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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



fish industry. The early morning catch 

 is transferred to the docks, where the 

 fish are sorted and disposed of either by 

 sale or packing for shipment. In this 

 work the native w^omen take an active 

 part. 



In approaching the station we passed 

 a section of the highway where grading 

 was being done. The earth was first 

 loosened by a queer implement — a hoe 

 with long flat prongs — in the hands of 

 men whose dusky forms were nude to 

 the waist. Others were operating a 

 three-manned shovel, a tool peculiar to 

 this country, being a long-handled scoop 

 from which two ropes extended. While 

 the one holding the handle guides the 

 implement, the two others furnish the 

 power by pulling the ropes from a dis- 

 tance of about 12 feet. Judging from 

 the results of their united efforts, it 

 would require several to accomplish as 

 much as could one able-bodied son of 

 Italy, armed with an ordinary shovel and 

 wheelbarrow. 



The railroad of Korea, like most of 

 those of Japan, is owned and operated 

 by the Japanese government. The train 

 which conveyed us northward much re- 

 sembled those in our own land, and in- 

 cluded a dining-car. The line follows 

 for a long distance the course of the 

 Raqutoka River, passing through several 

 tunnels, some of which are of con- 

 siderable length. The door-yards and 

 houses seen from the car windows are 

 surrounded by substantial stone walls, 

 and, judging from the appearance of the 

 numerous groups of children, tan-colored 

 undressed kids were quite in style. 



Before reaching the principal towns, 

 train-boys passed through the cars in- 

 forming each passenger that the train 

 would stop so many minutes at the next 

 station. On arrival, a rush was made by 

 the passengers, mostly Japanese men and 

 women, to the long wash benches at one 

 side of the depot, which were provided 

 with basins and running water. And 

 the way they would souse their arms 

 and faces, the men including their hair 

 and necks, revealed a new trait in these 

 little people. 



Hot tea was furnished gratuitously 



and four times during the day was 

 passed in cups on trays through the cars,, 

 to take the place of the ice-water tanks 

 with which American coaches are 

 equipped, for it is unsafe to drink un- 

 boiled water here as in Japan. 



Along the route of the railroad, trees 

 are very seldom seen and no apparent 

 effort is being made to reforest ; indeed,, 

 a tree in this country stands but little- 

 chance, even the branches to the smallest 

 twigs being tied in bundles of uniform 

 size, the roots, too, dug up, and all loaded 

 on the backs of men or oxen, brought to- 

 market, and sold at so much per pound. 

 A frequent object seen on the streets of 

 Seoul is a mass of brush moving slowly 

 along, it sometimes being difficult to de- 

 termine by what motive power, so ob- 

 scured is the animal by its load. 



At a suburban station our car was 

 entered by a nice-looking native, wear- 

 ing the dress of the better class, who, in. 

 well-spoken English, solicited our pat- 

 ronage for the ''Astor House," Seoul^ 

 Korea. At once visions of sumptuous 

 repasts and faultless service enjoyed 

 years since in lower Broadway arose in 

 our minds and we decided to locate 

 there. Upon inquiry we learned that the 

 gentleman's name was *'Sin Song," and 

 that representing the hotel occupied his 

 time only when he was not employed as 

 courier for tourists ; so, on the strength 

 of appearances, his services were at once 

 engaged for our entire stay, and we were 

 most fortunate in our choice, as he 

 proved satisfactory in every way. As an 

 evidence of the enterprise of the young- 

 man, I will state that, although a Roman- 

 ist, he was a member of the local Young- 

 Men's Christian Association, which has 

 an attractive building and is in a prosper- 

 ous condition. 



Before visiting the points of interest- 

 in Seoul, which is the seat of govern- 

 ment, let us consider briefly some facts 

 pertaining to Korea as a country. Korea,. 

 although usually considered a peninsula,, 

 is in reality an island, 175 miles of its 

 northern boundary being the River Yalu 

 and the remainder the River Turnen,, 

 both of which are outlets of the same 

 lake in the Northern Mountains, the 



