Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/305

 COBEA DISAFFECTED. 281 kingdom has looked upon the Chinese government as your father, yet it has entirely ceased to give you any grain. We wish now to act the part of elder brother for once. Even though we know you are unwilling to recognise this relationship, when Koong and Qung came over to us with ships, we at once seized the opportunity, and now forward you com in these vessels. We look in return for the restoration of those fugitives from Hwining,* and the men of Boojantai, about whom we have so frequently sent you detailed information, and whom you have employed in rebuilding Hwang, Hai, Ping, An, and other •cities, twelve in all, in three different provinces." The Coreans were also upbraided for stopping the market for exchange at the " Gate,*' for ceasing to deliver the tribute of satin and cotton, and for deteriorating the quality of ginsheng. The original price of this article, mutually agreed to, was sixteen ounces of silver per ounce. The Coreans afterwards stopped the tribute of ginsheng, and gave instead nine ounces of silver ; hence the complaint The ginsheng of Ninguta known to Han dynasty, produced violent diarrhoea if half a catty were eaten ! The Coreans were also blamed for interfering with Manchu operations against Warka, because the people were Nujun, and therefore of the same " family " as the Manchus. The Manchus set up the plea now so common in wars of aggression in Europe, — ^that of identity of raca In the spring of 1634, Taidsoong was desirous to come to terms with the Chinese emperor ; and asked the Corean king to transmit his letter, for hfs former letters had all miscarried. The king, instead of doing so, informed the Chinese commandant of Pi island, that he was anxious no terms should be made with the Manchus ; and sent a messenger to Taidsoong, stating that he could neither deliver up the fugitives, nor open the market at the gate. This messenger also assumed an arrogant tone, and desired to seat himself above the Manchu ministers in order to Boojantai vaa the last prince of Woola in the same neighboorhood.
 * Hwining is an ancient city east, and in the neighbonriiood of Ifingguta; and