Anisitist  less. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
135 
who  would  immediately  report  anything  unusual  in  his  possession  of 
even  his  dearest  friend.  Silver  dollars  might  be  strewn  about,  or  even 
sovereigns,  and  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  they  would  be  touched. 
Soul,  which  literally  means  “the  capital,”  is  fortified  by  thick  walls 
of  masonry  that  are  said  to  have  been  built  by  the  first  king  of  the 
present  dynasty  upwards  of  500  years  ago  ;  they  are  of  great  extent  and 
of  varying  height,  being  carried  over  the  adjacent  hills,  and  across  the 
streams  on  arches.  As  a  means  of  defence  in  modern  warfare  they  are 
useless,  and  are  easily  scaled  at  night  at  places  when  the  gates  are  shut, 
a  feat  successfully  accomplished  by  an  American  lady  on  one  occasion 
when  happening  to  arrive  at  the  city  after  sunset.  These  walls  are 
pierced  by  several  gates  with  deep  overhanging  eaves ;  during  the  day  a 
continuous  stream  of  pedestrians  and  beasts  of  burden  is  passing  in  and 
out,  from  the  chairs  of  the  officials  to  the  lowest  grades  of  the  people, 
mingled  with  pack-ponies  and  oxen  overladen  with  all  kinds  of  produce. 
A  few  men,  presumably  soldiers,  guard  the  entrance,  armed  only  with 
old  and  rusty  halberds.  Near  at  hand  may  also  be  seen  one  or  two 
Chinamen  with  a  small  booth  containing  articles  for  sale  of  a  most 
miscellaneous  description — anything  that  can  be  imagined,  from  needles 
to  native  medicines.  1  found  my  way  with  the  help  of  a  boy  to  the 
English  Mission  where  I  sta;  ed. 
Soul  is  the  seat  of  Government,  if  absolute  despotism  can  be  said  to 
be  worthy  of  the  name  of  Government,  and  it  is  also  the  headquarters  of 
the  present  dynasty.  Its  natural  position  is  certainly  good  from  a 
strategic  point  of  view,  as  it  is  surrounded  by  hills  on  all  sides  except  on 
the  south,  the  town  reaching  to  their  very  base.  It  thence  covers  a 
considerable  area,  but  the  houses  are  little  better  than  plaster-thatched 
huts  ,*  the  population  is  said  to  number  500,000,  but  even  an  approxi¬ 
mate  estimate  is  impossible,  nor  do  the  authorities  appear  to  have  or  to 
care  to  have  any  idea  of  the  actual  number  of  people  they  govern,  for 
on  my  asking,  on  a  later  occasion,  the  Assistant-Govenor  of  Ping-yang 
what  he  believed  to  be  the  population  of  the  town,  be  was  surprised  at 
the  question  as  if  I  should  expect  him  to  know.  In  Soul  there  are  only 
three  streets  deserving  of  the  name,  one  leading  to  the  King’s  palace,  one 
to  the  east  gate,  and  the  third  at  right  angles  to  it ;  the  other  thorough¬ 
fares  form  a  narrow,  tortuous,  uneven,  bewildering  maze  ;  there  are 
open  drains  on  one  or  both  sides,  not  infrequently  in  the  middle ; 
children,  dogs,  and  pigs  wallow  together  in  the  mud ;  the  stench  is 
intolerable,  and  the  filth  indescribably  offensive. 
