Page images
PDF
EPUB

of the women is the making of cloth from the fibers of the bark of a curious tree. From this cloth and from the skins of animals all their clothing is made. Men and women dress nearly alike, and the only adornment of their costume is a quaint embroidery made by using a thread of elm bark.

The huts in which this primitive people dwell are usually built upon posts driven into the ground. Benches, which are built around the walls, furnish sleeping places.

The only religion of the Ainos appears to be a strange sort of worship of the wild bear. In all their villages are to be seen tall poles on which are the skulls of bears. It is not easy to comprehend this religion, since the Ainos are ever ready to kill and to eat the bears to which they offer their worship.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE HERMIT KINGDOM.

LEAVING Japan with her civilization, and with her ambition to be the leading nation in the Far East, we come to Korea, a country but little known to travelers.

The peninsula of Korea, which is often thought of as a very small country and of little importance, is larger than all the New England States. Its position makes it of singular value to three great nations, Russia, China, and Japan.

A chain of mountains, lying close to the eastern coast, extends the whole length of the country. The long western slope of this mountain chain forms the rest of Korea. Another mountain chain forms a large part of the northern boundary. There are a number of broad rivers flowing down this western slope, the Yalu and the Han being the most important.

Korea is not a land of great cities and stately temples, nor is it noted for grand scenery. For hundreds of years Korea would have nothing to do with the outside world. Its natural boundaries made it easy to carry out this policy. To prevent invasion across the Chinese boundary the only part open to easy attack - a wide strip of territory was laid waste. The Koreans made their shores as barren and unattractive as possible, in the hope that no one would be tempted to land.

For all of these reasons, Korea has been named "The Hermit Kingdom."

In spite of such attempts at seclusion, the armies of China and Japan have invaded this land from time to time and compelled the payment of tribute by the humbled natives. But so far as commercial relations are concerned Korea remained a sealed country until 1876. Then Japan, following Commodore Perry's example, succeeded in making a treaty which opened the Hermit Kingdom to the world. In the following year treaties with Korea were made by the United States, England, France, and Germany. The Koreans were not able to profit at once by this opportunity, because of the continued strife between China and Japan for the control of the country.

The most important ports on the eastern coast are Fusan and Gensan. For centuries the Japanese haye

[graphic][merged small]

made their way through these two gateways into the country.

Near Gensan is Port Lazareff, which has one of the best harbors in the world. It is this port that Russia

has for a long time wished to own.

It would, indeed,

be of untold value as an outlet on the Pacific for that great empire, so destitute of seaports.

Port Lazareff could be made a powerful stronghold, and, as the harbor is open the whole year, it would be a most important station for the Russian fleet.

In the country near by are gold and coal mines. The Koreans have worked these mines to some extent; but, without machinery of any kind to assist in that work, the results have not been valuable. They manufacture their domestic and agricultural utensils. In the working of metals they excel, and it is claimed that to the Koreans the Japanese and the Chinese owe their skill in this same work. In the manufacture of porcelain, too, the Koreans have made great progress.

Seoul, the capital of Korea, is one of the great cities of the Far East. We find here none of the large temples or beautiful palaces which have attracted our attention in other Oriental cities. The city is situated in a picturesque valley. On the summit of the highest mountain, not far away, are beacon towers on which fires were formerly lighted every night to signal to the capital if all was well throughout the empire. At nightfall the natives, as well as the officers high in authority, watched the mountain tops till the flashing fires appeared. In times of danger a different number of fires were lighted, and so this message was quickly made known in Seoul.

Such messages were formerly flashed, from peak to peak, from the most remote parts of the kingdom, but

[graphic][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »