A VISIT TO QUELPART.

A. A. PIETERS

(Continued from last issue.)

The island of Quelpart or as Dr Griffis in his fantastic book on Korea calls it—the Sicily of Korea, or as Koreans call it, Chai-Jo, is the largest island of the Korean archipelago and is situated south of the peninsula at a distance of some fifty miles from the mainland. The shape of the island is ellipticaI and straight lines drawn between the two farthest and two nearest points thro the center would be forty and seventeen miles long. As you approach the island from the north at a distance of twenty miles it looks like an isosceles, the two sides rising at angle of about seventeen degrees and only near the top turning a little steeper—something like Namsan as you look at it from the north gate of Seoul. The island rises gradually all around from the edges towards the center where the foot of Mount Auckland, or Whallaisan, is planted.

All over the island are scattered small conical hills, which look very insignificant before the cloudy peak of Whallai-san rising to the height of 6558 feet The origin of the island is decidedly volcanic, the mountain being most probably an extinct volcano. The flow of lava was toward the north and south-southwest, the streams being, the first, some twenty miles wide along the coast of the island and the second, some thirty miles. Thus the lava covered two-fifths of the whole area of the island. This part of it is very stony and very difficult to cultivate and gigantic labor must have been spent in trying to clear the fields of the innumerable stones. Often on a field of one acre there will be four or five piles of stone eight or ten feet high. Another way of disposing of these stones was to build walls between the fields, so that from the top of one of the small hills the land seems to be covered with a large irregular net. The other three fifths of the Island is almost free from stones and the soil is black and rich. The mountain slopes gradually towards the east and the west, but comes down abruptly in large ravines towards the south and especially towards the north.

On the top of the mountain there is a small, round lake and at the bottom of one of the ravines another large lake. The first one is probably the old crater filled with water from the melting snow. We were told that ice lies on the top until June, altho the climate on the island is so warm that cabbage grows all winter in the open air. When we were there, towards the end of February, the grass in some places was four inches high and on the southern coast flowers were blooming. In spite of that a third of the mountain was covered with deep snow which would make all attempts to climb to the top useless. All the mountain as well as the hills to the east of it are covered with thick woods of oak. In these forests deer, wild hogs, hares and other animals abound but there are no tigers or bears. The hills that have no trees on them, are covered with the peculiar short Korean grass which makes such fine lawns. This grass is much prettier in Quelpart than anywhere on the mainland and often one comes across natural lawns of four or five hundred yards square, with not a weed on them and all covered as with a heavy velvet carpet. The coast of Quelpart is void of harbors or any shelters, rocky, and the numerous small islands which are scattred so thickly all along the southern and western coast of Korea, are absent here.

This absence of shelter together with the constant strong winds makes navigation very difficult.

One is surprised at the absence of streams and springs. In making our trip around the island we came across only two streams, and that after a whole week of rains. While there are some powerful springs in the city of Chai-Joo, in the other two magistracies there are no springs nor any wells and the people have to use rain water gathered in artificial ponds. Where the water from the melting snow on the mountain goes is a mystery.

