444 THE KOREANS. 



They are said to be unacquainted with the use of money, 

 though they received dollars in payment for a horse, pigs, 

 and several descriptions of provisions, from the Captain 

 and some of the officers of our ship; and Gutzlaff says, 

 that "the Chinese tael and cash are current among them, 

 but very scarce." While staying here, the most celebrated 

 native doctor of Napa treated A-sung for rheumatic pains, 

 with hot cataplasms, made of the recent aromatic leaves 

 of the Sansjo (Xanthoxylon piper itum} and, as he informed 

 me, with considerable benefit. The Ginseng (Panax 

 quinquefoliuni) is held in as much repute here as it is in 

 China. 



During this year, the Samarang was engaged in sur- 

 veying the large island of Quelpart, and the numerous 

 group of smaller islands constituting the Korean Archi- 

 pelago ; and as our opportunities of examining some of 

 the more interesting ethnographical peculiarities of the 

 singular people inhabiting this little-known region of the 

 globe were rather numerous, I shall here offer a slight 

 sketch of those manners and customs, which, at the time, 

 were regarded by me as worthy of note, and as such com- 

 mitted to paper for the amusement of friends at home. 



The Koorai or Koreans are said to have come originally 

 from a country to the northward of Pe-tche-li, and al- 

 though now forming a separate nation, governed by a 

 king, they are, in a measure, tributary to China, as before 

 the conquest of Korea by the Chinese, they were the 

 subjects of the Japanese empire. In personal appearance, 

 they resemble the natives of Siberia and Tartary. Like 

 most Mongolians they have a tawny skin, prominent 

 cheek-bones, some obliquity of the eyes ; a rather promi- 