****** 
Much  of  the  land  round  Soul  is  under  cultivation,  the  principal  crops 
being  Rice,  Tobacco,  Water  Melons,  Maize,  Millet,  Chinese  Cabbage,  and 
other  vegetables.  For  several  miles  along  the  route  taken,  the  indi¬ 
genous  vegetation  is  of  a  very  ordinary  description  ;  here  and  there  are 
clomps  of  Pinos  Thunbergi  and  Castanea  ;  a  Cot-leaved  Pyros,  Willows, 
and  Ampelopsis  are  common.  We  passed  the  first  night  in  a  village 
known  as  Now-yan,  about  ten  miles  from  Soul,  in  a  miserable  place 
called  an  Inn,  in  which  I  secured  a  room ,  or  rather  a  hole  about  8  feet 
square ;  the  Corean  villages  are  collections  of  mud-thatched  huts  in 
which  cleanliness  is  unknown,  and  the  close  pent-up  places  used  as 
sleeping  apartments  are  most  noisome  to  a  European,  rendered  the  more 
so  in  a  stifling  heat  of  from  80°  to  100°  Fahrenheit.  This  was  the 
guneral  character  of  the  village  dwellings  throughout  the  country 
through  which  I  passed,  and  no  better  accommodation  was  obtainable 
except  in  the  larger  towns.  On  the  following  day  we  proceeded  thirteen 
miles  further ;  the  roads  were  of  the  most  wretched  description,  in  some 
places  under  water,  in  others  encumbered  with  huge  stones.  On  the 
third  day  we  made  better  progress,  although  the  heat  was  oppressive. 
Among  the  arborescent  forms  noticed  were  Abies  firma,  Acanthopanax 
ricinifolinm,  Acer  crattegifolium,  a  Mulberry,  and  an  Oak  of  fine  propor¬ 
tions,  besides  the  trees  already  mentioned.  Further  on  Pinus  koraiensis 
was  seen  for  the  first  time  ;  it  is  a  handsome  species  from  40  to  50  feet 
high,  with  a  regular  outline  and  readily  distinguishable  even  at  a 
distance  from  P.  densiflora  and  P.  Thunbergi,  with  which  it  is  often 
associated. 
On  the  fifth  day  we  arrived  at  Hoi-yang,  a  town  of  some  importance, 
situated  in  the  midst  of  a  highly  cultivated  plain  surrounded  by  low 
hills.’  My  entry  into  the  town  and  my  reception  there  by  the  Prefect  or 
chief  magistrate  were  attended  with  incidents  so  bizarre  and  even 
ludicrous  to  European  ideas  of  official  etiquette  that  no  apology  is 
needed  for  relating  them ;  they  will  serve  to  illustrate  some  of  the 
phases  of  Corean  official  life.  At  about  three  miles  from  the  town  we 
(my  party)  were  met  by  two  guards  and  two  officers  of  the  Prefect,  that 
high  functionary  having  doubtless  been  informed  of  our  coming  by  his 
colleague  of  Keum  ;  the  two  guards  in  black  flowing  cotton  and  with 
red  bands  around  their  broad- brimmed  hats  went  on  about  a  hundred 
yards  in  advance  of  us,  unceremoniously  ordering  everybody  off  the 
road ;  the  two  officers,  one  in  green  and  the  other  in  blue  uniform, 
sedately  fanning  themselves,  walked  behind  my  pony.  On  reaching  the 
town  the  guards  blew  their  5-feet-long  tiumpets.  I  was  requested  to 
trot,  the  guards  and  the  officials  running,  and  in  that  style  we  entered. 
