Part 35

We next visited another prominent work belonging to this group, called North Fort, the one we had studied at the Museum in the morning, with its intricate system of tunnels. These latter represented two shafts, three feet high and two feet wide, each forty feet long with four trenches; eight mines had been laid, and these were exploded on the 18th of December, blowing away the rampart in the northeast and seriously damaging the interior. A desperate resistance followed, but the Russians finally retreated, destroying a part of the fort before they left. We also saw other defences, but had no time to study them, as a long rough drive ensued, in order to reach 203-Metre Hill, the scene of the last engagement.

203-Metre Hill is the highest eminence of the whole fortified line, about two and one-half miles from the new town. It commands the whole western harbor, and most of the eastern, and from the top can be seen all the fortified positions, including camps and trenches. The occupation of this hill was the death-blow to the Russians, and it has been called the key to Port Arthur. It was very strongly fortified, and the work of occupation was a fearful task, involving a great loss of life. Early in September the attack began, and it was taken early in December; the Japanese loss in dead and wounded was 7578, and after the capitulation of Port Arthur, the Russian remains were collected and buried to the number of 5400; the real count was supposed to be more than 7000. The possession of this hill by the Japanese sounded the death-knell of the Russian fleet, which was practically wiped out of existence on the 9th of December. We regretted not being able to visit Port Arthur the following week, when a most interesting occasion was to occur,--the dedication of the fine monument erected by the Japanese Government to the memory of the Russian soldiers who are buried there. I saw photographs of the monument, but could not procure one, as they were not then for sale. The moral significance of this event was very great, as the Russians, officially and non-officially, accepted the gift with grateful appreciation.

A friend sent me an account of the exercises at Port Arthur which occurred on June 10th. The Russian Archbishop and a number of high military officials came from Russia, and General Nogi and other Japanese officials from Japan. There were formal exercises of a varied kind. The chief feature was the address delivered by the Archbishop. He opened by saying "that only by the brave can the brave be appreciated. In this world of ours war seems to be unavoidable; at the same time it evokes and gives occasion for expressing some of the finest feelings of which human nature is capable. The many thousands of men who lie sleeping under the monument just unveiled were heroes who loyally and bravely laid down their lives in their country's cause. Such men are best appreciated by men of their own stamp; and the noble action of the Japanese in erecting this monument to the memory of their fallen foes showed that the best feelings of which human nature is capable rise superior even to the most tragic incidents of life. In performing this beautiful deed, the Japanese had not only shown themselves worthy of wearing the laurels which they had won, but had also gained a second victory even more prolonged and enduring. Amid all the horrors of war, humanity must not forget the opportunities it furnishes for the display of such traits." The Tokio and other Japanese papers devoted much space to accounts of the ceremonies and festivities connected with the unveiling of the monument. Some of them seemed to regard it as an emotional display, and others found it impossible to read the accounts without concluding that the Japanese and Russians had wellnigh, if not altogether, laid aside their feeling of mutual hostility.

An English gentleman on the train to Dalny spoke of General Stoessel's surrender in very caustic terms, basing his position on information received from one of the officers on the General's staff. It occurred to me that the officer would not be likely to give favorable testimony, as there was a possibility of his also suffering penalties in Russia. It will always be a mooted question whether the surrender was justified by the condition of affairs at Port Arthur; certainly it was in the interest of humanity, as it was stated on Japanese authority that there were at least twenty-five thousand sick at Port Arthur.

On the following morning, we left Dalny, or Darien, by the steamer Santo Maru, for Chemulpo, the port of Seoul, Korea.

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CHEMULPO, SEOUL, June 7th: Chemulpo is an open port and has quite a foreign settlement; it now can boast of wide streets and some shops, but twenty years ago it was nothing more than a fishing village. The Trans-Siberian Railway is the only means of connection between Chemulpo and London, twenty-one days being required for the trip. The two hours' railway ride between Chemulpo and Seoul affords quite diversified scenery.

The situation of Seoul is beautiful. It is a walled city, the entire circumference of which is twelve miles, and in this wall are eight arched gateways. While the wall itself is not high, it seems to cling near to the sides of the foothills and the mountains. These mountains are quite bare of vegetation, but the little valleys between the hills are green, rice being one of the products cultivated.

Korea to us was mostly Seoul, as there is no provision for guests at present in the mountains. We met a gentleman and his two daughters who were going to the mountains, but they were to be entertained by a missionary family; in time this condition of affairs will no doubt be improved, as it is in Java.

Korea is a land of great beauty. The inhabitants are lovers of nature, as is shown in the names they give to their mountains and valleys, such as The Mountain Fronting the Moon, The Mountain Facing the Sun, The Valley of Cool Shade, The Tranquil Sea, and The Hill of White Clouds. The descriptions of the mountains in the extreme North are more peculiar still: The Peak of the Thousand Buddhas, The Cloud Touchers, and the like.

