Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/304

 1 280 COBEA. own, fearing his reputation might by and by be overshadowed by Mao. This latter is probably the correct reason ; for the death of Mao so shocked the Chinese emperor, that he recalled Choonghwan to Peking. He was, however, again employed by the succeeding emperor ; but^ in 1629, he was put to death by one of the cleverest stratagems of the Manchus.* The death of Mao deprived the islands of the south-east coast of Liaotung and south-west and west of Corea of their master, and most of his soldiers disbanded and crossed to Shantung. The Manchus were eager to take possession of the islands, and ordered the Corean king to provide the necessary vessela On the third day after the arrival of the ambassador, the king, who was ready to submit to have his hands bound down, rebelled from the idea of active hostility against the Chinese, who, he said, had been to him a father ; and how could he attack his own father? By this act he annulled the former treaty. In 1 633, a despatch was forwarded to the Corean king, accusing him of neglecting to pay the promised tribute, of harbouring fugitives, of encroaching on Manchu ginsheng and pasture land^ of deliberating to withdraw and send no more ambassadors, and of threatening to stop the Taloo market But in the summer of this year, the assistance of the Coreans was rendered less essential by the desertion of three men, afterwards very famous, who had served under Mao Wunloong, and who had, at his death, gone across to Shantung, got commissions, revolted, were defeated, took ship, and recrossed the gulf to join the Manchus with twenty thousand soldiera These were Koong Yoodua, Shang Kosi,f and Qung Joongming ; afterwards occupying such important positions under the Manchus in the south of China Immediately on their arrival, some vessels were laden with grain, and sent to Corea with an epistle stating: — "Tour fPtofesBor Douglas in bli aitiole on "China" in Biit Encsrdop., divides, in flome mysterious manner, the Chinese empire between this " ShsAg Kohe ** andtfaa rebel Li Tsse Ching, both agreeing to fight against the Kanchus. Bnt this is only <me of several inoonect statements in that article..
 * See Manchn History.