We  had  but  just  reached  the  great  chamber  of  the  Prefect’s  quarters 
when  amidst  the  most  discordant  music  and  surrounded  by  guards, 
attendants  and  scribes,  the  Prefect  came  forth  ;  the  scribes  were  in  white 
with  black  hats,  the  others  wore  yellow,  crimson  or  green  robes  hanging 
from  their  shoulders  with  very  loose  sleeves  and  confined  at  the  waist 
by  a  cord-girdle.  These  coloured  robes  are  very  thin,  and  are  thrown 
over  the  invariable  white  costume.  On  entering  the  courtyard  the 
Prefect’s  chair  was  put  down,  accompanied  by  singing,  and  he  advanced 
up  the  steps.  He  was  attired  in  the  usual  official  costume,  exactly  the 
same  as  I  bad  seen  in  other  places — a  black  robe  with  orange  and 
crimson  sleeves  and  blue  sash,  and  a  black  bat  tied  under  his  chin  by 
strings  of  yellow  beads.  He  gravely  sat  down  after  leaving  his  shoes 
on  the  steps.  At  first  he  seemed  somewhat  cold,  but  after  partaking  of 
my  offerings  of  ginger-nuts,  biscuits,  lime-juice,  coffee  and  prunes,  he 
became  mere  cordial,  informed  me  that  I  was  the  first  foreigner  he  had 
ever  spoken  to,  and  hoped  I  would  stay  with  him  from  ten  to  twenty 
years,  according  to  Pak’s  interpretation.  I  then  brought  out  my 
.  camera  and  glasses,  with  which  he  was  much  amused  ;  afterwards  the 
discharge  in  rapid  succession  of  all  the  chambers  of  a  revolver  consider¬ 
ably  astonished  him.  He  then  offered  to  show  me  everything  in  his 
district  if  I  would  stay  long  enough,  but  I  said  I  could  only  stay  that 
afternoon,  but  would  be  glad  to  see  all  I  could.  He  then  rose  and  left, 
but  immediately  sent  his  arm-chair  to  bring  me  to  his  residence. 
Accompanied  by  shrill  pipings  and  noisy  drummings,  and  by  a  crowd  of 
attendants,  some  in  uniform  and  some  not,  I  proceeded  to  the  “  Yamen  ” 
not  far  distant.  On  entering  the  courtyard  a  matchlock  was  discharged, 
I  understood,  to  announce  the  arrival  of  a  distinguished  guest.  I  was 
received  in  a  small  room  furnished  with  cushions,  on  one  of  which, 
opposite  the  Prefect,  I  was  placed  with  Pak  on  one  side  and  an 
attendant  on  the  other.  The  Prefect  first  apologised  for  the  smallness 
of  his  retinue,  and  then  caused  it  to  pass  in  review  before  me,  sixty  to 
seventy  scribes  leading  the  way  and  bowing  as  they  passed  till  their 
foreheads  almost  touched  the  ground  ;  eight  or  ten  soldiers  followed, 
wretched-looking  fellows  with  matchlocks  300  years  old,  and  lastly  two 
female  slaves,  drudges  who  did  the  dirty  work.  It  was  a  curious  sight 
indeed  to  see  this  despot — for  in  exceptional  cases  he  has  the  power  of 
life  and  death — sitting  on  his  haunches  with  his  legs  twisted  under  him, 
smoking  a  pipe  a  yard  long,  and  eyeing  his  dependents  as  they  passed. 
Then  followed  a  feast.  On  little  round  tables  were  several  dishes 
containing  vegetable  mixtures  more  or  less  unsavoury,  the  most  palatable 
one  being  a  mixture  of  gensan  and  honey  ;  Cherries  were  also  brought 
on,  small  but  eatable,  and  Corean  whisky  which  is  taken  neat.  AP  this 
put  the  Prefect  in  good  humour,  in  evidence  of  which  he  sent  for  the 
prisoners  of  the  day  in  order  to  pardon  them  in  my  honour.  They 
came,  a  wretched  lot,  each  with  his  head  thrust  through  a  hole  at  one 
end  of  a  board  5  to  (>  feet  long,  which  all  are  thence  compelled  to  carry 
in  front  of  them.  After  dispensirg  justice  in  this  patriarchal  fashion  I 
photographed  him  in  his  ordinary  official  costume,  and  we  then 
proceeded  to  view  his  summer  house  outside  the  town — a  charming  spot ; 
the  bouse  is  built  on  a  high  knoll  surrounded  by  hills,  and  with  a  broad 
rapid  stream  at  the  base.  He  is  justly  proud  of  it. 
