Page:Illustrations of China and Its People vol. IV.pdf/57



COREANS is one of the nations tributary to China, and although her king may be esteemed an independent sovereign, he yet sends an annual embassy of tribute-bearers to Peking. I happened to be in that capital in 1871 when that embassy arrived, and I was lortunate in obtaining a single picture (No. 46) of two of the officers. I was much struck with what I may term the European type of their countenances, and, judging from the ambassadors and their retainers whom I saw at the Corean quarter, the facial characteristics which I then remarked would seem to be common to their race. I was also favourably impressed with the spotless purity of their garments, which were almost entirely of white. The apartments in which they dwelt were also so scrupulously clean that one was reluctant to set down a dusty foot upon the white shining straw mats. The walls, too, were covered with paper tough in texture, and of the purest white. The gentlemen of the embassy seemed timid about holding intercourse with Europeans. On one occasion, I found an American ambassador there engaged in a discussion with the chief Corean minister. They could not understand each other's language, and for reasons of their own they had not employed a Chinese to interpret, so that the conversation was carried on in Chinese writing.

Judging from what we know of the pluck of the Coreans, the Japanese, if it be true that they are going to war with them, will have hot work before them. Chinese who have visited Corea describe the country and people in glowing terms. Its inhabitants are said to be skilful as tillers of the soil, as traders, and as workers in metal. The Corean swords are remarkable for their temper, and their guns and armour for dexterity in workmanship.

Williamson tells us that the Emperor of the Tang dynasty (a.d. 645) had hard fighting to expel the Coreans from the country east of Lian-ho district, which they had occupied for 260 years.

They still live in isolation, only holding fairs at fixed localities outside a definite barrier line, and they repel all attempts at closer trading relations even with their neighbours the Chinese. The soil of Corea is said to be productive, and her numerous mountain chains abound in mineral wealth.