As I above mentioned there are three magistracies on the island: Chai-joo on the northern coast, the capital and the seat of the Governor (Mok-sa); Tai-Chung on the southwest coast and Chung-Ui in the east part of the island. All the three cities are walled. Chae-Joo counts some twelve hundred houses. Tai-Chung, four hundred, and Chung-Ui three hundred. The distance from Chai-Joo to Tai-Chung is ninety li, from there to Chung-Ui a  hundred and thirty li; and from Chung-Ui to Chai-Joo seventy li. Until the war the island belonged to Chullado; soon after the war it was made independent, and again when Korea was divided into thirteen provinces, Quelpart was put under the jurisdiction of the Governor (Quan-chul-sa) of South Chulla-do. On the whole island there are said to be about a hundred villages and some hunched thousand people. These figures are given by the Koreans and of course are probably not quite true. All the villages lie either along the coast where the people can raise some rice or at the foot and along the sides of the mountain where fuel is plentiful and where Irish potatoes grow very well. The space between the shore and the foot of the mountain is not populated and long stretches of rich soil lie uncultivated. Only those woods and fields that are near the towns and larger villages have owners. All the rest of the island belongs to nobody and anyone may come and cut the trees or cultivate the ground. An oxload of wood which a man has to bring on his ox for ten or fifteen miles is sold in the cities for twelve cents. Of the cereals raised on the Island millet takes the first place, and this is the main article of diet. Rice is a luxury and is eaten only by well-to-do people in the cities. In the villages the people never use it. This on account of the scarceness of rice fields, of which there are only a few along the coast. The little rice there is mostly brought from the mainland. Besides millet, rice and Irish potatoes, the people raise barley, wheat; buck wheat, beans, sweet potatoes, tobacco, vegetables and a few other less important cereals. Of fruits peaches, oranges and pomeloes are the only things that grow there. Of animal food the islanders, like the people of the mainland, eat very little. It consists of beef, horse and dog meat, pork, game, fish and pearl oysters. Crabs, common oysters and all the different kinds of clams that are so plentiful on the southern and western coasts of Korea are absent in the Quelpart waters. Owing to the rocky bottom of the sea very little, if any, net fishing is done and the fish is mostly caught with hooks. For going out into the sea to fish boats are not employed. Instead of them people go out on small rafts made of some ten short logs with a platform built a foot above them to which an oar is fastened. Instead of the tiny little frames not more than eight inches long, used by the fishermen on the mainland for fastening the string, the Quelpart fisherman uses regular rods made of bamboo some twelve feet long, and Iack of fish, clams, etc., is supplied by the abundance of pearl oysters and seaweed, which are both used on the island and exploited. The pearl oysters are very large some measuring ten inches in diameter, and very fleshy. Unlike other oysters, it has only one. shell, which is often used by the Koreans as an ash tray and of which mother of pearl is obtained. Covered with this shell as with a roof the oyster lies fastened to a rock. Its meat is considered a luxurious dish and one oyster costs as much as six cents on the island. Pearls are but very seldom found in the oyster. For export, the oysters are torn out of the shell, the intestine bag cut off, the meat cleaned, dried and strung on thin sticks. Altho white when fresh the color changes to a dark red, like that of a dried apricot. They can be seen displayed in the native grocery shops in Seoul, flat reddish disks of about four or five inches in diameter fastened by tens with a thin stick stuck thro them.

Of the seaweeds there are several different kinds: some are as rich, used as fertilizers, some are used for food and some are sold to the Japanese for making carbonate of soda. The first kind is gathered on the sea shore, but the other two have to be obtained from the bottom of the sea. It is strange to say that the diving for these weeds as well as for the pearl oysters is entirely done by women. Dressed in a kind of bathing suit with a sickle in one hand and gourd with a bag tied to it in front of them, they swim out from the shore as far as half a mile; boats cannot be afforded and there dive, probably a depth of forty or fifty feet, to the bottom, cut the weeds with the sickle, or if they find a pearl oyster, tear it off from the stone, and then put it into the bag which is kept floating by the gourd. They do not go back before the bag is filled, which often takes more than half an hour. AItho they are magnificent swimmers, one cannot help admiring their endurance, when he thinks that this work is begun as early as February. Of late the Japanese supplied with diving apparatus have been coming to Quelpart and catching all the pearl oysters, so that the poor women have  to be satisfied with the weeds only. The magistrates told us that these Japanese never asked for permission nor paid anything for catching the pearl oysters. If it is so, the imposition upon the weak Koreans is surprising.

The Quelpart women not only dive for weed and oysters but do the largest part of all work. Even ox loads of grain are brought to the city market for sale by women. The carrying of the water is also done entirely by the women, who have often to go a long distance to fetch it. For carrying the water they use broad low pitchers set in a basket, which is fastened with strings around the shoulders and carried on the back. I never saw this done anywhere else in Korea as it is considered very disgraceful for a woman to carry anything on her back. I was told by the Koreans whom we had with us, that if on the mainland a man made his wife to do so, he would be driven out of the village Native hats, hair bands and skull-caps, which are

(Continued on the eighth page)

BIBLE SOCIETY DAY.

