488 
PROCEEDINGS OE SECTION E. 
harshly treated, being confined to very narrow squalid apartments in 
the palace, while the principal buildings were filled with Japanese 
troops. 
On the 25th July, without any declaration of war, four to seven 
of Japan s finest and fleetest war vessels attached two rotten old 
Chinese tubs and one respectable Chinese gunboat of about half the 
size of the smallest Japanese man-of-war engaged, and of far less 
speed. The Japanese took one tub, sunk the other (allowing the crew 
to escape), and allowed the gunboat to slip through their fingers. 
They then went and sank, with a torpedo and numerous rounds of 
big guns, a British merchant vessel chartered to carry Chinese troops — 
it being a time of peace — which had anchored in obedience to the 
orders of the Japanese naval officer. The Japanese saved the master, 
mate, and one boatswain, but not only made no effort to save the 
troops and others but poured volley after volley from their machine 
guns into the drowning wretches, and fired, from the boat that had 
saved the mate, into a lifeboat into which the Chinese crew had 
managed to get. 
Immediately on bearing the news the Chinese force tried to march 
southward ; meanwhile more Japanese had arrived, and a force of from 
8,000 to 14,000 on the 27th July attacked the rear guard of the 
retreating Chinese. Instead of following the Chinese up, the 
Japanese marched on thirty miles to the old Chinese camp, which they 
found deserted, but in which they found some guns and other objects 
which they brought to Soul as trophies. 
The Chinese continued their retreat to about forty miles south, 
and then made a detour and marched unopposed to the north of 
Corea, where on the 16th August they joined a Chinese force which 
had crossed the Taloo River. 
On the 1st August Japan declared war against China. While peace 
was still supposed to prevail there was fighting. Since the declaration 
of war till now everything has been peaceful. 
So far for Corean history It is needless to say that, since the 
occupation of Corea by the Japanese, trade has been. tilled. All hope 
of the amelioration of this country is at present gone. The Japanese 
have, it is true, forced the Coreans to adopt so-called reforms — such 
as, Coreans are to wear tight instead of loose sleeves ; that widows 
may remarry ; that men shall not marry before twenty (if the reform 
ever is operative it will increase the social evil); and that the primers 
used in the primary schools shall be printed by the Educational Board. 
(As there are neither educational board, primary schools, nor primers, 
this reform seems somewhat previous.) Salutary as these and other 
similar reforms may he, they are not a large return for the woes 
inflicted on the country by the invasion. On the other hand, on the 
whole the discipline of the Japanese army has been fairly well main- 
tained, and the Japanese soldiers commit far fewer crimes and offences 
than one would have imagined, so that the condition of the Coreans is 
not quite as miserable as one would have expected. 
The population of Corea is about 10,000,000. The country is fertile, 
and is said to be rich in minerals. The climate is healthy, the land is 
well watered, and it should be able to support its inhabitants in health, 
wealth, and happiness ; but owing to the rapacity of its Japanese 
neighbours, and to its internal misgovernment, the people live in a 
