one into a cow-house and the other into a stable. Whatever purpose these doors might serve they certainly were not intended for letting in fresh air. We spent three days in this close proximity to cows and horses. On the fourth day though it was raining in the morning, by noon it began to clear up and we started off, but before long the sky seemed to have changed its mind and it began again to rain. We had to walk some ten li under the rain and by the time we reached a shelter we were well soaked Next morning it was bright sunshine, and we went on. The distance to the next place where we could spend the night was seventy li. This on good roads is an easy day’s walk. But here, try as we would, night overtook us long before we reached the place. For an hour and a half we had to walk in the pitch dark over a narrow stony path, and one can easily imagine how happy we were. However, in spite of a few scratches, strikes and bruises our poor feet had received, on reaching the house we considered ourselves fortunate for not having broken our necks. Next day the sky was again threatening, but we decided to go on all the same. We were rewarded for our persistence with a good shower bath. By noon in the midst of a downpour we arrived at our destination—the city of Chang-ni. Here again there were no inns; again we had to go to the magistrate. We found he was asleep and, as none of the runners dared to awake hint, we had to wait. We soon got tired of it and insisted that one of the runners find us a house without waiting until the magistrate made up his mind to rise. They would not listen and insisted upon our waiting. But being hungry and wet we were not to be trifled with and spoke to them pretty sharply. That made them get up, and soon we were taken to an uninhabited mouldy government house. We proceeded at once to open our boxes, heated a can of soup, made some tea and got ready to have something to eat. We had barely taken a few mouthfuls, when wild yells outside announced the coming of the magistrate. In a few minutes he arrived with some twenty men, four boys ranging in front of him, one carrying his four foot long pipe, one his umbrella, one his official seals, and one his tobacco box. Of course we had to drop our dinner and entertain him which was not an easy matter as his call lasted fully three hours. Next day he paid us another short visit of some three or four hours and, when bidding us good-bye he said he would try and see us again next day. Hearing this we became quite alarmed, and next morning in spite of the strong north wind we decided to go on. The wind blew with such force that it was difficult to go against. It was so cold that before starting I had to put on my overcoat and suggested the same to Mr. Kenmure. He laughed at me saying he was not a hot house plant, and started without his overcoat. Soon though, to keep himself warm he had to quicken his paces and left us behind. Not knowing the road it did not take him long to lose it, and when we reached the place for dinner, he was not there and none of the wayfarers had seen him. I was certain that not knowing the names of the villages where we had intended to take tiffin and spend the night, he would not be able to enquire the road. So I sent out a Korean to find him while we proceeded. When we reached the place where we expected to stop, it was only five o’clock. The distance from there to Chai-poo being only twenty li (or seven miles), I decided to go on and finish my journey over the island. I instructed the villagers if Mr. Kenmure came to direct him to Chai-poo, and thus the coolies and I went on. But when we arrived at Chai-poo we found Mr. Kenmore there already. After finding he had lost the way he decided to go straight to Chai-poo inquiring the road as he went, and reached there after walking all day without rest or food. It was a great relief to think that our trip around the island was at last finished:

(To be continued)