4 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



for the thatcher, before climbing to the roof, to shout in loud 

 tones, " The thatcher is coming ! the thatcher is coming ! " so that 

 the women in neighboring compounds may have a chance to run 

 to cover. 



Women are confined to domestic labor. Among the lower 

 classes the husband has a right to beat his wife. There is no law 

 for women. If she commits a crime, such as a personal assault 

 or theft, she is not punished, but her husband is. A woman can 

 pass in front of the king's procession, and the king must wait. 

 The women are considered greater than men in trivial things. 



CUSTOMS. The chopstick is evidently not so commonly used 

 in Korea as in Japan or China. A spoon is used for soup and all 

 other forms of liquid food ; even rice is eaten with a spoon. Dry 

 food, however, is eaten with the chopstick. Guests of high rank 

 sit midway between the two ends of the table. If two guests are 

 present, they sit side by side. When at table the Koreans remain 

 silent and eat very slowly. In passing food both hands must be 

 used in holding the dish, as in Japan. In summer the meals are 

 usually at seven, one, and eight o'clock. Dinner is at midday, 

 though there is very little difference in the character of the 

 meals. Sake is drunk at every meal. 



The relation between master and servant is supposed to be the 

 same as that between father and child. The servants help the 

 master through the yard to his house and up the steps, and this 

 attention is given whether the master stands in need of assistance 

 or not. At dinner a servant ties a big napkin about the master's 

 neck. 



The Koreans have no music at weddings or funerals. (Con- 

 trary to this information, Carles records loud chanting at funer- 

 als.) On birthday festivities and times of feasting music is 

 heard. They have battle songs and love songs. 



The Koreans never tattoo or wear earrings, though in the west- 

 ern part of the peninsula prostitutes are sometimes seen with ear- 

 rings. Women use paint for facial decoration. Men and women 

 wear finger rings, but this custom is not very common with men. 



An extraordinary feature is seen in the dress of women of the 

 lowest classes, in the fact that the breasts are fully exposed. An 

 abbreviated jacket drops from the neck to the upper part of the 

 breast, while the waist of the skirt portion comes up just under 

 the breast. The exposure of this part of the body seems all the 

 more singular when it is considered that Koreans never go bare- 

 footed ; even coolies working in the city do not go barearmed or 

 barelegged. Women rarely wear a comb in the hair. Men and 

 women do up their own hair. 



Among the middle and higher classes it is considered improper 

 to speak of money, and for this reason mathematics is not taught. 



