2 
the soldiers, their whimsical grimaces, or, on the other hand, their stealthy crawl¬ 
ing towards an imaginary enemy, all this throws into ecstacies of delight the 
appointed military inspectors and Corps Commanders, who naively imagine that 
the whole range of military science is included in such childish folly. Besides, 
even such instruction as this is only given to the old militia. The Yoons receive 
no instruction at all. It is sufficient to glance at their rifles to be convinced 
how utterly helpless such troops would be against a well-armed European adver¬ 
sary. The soldiers have no knowledge of cleaning and examining their rifles, and 
certainly carry out no instructions for their preservation. It is enough to say 
that the soldier does as he pleases with his breech-loading rifle ; he shortens it by 
cutting off a piece from the breech or muzzle, uses it as a handspike, or by tying 
two rifles together forms a litter. The rifles of the Yoons are covered with rust; 
frequently the back and fore-sights are broken off, for the western Chinaman does 
not understand their use, and finally the barrels are bent, and in places indented. 
The Yoons despise the breech-loading rifles, they do not know how to handle 
them and look upon the new importation with suspicion: “We knew how to 
shoot from the old rifles, but are afraid to from these,” they frequently complain, 
and we must admit that their complaints are not unfounded. 
The armes blanches of the Yoons are perhaps worse than those of any wild 
Negro tribe in the interior of Africa. 
If to all that has been said we add that the soldier continually exists in a half- 
famished state, the chronic diseases from which the greater number of men in each 
company suffer, and the moral enervation due to idleness and opium, it is not 
difficult to understand what a pitiable spectacle is presented by a detachment of 
such warriors. 
