Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/171

 Chapter VL SINLO. The kingdom of Sinlo occupied the southern portion of the Oorean peninsula It spread up along the east coast, from Futon in the south, to the Toomun in the north, and ruled over much of the northern portion of modem Corea. It was established last of the three kingdoms ; Gaoli being before Baiji, the latter before Smlo. Sinlo was originally one of the twelve tribes of Chunhan, sometimes called Chin (Tsin) han, from the belief that its original inhabitants were adherents of the Tsin dynasty, who fled thither when the dynasty was broken up by the Han. It is said that Mahan gave up that land to them, and that the fugitives divided into six, then into twelve " Kingdoms/' Sinlo, one of the twelve, gradually became supreme in Chunhan as Baiji had done in Mahan. The first king of Sinlo was a Baiji man, which caused Sinlo to regard Baiji as its superior. But, having gradually become powerful, extending its borders northwards, it refused to act as a dependant, and instant enmity was the result Baiji, wishing to enforce its authority, borrowed Qaoli help and overthrew Sinlo in battle, but was unable ultimately to retain the lands it had then secured. This only increased the mutual hate, and Sinlo was at one time so powerful that it slew a King of BaijL A state of war was the normal condition between the two. One of the Swi magistrates of Shensi, was the Li yuen mentioned above* He was a worthy man, who mourned over the lamentable condition of his ruined country. His son was a fiery young man, who had no sympathy with a grief which, in such circumstances, did not lead to action ; and if he grieved, he burned with desire to p. 142.