Page:In Korea with Marquis Ito (1908).djvu/36

 of the District, when hunting in the early morning more than three centuries ago, looked out to sea and to his amazement saw myriads of foreign-looking boats filled with armed men approaching the bay. It. was the army sent by Hideyoshi for the invasion of the peninsula. The Korean magistrate hastened to his- official residence in the town, but scarcely had he arrived when the Japanese fortes were upon him and had taken possession of everything. In twenty-one days the invaders were in. Seoul. But according to the universal custom of the country when invaded, from whatever quarter and by whomsoever, the cowardly court a motley horde of king, concubines, eunuchs, sorcerers, and idle officials had fled; then a Korean mob burned and sacked the deserted palace and did what well could be done toward desolating the city.

For seven years the Japanese held Southern Korea, even after their navy had been destroyed, so as to make it impossible to transport reinforcements sufficient to meet the combined forces of the Chinese and the Koreans. It was the fear of a similar experience which, centuries later, made them so careful first to incapacitate the Russian navy as a matter of supreme importance. On another low hill to the right, our attention was directed to the remnants of one of the forts built at the time by the invading Japanese ; and further inland, the train ran near to traces of the wall which they erected for the defence of their last hold upon the conquered country. Even then "the people hated them with a hatred which is the legacy of centuries; but could not allege anything against them, admitting that they paid for all they got, molested no one, and were seldom seen outside the yamen gates..

On the wharf at Fusan there were waiting to welcome us the local Resident, the manager of the Fusan-Seoul Railway, and other Japanese officials all fine-looking men with an alert air and gentlemanly bearing. The official launch conveyed