EXPLORATION OF NORTHEASTERN KOREA 261 



to the western world the existence of the beautiful little lake, the " Dragon 

 Prince's Pool," which lay cradled in its summit 8000 feet above the level of 

 the sea. But the Koreans had prevented access to it from the south or west 

 and until Japanese influence began to be dominant in the country, the 

 secrets of the northern forests remained unknown. 



The whale work, which was described in the October Journal, was 

 finished early in March and I went up to Seoul, the capital, to make prepa- 

 rations for the northern trip. Seoul is the seat of the present Japanese 

 government of Chosen, as Korea is called by its natives, and before any 

 non-resident foreigner can go into the interior, permission must be obtained 

 from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs. This permission is usually freely given 

 but is a formality rigorously enforced, for the Japanese insist upon knowing 

 the " reason why " for the visits of all foreigners to the remote parts of their 

 newly acquired possession. 



The Museum's expedition was given the enthusiastic support of the 

 government and I was furnished with one of their official interpreters, a 

 Japanese who spoke Korean, Chinese and a little English. In Seoul a 

 Korean cook who knew some English was engaged and became a valuable 

 assistant. 



We went by ship from Fusan to Chon Chin, called by the Japanese 

 Seshin, an uninteresting little village of a few hundred inhabitants not far 

 from the Russian city of Vladivostok. From Seshin we struck directly into 

 the interior, the first stage of our journey being over an interesting little 

 railroad up which Ave Avere pushed on small hand cars. 



We spent the night at the old walled town of Pur^^on and next day left 

 the railway at Muryantai traveling by bull-carts to Musan forty miles 

 away. Musan, situated close to the Tumen River, is the largest town in 

 northeastern Korea and is full of interest. It is typical of the old Korean 

 cities having heavy walls and massive gates for its protection in the con- 

 tinual warfare which was waged in the early days between the Koreans of 

 the north and invaders from China. During the Russo-Japanese war a 

 few white men visited Musan, but the country beyond it was unknown to 

 the western world. 



Our objective was the little village of Nonsatong lying just at the edge 

 of the great forests which stretch away to the west and south toward the 

 Paik-tu-san. At ^lusan we had the greatest difficulty in securing horses 

 for the trip into the wilderness. Absurd stories that wandering bands of 

 Chinese robbers ranged along the borders of the forest had been rife since 

 we left the coast, and had the Japanese gendarmes not ordered the Koreans 

 to go we should not haA'e been able to secure the necessary transportation 

 for our food and equipment. 



Until we reached Nonsatong, the country was a great disappointment; 

 it was a succession of bare, treeless hills much like those of southern Korea 



