COREA. 



259 



fifteen cents a day, and by artisans about 

 twenty-five cents. The chief domestic indus- 

 tries are the manufacture of silk, cotton and 

 linen cloths, stoneware and porcelain, hats, 

 shoes, paper, mats, fans, screens, combs, pipes, 

 brushes, tiles for roofing, furniture, and tools 

 for mechanical and agricultural uses. Cloths 

 are woven by hand, and pottery is made on 

 the wheel. With the exception of some handi- 

 crafts peculiar to the country, in which a high 

 degree of skill is exhibited, most of the pro- 

 ductions are rude and primitive. From speci- 

 mens of old bronze and porcelain, it is evident 

 that in former ages a higher stage of art and 

 skill existed. It was the Coreans who intro- 

 duced art and learning into Japan, and the 

 Japanese affirm that at the period of the last 

 emigration all the best workmen, driven away 

 by war and desolation, settled in their island. 



Commerce, Products, and Resources. Corea is a 

 mountainous country. From the Shanyan-alin 

 range, which extends along the western coast 

 from north to south, smaller ranges project, 

 which extend to the opposite shore. In the 

 western and central parts of the peninsula are 

 several plains which are exceedingly fertile. 

 The country is well watered, and in many 

 ptirts well wooded. The climate of Corea, 

 though the winters are severe in the north, in 

 general resembles that of Southern Europe. 

 The vegetation is exceedingly rich. Besides 

 many flowers which are peculiar to the coun- 

 try, a great number of flowering plants which 

 are cultivated in Europe grow wild. Among 

 the trees are three of commercial value the 

 cork-oak, the mulberry, and the lac-tree, from 

 which a golden-yellow gum of the finest qual- 

 ity is obtained. The rich soil brings forth 

 every kind of fruit and grain. Cotton is raised 

 easily, and is found growing wild in many 

 spots, even in the mountains. Other products 

 are hemp, flax, tobacco, madder, and indigo. 

 The most important is the Corean ginseng, 

 prized above all other varieties. The occur- 

 rence of this root in the country is partly the 

 cause of the idleness and spirit of wandering 

 and adventure which pervade Corean society. 

 The finest quality brings $1,500 a pound in the 

 Chinese market. 



The mineral wealth of the country surpasses 

 even its extraordinary agricultural resources. 

 The mines which were worked in former cent- 

 uries have been abandoned, except a few, which 

 are exploited in an inefficient manner by the 

 Government. The quest and digging of the 

 precious metals is forbidden on pain of death. 

 Of late years these laws have been executed 

 with the greatest rigor, but the temptations 

 to break them are so strong that considerable 

 quantities of gold are smuggled out of the 

 country. This metal, as well as silver, is found 

 in all parts of Corea. In the middle and north- 

 ern provinces there are many streams whose 

 beds are rich in gold-dust. The region next 

 to the Russian boundary has valuable coal-beds 

 and copper-mines, and contains sulphur, arsenic, 



quicksilver, lead, tin, and iron, and also beau- 

 tiful varieties of marble and granite. 



Of the domestic animals, the cattle are well 

 bred, and would compare favorably with those 

 of the United States. Bulls and cows are used 

 as beasts of burden. The horses are of a di- 

 minutive race, and poor in quality. The swine 

 are also inferior. Goats and sheep are not 

 often seen. 



The commerce with Japan constituted the 

 entire foreign commerce of the country up to 

 the time of the opening of treaty-ports by the 

 recent treaties. The Japanese were allowed 

 only in a few places, none of them near the 

 capital, and were subjected to harsh restric- 

 tions. Seven ninths of the commerce was 

 with the remote port of Fusan. The total 

 value of the trade with Japan increased from 

 348,000 yen in 1877 to 3,827,000 yen in 1881, 

 aggregating for the five years 9,078,000 yen. 

 Most of the articles sold to the Coreans were 

 of European manufacture. The total imports 

 for the five years were valued at a little more 

 than 4,000,000 yen. Nearly half consisted of 

 cotton goods, chiefly shirtings, which were im- 

 ported to the value of over a million yen in 

 1881. The goods were almost entirely of Eng- 

 lish manufacture. This trade is capable of ex- 

 pansion, as the Coreans grow but little cotton 

 and possess only rude hand-looms. Besides 

 shirtings, cambrics and lawns found a demand. 

 There was also a market for drugs and dye- 

 stuffs. The chief article of Japanese produc- 

 tion imported was copper, from which the 

 clumsy currency of the country is made. 

 The Japanese merchants, in the absence of 

 any medium of international exchange, con- 

 ducted their trade chiefly by barter. Japanese 

 porcelain, copied exactly from Corean ware, is 

 imported in quantities and is preferred to the 

 domestic product. Tobacco is another leading 

 article of import. The most important staple 

 exported is rice, for which there is always a 

 demand in China, and at present prices in 

 Japan. Rice is sold in Corea at about one 

 third the price ic brings in Japan. Gold comes 

 next, of which, in spite of the prohibition, there 

 were nearly 1,000,000 yen exported in the five 

 years. Hides are the next largest export arti- 

 cle, and then peas of the kind from which the 

 " bean-cakes " of Northern China are prepared. 

 A coarse stuff from which the clothing of 

 women of the poorer classes in Japan is made, 

 raw silk and pongee, sea-weed, beche-de-mer, 

 silver, dried fish, and ginseng were the other 

 exports. The trade is carried on chiefly in 

 steamers that arrive at Fusan and at Gensan, 

 which is one of the largest cities, once or twice 

 a month. The commerce of the five years em- 

 ployed 401 steam and sailing vessels of Euro- 

 pean build, having a total capacity of 60,000 

 tons, and 1,700 junks of 20,000 tons. 



Great expectations have been raised in Eu- 

 rope and America of the trade which may be 

 developed with " the hermit nation " after the 

 opening of its gates to foreign intercourse. 



