Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/392

 BB 362 OOV£BNM£^'T. suffer materially by shutting up the Corean-gate market ! Two Corean merchants, who smuggled in those cottons at that time^ lost their heads, as did two assistants. It was only on the accession of the present young king that the prohibition was- removed, and western Coreans were again permitted to dress in their beloved English cottons. If a Chinaman is known to have landed on any part of the coast, accessible to the knowledge of the nearest local magistrate ; this magistrate is responsible for his apprehension, and must answer with his head if he connives at the Chinaman's escape. Once a year there is an important national tribute, under charge of high officials, sent to Peking; which is taken advantage of largely by Corean merchants, who act as the retinue of these tribute bearers, or are permitted for a gratuity to do so, in order to sell their gold and ginshang in Peking. There are other less important embassies during the year. The chiefs of the embassy get a passport for each man in his train ; and if it is known that any follower overstays his term, he is punished on his return to Corea ; but those who do prolong their stay after the return of the tribute bearers, always take care to return with the following embassy, and thus escape detection. A man I saw with a front tooth knocked out was more unlucky. He went in the usual manner to Peking with a bundle of medicines ; for Corean medicines are in high repute in China. His story was, that having got to Tientsin he was called in to see the sick son of the viceroy, Li Hungchang. He treated the youth successfully ; and remained three years under the roof of the grateful father, who, when he was starting for home, gave him Tls. 100 (jP30) to buy himself a horse &c. Mr Tien got to the west bank of the Liao on his way home, when he was beset by robbers and plundered, after losing that tooth. The story may or may not be true, but we know that then all Manchuria was infested with robbers, and the story did not appear on that account improbabla As the local magistrate is nominally responsible for everything which happens in his district, Tien went to the Tamen, and demanded the restitution of his lost fortune ; whereupon arose a