524 
PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 
There is no fixed price for land. It fetches, as in England, more 
if good, and less if had, and the price given depends upon whether a 
man is very anxious to sell or not. The usual price varies from about 
seven dollars to as low as three dollars per mal-ckiki. 
Any Corean is at liberty to reclaim waste land that has no owner, 
and cultivate it for three years free of all taxes. At the end of the 
three years he is taxed yearly as the owner of the land. 
The usual way of renting a house in Corea is for the tenant to 
pay over a certain sum of money in a lump to the landlord, who lets it 
out at interest. When the tenant leaves he gets back the principal. 
(4.) REPARATION OF ROADS. 
AVhen are the roads repaired (if ever), and by whom ? The roads 
are supposed to be repaired every spring regularly, and at other times 
if they need it. The civil magistrate is responsible to the Government 
for their being kept in repair. The villagers along the roadside are 
held responsible by the magistrate for the repair of that part of the 
road which is nearest to their village ; and the whole road is thus 
portioned out. The people must find all the stones, &c., required for 
such repairs, and are paid nothing for their labour. It is part of the 
duty of each village to keep the piece of road they are responsible for 
in good order, and if they do not do so they are liable to corporal 
punishment. The bridges also are repaired in the same way. 
(5.) BRIDGES. 
Bridges : are there any of stone? Of course none of the largest 
rivers are bridged at all. All rivers are crossed by ferry at certain 
parts. The ferry-boat is supplied by the magistrate of the district, and 
the ferryman also appointed by him. Those who live in the neighbour- 
hood contribute to the maintenance of the ferryman. Such is the 
ruie in parts of the country, and only strangers pay a regular toll for 
crossiug ; but in Soul, and near large towns, I believe everyone pays 
every time he crosses ; this may, however, be a matter of arrangement 
with the ferryman. Wooden bridges are very common all over the 
country. There is a very long wooden bridge across the small river 
close to Iveumehyen, on the road to P’yungyang, and small boats can 
go underneath it, and do so regularly ; but this is the only one so- 
large that I have seen. Stoue bridges are of course more uncommon, 
but 1 believe they are frequently to be found near large towns. There 
is a large stone bridge not far outside the east gate of Soul, on the 
Wonsan road, and another on the Chemuipo road. There are numerous 
stone bridges over the main diteli of Soul itself. There is a famous 
stone bridge 10 li outside the south gate of Songto, the capital of the 
former dynasty. This bridge is called the Man Syek Kyo, or “bridge 
of ten thousand stones,” but it is not a very large one really. The old 
bridge built in the Wang dynasty is still there, but is not used r 
another one having been built near it for use. The old bridge is disused 
because on it numbers of the faithful courtiers and adherents of the 
Wang dynasty were executed, and blood is still supposed to flow there 
if the bridge is trodden on. There is a smail stone bridge turning out 
of “furniture street ” up to lzeng Tong, upon which many Christians 