The pastor of the Union Church in Seoul announces his intention to observe the first Sunday in May as Bible Society Day. The immense and very fundamental work done by the Bible societies should receive, in his judgment, some fitting public recognition annually by the missionaries and Korean Christians. The first Sunday in May is selected because at that time similar meetings are held in England. The subject should he presented to the Korean congregations as well and their sympathies enlisted for the advancement of this work. The time seems opportune to begin the observance of a day and we doubt not any Missionaries who wish to observe the day and desire any assistance can readily obtain it by applying to our resident agent of the Bible Society.

GRADUATION OF THE NORMAL CLASS.

. The normal class under Professor Hulbert was graduated last Saturday, the 15th inst., in the presence of the Minister of Education. The course had covered two years and had included the whole subject of arithmetic, and European and Asiatic geography, in addition to the various Chinese studies which form two-thirds of the curriculum. Out of thirty men four failed to receive a grade of mark that would warrant graduation, but we are told the professor strongly objected to the graduation of a number of the other men who, in his estimation, were incompetent. A new class will be appointed soon and we are pleased to learn that the course will be made to cover five years study instead of two. If the government contemplates using these graduates as teachers, five years is the minimum of inspiration that should be required

PROFESSOR HULBERT ON THE JAPANESE INVASION OF KOREA IN 1592

Readers of the Japan Mail are to be congratulated on having an opportunity to read Professor Hulbert’s studies and researches on the great invasion three hundred years ago. The first installment appears in the weekly edition of the 8th ins. The professor claims in the introductory note that this is the “first exhaustive account that has been attempted from purely Korean sources and from the Korean standpoint.” The Repository in 1892 published a series of articles on the invasion prepared by Rev. George Heber Jones and originally read before the Christian Literary Union. This paper, no doubt less exhaustive than the account we are now promised was based on purely Korean sources and at the time attracted much attention. Professor Hulbert thinks “the account, as here compiled from a number of independent sources, which a long residence in Korea and the kindness of many Korean gentlemen have placed in the writer’s hands, will go far to prove that the Korean is possessed of a fair amount of the historical instinct. * * * It must be remembered that at the time when these events occurred Korea was immeasurably ahead of Japan in the matter of literary attainment and general culture, and it must not for a moment be supposed that the present relative status of the two countries can be taken as a gauge of the relative accuracy of this great war.”

The first chapter opens with the accession to the throne of Prince Ha-song in 1568, and who is known it history as King Sunjo So-kyeng Tai Wang, the reforms proposed, the invasion by the Ya-in on the other side of the Yalu, rise of political parties; border warfare; and the condition of affairs in Korea and Japan on the eve of the war are contrasted. H. G. A.

A NEW DANGER TO THE EMPIRE.
The latest story going the rounds to the city is to the effect that the French missionaries applied for permission to quarry stones of suitable size for the steps leading up to the cathedral. After due consideration by the Korean authorities the request was declined on the specious plea, that if this concession were granted all the other nations would make similar demands and after a little there would be no stones left for the Koreans themselves. Our sympathies are in this matter wholly with the Koreans. So much so that only a few days ago when we found an enterprising coolie picking up the loose stones in a by-lane near our house in order to sell them to the builder of the Ewa School building, we had him dump his load in our own yard. It grieves us to see all the fine loose stone in front of the Palace gate, where the Independents made their speeches last fall while moons waxed and waned: picked up to the very last one. It gives us a new and strange feeling not to be able to stub our toes against these impediments in our streets. Then again stones are convenient in the time of political excitement and there is no reason why the one weapon for both offensive and defensive purposes in which the Korean thoroughly believes should be taken from him. We join with our fellow residents of this goodly city and say, hang on to your stones, you may need them before the next vernal stone fight.

British revenue returns for the year ending March 31st show a net increase of £1,841,039. (Page 6) 

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY.

(COMMUNICATED.)

