JOURNEYS THROUGH KOREA. 33 



they liave fallen easy victims to atmospheric agencies, and 

 the action of degradation lias reduced the belt almost to a graded 

 plain only about thirt}^ or forty metres above the sea-level. One 

 will be astonished to find the trench-like erosion belt in the in- 

 terior of Kifông-sang- Do. It may be clearly seen from the lieight 

 either on the east '^ or the west, whence all the rivers drain into 

 this planated belt. 



Chin-jyu 



Chin-jiju is a fortified town (PI. IW.fig. 3.) of considerable 

 size from the Korean standpoint wdth one thousand houses, in- 

 cluding the residence of the local magistrate of soutli Kyong-sang- 

 Do. It is located on a low^ hill on the north bank of the Nam -gang, 

 its north and w^est sides being enclosed by a wide water-filled 

 moat {see fig. 3), like those of Japanese feudal castles, while in- 

 teriorly it is foi'tified with a stone-rampart. The ditch itself 

 may be a dead arm or " cut-off'" of tlie river. It is indeed the 

 strongest fort on the peninsula, being in fact the Port Artluir of 

 Korea. In March 1597, Taikô dispatched against it twenty 

 thousand troops from his Korean army under Hosokawa and six 

 other daimgo.'i, but the commandant of the fort made a success- 

 ful resistance, showering our troops with musket-bullets, as well 

 as stones and wdiite-hot iron. We were finally compelled to 

 retire, owing chiefly to discord among the seven generals. Upon 

 hearing of this, Taikô's anger knew no bounds, and he sent 

 hither in July, a large corps under Kaïù and Konishi. The 

 former made a carefully planned attack from the Mal-chhl pass 



1) See PI. XXXI. fif). 3. This view is taken from a height on the east side of the Nak- 

 tong-gang at the north oJE the eumnai of Yong-san. 



2) ^m-w.^^m.^Amw.m^m 



