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subjects, seems never to have been in Corea. Bishop Corfe has a copy 
of a book, published early in this century at Batavia, which contains 
a comparative study of the Chinese, Japanese, and Corean languages, 
and which is probably the earliest printed book in the Corean language. 
There are a good many references to Corea in James and Fulford’s 
44 Long White Mountain,” And I have also seen the Dutchmen’s 
account of their sojourn in the country in the 17th century, in one of 
the old English collections of travels (1 think, Astley and Pinkerton’s, 
but I am not sure). The original work by Hendrick Hamel is, I 
believe, very rare. There is an attempt at a bibliography of Corea at 
the beginning of Grriffis, And Mons. Collin de Plancy, who was 
French Consul here in ISO l, was engaged in compiling one; but I 
never heard that he completed his labours. 
My letter has grown to greater lengths than I anticipated. And 
I owe you the more apology for it, as I am afraid that there is very 
little that is either new or interesting in it. 
Very truly yours, 
MARK NAPIER TROLLOPE. 
VI.— THE COREAN ARMY. 
By HARRY H. FOX , Esq . , Secretary H.M. Consulate-General , Soul, Corea. 
The Corean army is an uncertain quantity : in war time it is said 
that a force of 100,000 men can be raised, more or less armed and 
equipped ; in time of peace the army consists of some 5,000 drilled 
soldiers, who garrison the capital and environs, together with about 
2,000 or 3,000 men distributed in the provisional capitals. 
Besides the soldier or pounsa there is the keso or bannermen, of 
whom there are 2,000 or more in the capital serving as police and 
followers of the high officials. The governors and magistrates in the 
provinces have similar companies attached to their yarnens. 
The above-mentioned 5,000 men — the Corean standing army — 
have been drilled during the last four years by American instructors, 
and have attained to a certain degree of smartness in their appearance 
and movements. 
Their uniform consists of a dark-green or black tunic, with white 
or black baggy trousers, leathern belt, and black felt hat, higli-crowned 
and flat-brimmed, after the manner of the ordinary Corean hat, with 
a badge in front denoting the regiment they belong to. 
Each soldier has two uniforms a year provided for him — one 
summer, one winter. Most of them are now armed with Remington 
rifles ; but M arti ni- Henry s, Sniders, Brown Besses, and Portuguese 
matchlocks are also to be seen. The Remingtons are kept in good 
order, being inspected once a month by the military instructors. 
A private soldier receives one bag of rice, containing about 
150 lb., and (nominally) 900 cash, about 27 cents, a month. This 
latter payment is usually in arrear. As a regular supply of rice is 
all the ordinary Corean lives for, the army offers great inducements 
to recruits ; and they are, on the whole, well contented. There is no 
limit to service as long as they are able to carry arms. For the 
