14 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



curved line extending from the lobe of the nose on each side is a 

 sign of starvation. 



Palmists also exist in Korea ; thus the line of life in the left 

 hand indicates long life, as it does in our palmistry ; the same 

 line in the right hand, however, indicates position. A line corre- 

 sponding to our line of heart in the left hand indicates riches, 

 while the same line in the right hand indicates power. The num- 

 ber of wrinkles at the base of the little finger, on the outside in 

 the left hand indicates the number of brothers one will have, 

 while in the right hand it indicates the number of sons to be 

 expected. Other lines occur in the palm of the hand between the 

 line of life and the line of heart, and these often have a fanciful 

 resemblance to some Chinese character. A combination of these 

 lines resembling the character for water is considered most pro- 

 pitious, because water is unlimited, and man can not do without 

 it. Here the Korean chiromancer is far ahead of his Occidental 

 brother in idiocy, for he can make out many ideograms in the 

 fortuitous wrinkles in the center of the palm. 



A familiarity with the language would undoubtedly reveal 

 many peculiarities of expression; thus, for "Excuse me," they 

 say " Do not blame me." " Naked truth " is called " Blood truth." 

 Where we say " Neither hay nor grass," the Korean says " Neither 

 calf nor colt." A house fly is called parri which means slan- 

 derer; the connection is obscure till it is explained that a fly 

 leaves a light spot on a dark surface and a dark spot on a light 

 surface. Among the sayings is " Rare as a white-headed crow " ; 

 in Japan it is a " horse's horn " ; with us it is " hen's teeth." A 

 mean man is one who gets his smoke by asking for a light from 

 another man's pipe. In Japan the same expression occurs ; also 

 in Japan a mean man is one who finds his clogs in the dark by 

 rapping his friend's head ; the light emitted from such a blow is 

 supposed to illuminate the vicinity. Our expression " The devil 

 is always near when you are talking about him " is rendered in. 

 Korean " Even the tiger comes " ; in Japan it is said " his shadow 

 appears." A stupid fellow in Korea is called a " pumpkin face " ; 

 in Japan, a " pumpkin fellow" ; with us he is a " pumpkin head." 



Miscellaneous. Twins at a birth are not uncommon, but 

 triplets are very rare. When the latter event occurs the Govern- 

 ment makes a present of money to the amount of fifty dollars to 

 the parents, besides furnis'iing rice for two months. 



A Korean gentleman told me that when he first saw the Jap- 

 anese he regarded them as savages, but was much struck with the 

 convenience of their dress. Another informed me that his father 

 sent him into the country to learn farming, at the same time 

 instructing the farmer who was to have the care of him to pro- 

 vide only the ordinary food of the farmhouse. The young man's 