Last Tuesday, the 18th inst., was the 25th anniversary of the day when His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan bestowed the Military Banner to the 18th regiment. To celebrate the day, Col. Ota, the commander, invited some hundred officers and officials, both Korean and Japanese, as well as numerous residents in Chinkokai, to the barracks. At half past eleven, when all the guests had assembled, Commander Ota conducted them thro the rooms where the soldiers had prepared in caricature several historical figures. The figures were very funny and afforded much amusement to the guests After some skillful fencing, elaborate and excellent refreshments were served. These dainties were specially prepared by the members of the regiment. Col. Ota delivered a short speech in which he stated the Banner had been used in three wars. The first, in the Saigo rebellion; then in the Japan-China war and lastly in Formosa. Minister Kato in a few words expressed his appreciation of the invitation to attend these ceremonies and concluded by proposing to drink to the health of His Imperial Japanese Majesty, the Emperor. Hon. Min Yongwhan followed in a few words of thanks in behalf of the Korean guests.

It was two o’clock or later when the wrestling between the soldiers began which as usual on such occasions was entered into with enthusiasm and the winners were awarded prizes.

In the evening the soldiers gave a theatrical performance. They were dressed in gorgeous garments, and had their faces painted and rendered several historical pieces quite as skillfully as professional actors would have done.

CITY AND COUNTRY.

Mr. I. F. O’Neil, formerly connected with the English Consulate here, was appointed and has entered upon the duties as examiner in the customs at Chemulpo.

Miss M. L. Tate and Miss M. B. Ingold, M. D., of Chun-ju were in Seoul the last week the guests of Mrs. Gifford.

Mrs. J. N. Jordan with her four children left Korea last week for Europe and was not detained by the illness of the baby as we announced. We are glad to learn that they arrived safely in Shanghai and that they will be able to take the steamer they had intended to take.

Mr. Hirai, Secretary of the Japanese Consulate at Chemulpo, met with a very sad accident while out shooting last Sunday, the 16th inst. He was shooting snipe with a double barrel gun; he cocked both barrels, fired one at some snipe and then rested the gun on the ground by his side, the hammer touched something and the gun exploded and he received the full charge in the right side of the head. The muzzle was only two or three inches from his head and he was killed instantly.

The Commercial News (Sang Moo Chong Po) states that at the annual picnic of Paichai School the president of the school and one of the tutors “fearlessly and at great length harangued the students and then returned.” This is to be read in the light of the fact that to this organ of the “travelling merchants” the word we translated “harangued” is a stench in its undefiled nostrils. Neither of the persons mentioned by name spoke on the occasion referred to and the slur on “discussion” is therefore lost.

THE GUARD AGAIN.

For genuine ability to ignore the rights of others whether in the private grounds of the individual or on the public thoroughfare commend us to the Korean soldiery in Chongdong. In our last issue we protested against the guard lolling around the front gates of foreigners. We doubt not they are placed there for some sufficient reason unknown to us but that is no reason why they should take up the whole street, swing their gun with fixed bayonets around so as to make it dangerous for ladies to pass by.

We know of one instance where a brave brought his gun with fixed bayonet uncomfortably close to the face of a foreign lady who was trying to thread her way thro their “broken” ranks. A gentleman told us as he was coming by on his wheel, one of the loungers attempted to try his bayonet on the tire of the wheel. We do not protest against the guards being stationed along the streets, but we think we have a right to expect them to behave in an orderly, not to say soldierly, manner, and not interfere or endanger travel. At present they are a nuisance, pure and simple.

SHIPPING NEWS:

ARRIVALS

April 12—Genkai from Japan; April 13—Meiyo from Japan; Kyeng Chae from Pyeng Yang; April 15— Tamagawa from Chemulpo; April 16—Kisogawa from Japan; April 17—Kyeng Chae from Kunsan.

DEPARTURES.

April 13—Genkai for Chefoo; April 14 — Kyeng Chae for Kunsan; April 15—Meiyo for Pyeng-Yang; Hairiong for Wonsan; April. 16 —Tamagawa for Japan via Korean ports.

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

News under date April 4th to the Hongkong Press states that the United States Commissioner; have issued a proclamation to the Filipinos outlining the attitude and requirements of the United States. Also that every day sees many of the natives leaving the army for their homes. General Otis has returned to America. Great Britain, Germany and the United States have finally settled on a tripartite commission concerning Samoa. Malieton Tam was crowned King of Samoa on March 23rd in the presence of British and American representatives

The Dreyfus case is still dragging on, the evidence now for, now against Dreyfus. The question seems to hang on who was the author of the “bordereau,’; but the testimony is very unsatisfactory and almost contradictory.

