GLIMPSES OF KOREA AND CHINA 



901 



.J 



the: BULI^OCK — THE BEAST OF BURDEN OF KOREA 



the purpose for which men carry fans is 

 said to be to protect them from the eyes 

 of the women. In their home Hfe the 

 women wear very bright, soHd colors, 

 without regard for harmony, waist, skirt, 

 silk purse, and other ornaments being all 

 at variance. 



If a tourist flatters himself that he has 

 escaped the lure of the curio dealer by 

 crossing .into Korea, he will soon dis- 

 cover it to be a case of jumping from the 

 frying-pan into the fire, as some of the 

 old brasses offered here at, ''ruinously 

 low prices" are most attractive. Much 

 of the work is crude and coarse, but 

 when one sees the tools and the manner 

 of handling them, the wonder is that such 

 good results are obtained. The articles 

 offered include oak chests and cabinets, 

 almost entirely .covered with brass plates, 

 hinges, and trimmings. The former are 

 locked with great padlocks of antique 

 design, nearly as large as some of those 

 seen on the gates of the wahed cities. 

 Braziers, vases, incense-burners, tea-ket- 

 tles, and the high candlesticks peculiar 

 to the country are among the smaller 

 articles for sale. By exercising great 

 care, our Sin Song secured for us a fine 



specimen of a cabinet and chest guaran- 

 teed antiques. As the stock of genuines 

 is getting low, these wily craftsmen are 

 offering recently manufactured close imi- 

 tations of the old models, so the tourist 

 without experienced assistance is at their 

 mercy. 



One of the first objects of interest we 

 visited was the public park, an enclosure 

 filled with fine trees, flowering shrubs, 

 and roses in variety. It was such a 

 place as would do credit to any country, 

 with its well-kept lawns and tea-house of 

 handsome outlines standing near the 

 white marble pagoda. The latter struc- 

 ture is unlike those bearing the same 

 name in Japan, being more the form of 

 an octagon, with the shaft ornamented 

 its entire length with carvings. It was 

 erected i,6oo years ago as a monument 

 to Buddha. In 1580 the top, comprising 

 about one-quarter of the whole, fell, and 

 now stands close beside the main part. 



A few steps beyond and placed here 

 at the same time is another monument, 

 designed like an enormous turtle, the 

 emblem of longevity. It is cut from 

 one stone, bearing a tablet on its back. 

 After a close examination it appeared so 



