XXXV 



A VISIT TO KOEEA 

 1902 



WHEN two friends and I, in the autumn of 1902, arranged 

 a shooting trip to Korea, prospects seemed very rosy, and 

 we looked forward to it with great expectations and every hope 

 that big bags of ducks and geese would be made. But, alas ! 

 when the time for starting from Japan drew near my hoped-for 

 companions were unable to leave, and all our elaborate plans 

 collapsed. It was indeed annoying, for to go alone was 

 considered next to useless, as indeed it proved ; however, I did 

 go, and although the sport was nil, the trip proved of the 

 greatest interest, for Korea is unique in almost every respect. 

 The first view of it from the ship as it approaches Fusan is most 

 striking not the European settlement, not the Japanese or 

 Chinese quarters, for they are very similar everywhere out here, 

 varying only in size, but the native town, a dense mass of small 

 thatched huts closely packed together, and still more so the 

 people, clad entirely in white, moving about everywhere, sharply 

 defined as they were against the reddish-yellow background of 

 the bare hills ; and the nearer view of them in the sampans 

 which soon crowded round the steamer. The national flag with 

 the mystic Buddhist symbol in red and blue on a white ground 

 two spirals closely coiled together filling the area of a circle 

 floated from the Custom House flagstaff. On landing, one was 

 at once surrounded by a busy crowd of hard-working natives, 

 strong, fine-looking coolies, handling the heavy loads of rice, 

 beans and shirtings, brought by or taken to lighters. A walk 

 through the native town, however, showed the Korean at home, 

 and a most striking picture he made. Clad in white cotton 



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