The people of Korea, as they are viewed on the streets, seem to be contented, with apparently a larger leisure class than we had seen in any previous city. This was emphasized by the dress of the men, consisting of a long white costume open in front, made of a kind of grass lawn; a pair of loose trousers, something like the Turkish trousers, is worn beneath this. Officials, ministers, and noblemen dress elegantly, their costumes being made from the finest silk lawn, and they wear silken girdles.

The dress of middle-class women is even more peculiar than that of the men. The upper garment is very short, made of white or green lawn or calico; a few inches below this is a petticoat, touching the ground; between these two garments there is nothing but the bare skin. It is not an agreeable spectacle. When on the street, they wear what is called the chang-ot; it consists of a long white or green cloak, with green cuffs and collar, cut like a sack. The neck of this garment is put over the head, and the long white sleeves fall from the ears and are seen flapping in the wind.

The single or married man may be known by the style of his hair. The single man wears a cue, but when married it is done up in a twist and kept in place by a woven horsehair band. We saw a few who had cut their hair. The women dress their hair rather plainly on the sides, and do it low on their necks in the back.

The women of the better class lead very secluded lives, almost like the Zenana; indeed, their customs seem similar to those in India. The children up to a certain age are seen in a state of entire nudity.

The girls of the lower class are sold as domestic slaves, and may be seen running beside the chairs of their mistresses. They look, however, as though they were kindly treated.

The Seoul scenes at night are most peculiar. The women of the upper class are allowed to take exercise only at this time. Men formerly were excluded from the streets at night, but now are seen. Some one has compared this nocturnal city graphically with the old idea of the resurrection. Many of the men are supported by the labor of the women of their household. The laundry work of a family in Seoul must be very considerable on account of the number of white garments worn.

A Korean lady travelling in her sedan chair is quite an imposing spectacle. The chairs are somewhat heavier than those we had previously seen.

The dress of the dancing-girl is many-colored, worn with a profusion of sashes and decorations. The head-dress is about three times as high as that worn by a Manchu woman. The costume consists of a white flowing under-robe, and over this a colored silk robe. There are very large sleeves and a sash worn high on the waist. The robe falls apart in front and shows loose trousers. The dancing-girl and the singing-girl correspond to the geisha and Maiko of Japan.

Sight-seeing in Seoul is less exhausting than in other cities, as there are no galleries, museums, or elaborate tombs to be described. The interest in the city is found amongst its street scenes and in the peculiar life of its people.

Seoul spreads out over a plain, which extends to the mountains. There is quite a variety of scenery included within its area. The country near by is extremely picturesque, quite unlike the outskirts of Peking. There are small villages and pleasant walks and drives at an easy distance from the city.

The bazars are placed far out on the street, except in one point where there seems to be only one central bazar.

The manufacture of brass is the specialty of Seoul; all the ancient forms are reproduced. Some of our party purchased large collections of artistic and serviceable articles.

The most imposing building is the Temple of Heaven. It is bare, compared with the one at Peking, but it has some features that are similar and is made of marble. It is, however, a combination of the two temples seen in Peking, opening at the side, and having an open roof over the centre; adjoining it there is a three-story pagoda, much like a pavilion in many respects.

The ancient tomb of the old Korean noblemen interested us. It is of marble, with a peculiar carving on top. At the base is an immense tortoise.

The Buddhist temple was also visited. This had an imposing entrance approached by white marble steps. It was spacious, but architecturally far inferior to those we had seen elsewhere. The upturned roof was interesting.

The marble pagoda, rising seven stories above the base, was really very beautiful. It had a special small enclosure about it, filled with flowers. This enclosure was in a large park, which contained an artistic pavilion, evidently for the convenience of people who wished to view the pagoda.

There are said to be eighteen palaces in Seoul. Some of these at present are not in use. We passed the new marble palace where the Emperor was staying. Then we went on to the large old palace which has been vacant ever since the assassination of the Queen. There were imposing entrance gates here, and many preliminary buildings before we reached the most important ones. The Audience Hall is very spacious and very well proportioned. The approach to it is fine, consisting of many marble seats where the high officials sat when his Majesty appeared. From the exterior the Audience Hall seems to have two stories, as there are two of the peculiar Chinese roofs, but inside it forms one very high room. The Audience Hall as a building is a great decorative feature in the palace grounds. There is one other large room in it called, I believe, the Hall of Congratulation.

We passed on to the palace of the assassinated Queen. This has now been torn down by order of the Resident General, on account of its unpleasant association both to the Koreans and to the Japanese. It originally covered a good deal of ground and must have been spacious. The grounds are very large and interesting, containing many lovely trees. One building therein was raised like an immense pavilion and surrounded by a miniature lake, very pleasing with its setting of green and at times covered with water-lilies.