Page:The history of Korea, v2 (1905).djvu/130

118 of tile Maiichus to cross under fire of certain huge cannon which they had planted on the opposite bink. When the shot from these began kicking up the dust about Gen. Kim he found he was urgently needed elsewhere and was hardly re- strained by the indignant outcry of his lieutenants. The Manchus were then seen boarding their strange craft and in the very fore front came a raft with seventeen men who held shields in one hand while they paddled with the other. Admiral Chang Sin was lower down with a fleet of boats and he made desperate efforts to come to the place where this crossing was taking place, but the tide which runs there like a mill-race was against him and he could make no headway at all. He simply stood in his boat and beat his breast with anger and chagrin. Kang Sin-suk was farther up the estuary with other boats and he hastened to come down ; but it was too late. The first raft full of Manchus had gained a foothold on the island. The Koreans found their powder wet and the arrows exhaust- ed. As a consequence the whole force, numbering about two hundred men, turned and fled before seventeen Manchus. These men paced up and down the shore waiting for reinforce- ments, for which they had signalled. Gen. Kim had already fled in a small boat, which finally lauded him far down the coast. Then the whole Mauchu army made its way across, some on rafts and some in boats which were sent from the is- land. The Crown Princess wanted to make her escape with her little two year old boy, but the Manchu soldiers at the gate of the fortress would not let her come out. She then gave the boy to Kim In and he managed to get through the lines and escape to the main land with the child, which he took to Tang-jin in Ch'ung-ch'ung Province. The Princess attempted suicide with a knife but did not succeed. The Manchus called out to Minister Yun Pang and said, "We will occupy the right side of the fortress and you and the royal personages and other persons of high degree can occupy the other side.'' They then took all the common people outside the North Gate of the fortress and set them in long lines. These people were all wondering what was about to happen, when out came a standard bearer carrying a red flag and be- hind him came a soldier with a bared sword. Walking along the lines they cut down every one of these innocent,