We  left  Hoi-yang  at  seven  o’cloc’x  on  the  following  morning  in 
company  with  the  Prefect  en  route  for  the  Diamond  Mountains,  and  on 
the  following  day  reached  the  monastery  of  Pyo-un-SA  situated  at  their 
base,  a  Buddhist  institution  well  described  by  Campbell  in  his  Consular 
report,  and  from  which  I  make  the  following  extract ; — “  The  monastery 
consists  of  half  a  dozen  detached  buildings  scattered  about  in  no 
particular  arrangement,  tbe  best  of  them  not  more  than  40  feet  from 
the  ground  to  the  pitch  of  the  roof.  Externally  all  are  of  the  usual 
Corean  type — oblong  with  massive  tiled  roofs  and  deep  overhanging 
eaves  which  often  shelter  an  abundance  of  wood-carving.  The  panels  of 
the  doors  are  cut  into  a  sort  of  open  work,  which  allows  a  modicum  of 
light  to  penetrate  into  the  interior.  The  horizontal  beams  on  which  the 
roof  rests  are  ornamented  with  figures  of  mythical  animals  in  green  and 
gold,  the  projecting  rafters  are  gaudily  painted,  and  over  the  entrance 
to  each  structure  is  an  inscription  board  bearing  its  name,  usually 
fanciful  and  high-sounding,  in  white  or  gold  letters.  The  interior  of 
the  shrines  proper  are  lofty  ;  huge  pillars  a  yard  in  diameter,  made  of 
single  timbers,  support  the  roof,  and  the  ceilings  are  panelled,  and 
curiously  though  pleasingly  embellished  with  intricate  designs  in  many 
colours.  The  principal  shrine  is  called  the  Sa-Siiing-Choa  or  “  Hall  of 
the  Pour  Sages,”  and  contains  three  Buddhas  in  different  attitudes  of 
meditation,  sixteen  Lo-hans  with  their  attendants,  and  a  remarkable 
picture  worked  in  silk  and  gold  of  Buddha  and  his  disciples,  which  the 
monks  declared  had  come  from  China  at  the  foundation  of  the 
monastery  some  1400  years  ago.  The  altar  is  canopied  with  a  bewilder¬ 
ing  reticulation  of  woodwork  in  three  tiers,  also  gorgeously  painted  and 
decorated.  This,  too,  belonged  to  the  original  building  as  did  the 
massive  pine  pillars,  everything  else  being  modern.  The  figures  of 
Buddha  are  of  clay,  gilt,  and  the  cast  of  countenance  is  distinctly 
Corean.  Behind  the  Sa-Saing-Chon  is  an  annexe  containing  three 
images  of  Hindoo  appearance  ;  they  are  of  cast  iron,  gilt  as  usual,  and 
came  from  So-yo  (India)  a  long  time  ago.  A  magnificent  Saiisburia 
(Ginkgo  biloba)  shades  this  annexe  in  front,  and  the  parterre  is 
brightened  by  a  bed  of  Asters.” 
Most  of  the  hills,  even  in  this  country  of  hills,  are  only  chains  of 
gentle  slopes  and  rounded  summits,  but  nowhere  have  I  seen  anything 
to  surpass  the  Diamond  Mountains  for  rugged  and  inacessible  rocks — 
hurled  apparently  one  on  the  other,  presenting  to  the  view  jugged  out¬ 
lines  of  serrated  peaks,  magnificent  in  their  unreachable  isolation — only 
birds  can  hope  to  set  foot  on  the  majority  of  the  summits.  In  these 
isolated  mountains,  precipicous  rocks,  sometimes  bare,  sometimes  rank 
with  vegetation,  enclose  a  narrow  valley,  where,  buried  in  the  utmost 
calm,  Buddhist  monasteries  have  existed  for  centuries,  though  those 
tending  them  bear  an  evil  reputation  for  ignorance  and  profligacy.  Of 
this  I  did  not  see  much,  though  on  one  occasion,  outside  the  gate  of  a 
large  city,  we  rode  by  two  monks  in  the  garb  of  their  calling  lying 
helplessly  intoxicated  on  the  road.  Near  Soul  in  a  mountain  fastness  is 
a  monastery,  the  monks  of  which  are  said  to  bo  trained  as  soldiers  to 
defend  the  King's  person  in  time  of  danger  on  his-  fleeing  to  their 
retreat. 