Reuter understands that the negotiations between Russia and Great Britain have extended to other questions besides China with a view to the adjustment of all difficulties whether present or contingent.

Dispatches in regard to the Cape to Cairo railroad say that Germany has given the necessary guarantee upon the capital for the German section. Mr. Rhodes has abandoned the idea of a British guarantee for the Tanganyika railroad and intends to raise the capital without a guarantee.

The Anglo French African agreement is receiving much attention in the dispatches. In the terms of the new agreement Great Britain retains Bahr Ghazi and Durfur, whilst France takes Wadai, Bagirmi, and the territory to the east and north of Lake Chad. Great Britain also recognises the French sphere westward of a line extending south of the Tropic of Cancer along the border of the Libyan Desert to the fifteenth parallel. The signatories mutually concede equality of commercial treatment in the region between the Nile.

‘PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

A correspondent of the Manila Times is responsible for information in regard to likely nominations for the presidential ticket in the United States. He says that the Republican ticket will probably be McKinley and Roosevelt. A most popular combination it must be said. Bryan and Achley seem to be the likely winners at the Democratic convention. The sound money Democrats have tried to get Admiral Dewey to consent to head their ticket but he has emphatically declined.

A VISIT TO QUELPART.

(Continued front third page,)

extensively manufactured on the island are also mostly made by women. In fact the women of Quelpart might be called the Amazonians of Korea. They not only do all the work but greatly exceed the men in number, and on the streets one meets three women to one man. This is because so many men are away sailing. The women are more robust and much better looking than their sisters on the mainland. As almost everything is done by the women, there remains nothing else for the man to do but to loaf, and to do them credit they do it well. Except a scanty shop here and there in which a man is presiding with a long pipe in his mouth it is very difficult to find a man doing something. For this, however, they are not any better off, as all the islanders seem to be strikingly poor. Not only the food, but the clothes and houses are much worse than on the mainland. Dog skins are extensively used for making clothes. Hats, the shape of a tea-cup, overcoats, leggings like those worn by the Chinese and stockings are all made of dog skin with the hair outside, which for greater warmth are used untanned. A suit of such clothes is handed down from generation to generation, and the smell of it is far from being sweet. The women’s clothes as well the men’s trousers and shirts are made of native or Manchester sheeting. To make the sheeting stronger they dip it into the juice pressed out of some kind of a wild persimmon. This makes it a dirty brown color, which saves the trouble of washing it. The cloth is thus worn until it falls to pieces. Besides skin hats the men also use felt hats of the same shape as those worn by the Seoul chair coolies, only much larger, the brims measuring more.than two feet in diameter. The one exception in respect of clothes is made by the people in the magistracies who wear the same white clothes and black hats as the people on the mainland. The houses consist of one six foot room and an open kitchen. The walls, ceiling and floor of the room are bare, and the floor has no flues for heating it. Instead of this a large hole is dug in the floor of the kitchen and in the cold weather a fire is kept there day and night. Around this fire they eat, work, and sleep. This again is different in the cities where the houses are much the same as on the mainland. All the houses with a few exceptions are thatched. On account of the strong winds the thatch is fastened by a net of straw ropes two inches thick and eight inches apart.

(To be continued)

Malietoa, whose succession to the throne is opposed by the German consul, is the noblest born of all Samoans, and a direct descendant through twenty-three generations of Saven Molietoa. He was carefully educated in the mission school, and, though a brave warrior, he is generally of a retiring and unassuming disposition. He is studious in his habits, and among his subjects he is considered a man of great learning, while his abilities for diplomacy and statesmanship have been frequently displayed. Mataafa, his rival claimant for the throne, is a man of great force of character and a rigid Roman Catholic.

STUDENTS OF KOREAN Can Get SCOTT’S MANUAL AND DICTIONARY At The CHONG-NO BOOK STORE  Or Of H. G. APPENZELLER,

Price of Each  2.50 gold yen