486 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



BOOKS AND LITERATFEE. 



Korean tlumjihi luis nlwsiys been directed through the ehaniicls of 

 Chinese leaiiiiug. There ai)parently never was a eharaeteristic litera- 

 ture of Korea 5 the whole plan of education is Chinese, and the language 

 of the country, with its beautiful alphabet, is correspondingly neglected. 

 Korean scholars are as proficient in the Chinese classic style as those 

 of China itself. Books printed in the common character are few and 

 little read. 



The education of the child begins with the alphabet. He must com- 

 mit to memory the " Thousand Character Classic." a Chinese rhymed 

 vocabulary of so many words, no two alike. For the pupil it is ar- 

 ranged thus: the Chinese character, its meaning in Korean and its 

 Chinese name in Korean. After reading this three times the student 

 begins to write. Tlie remainder of the course is in ordinary Chinese 

 schoolbooks. (See Ross's Corea, p. 306.) 



SCHOOLBOOK. Title, " Elegant phrases accorded to classes, copied 

 complete." Consists of the "Thousand Character Classic" or 

 '^ door," the "Hundred Family Names," "Correct and Colloquial 

 Variations of Chinese Pronunciation and Chinese Conversations in 

 Chinese, Transliterated with the Korean Letters." Most of the 

 book is taken up with "Chinese phrases and terms", beginning 

 with Astronomy and Meteorology, embracing many subjects, in- 

 cluding Divination. 4:1 leaves. 



Seoul, Korea, 1885. 77122 



Collected by Eusigu J. B. Bernadou, U. 8. Navy. 



Korean Book. Entitled in Chinese " Sicuo Myo yo ri. Mun ta])." 

 Holy, excellent, important doctrine. Questions and answers. 



►Seoul, Korea, 1884. 77120. 



Collected by Ensign .J. B. Bernadou, U. S. Navy. 

 A catechism issued by the Jesuits. 



Sanskrit-Chinese-Korean book. Entitled "Pi mih Kiao," or 

 " Secret rehgion." Made up of magical formula or dharani, written 

 in a kind of Sanskrit resembling Nepalese, which to the uninitiated 

 is secret or hidden. Two prefaces, one written under the nom 

 ^Zej?//Mmc of "Hia Shan, pu Lao Sou," or the "Summer Hill Old 

 Vagabond," dated 1044. Secoiid preface was written by a Bud- 

 dhist monk of the monastery of Fuh Lin Shan, date July, 1652. 

 Book is without title-page or <'olophon. Printed in Koiea, on 

 native i)aper. 



Buddhist Temple of Pong-yang, Korea, 1885. 77121 



Collected by Ensign ,J. B. Bernadou, U. S. Navy. 



The book begins with the " (hi-moun," or Korean alphabet, said to have been 

 iuveuted about the eighth or ninth century of our era by a bonze named Syol- 

 chongi. The sounds of this are defiued by Chinese characters, for which the 

 student is directed to substitute the sound of the corresponding word iu the 

 Korean colloquial language. The bulk of the book is taken up with prayers, 

 (dharani) addressed to Avalokitshwara, and begin with oui or om-mani pndnifi- 



