2
1st. (29th of 7th Moon). Monday. Cloudy.
3
Nearly four months have past since I last wrote. The Summer with its incessant rains and unusually cool and sickly days, is fast drawing nigh to its end. Only two days, late in July―the 28th and 29th―the mercury ran up to 92°F. Between 75° and 65°F most of the Summer.
4
Our family health has not been good. The children have been suffering from whooping cough for the past month. Laura is the worst of all. She is a little bag of infirmities, fever, bowel troubles, rheumatic pains and whooping cough. Hardly well for a week. What this bright and precocious child needs is playmates and companions.
5
Nine years ago, in 1894, a man named Kim Yong Kun 金龍健 buried his father over 630 paces 南 from a tablet house said to mark the site of the house in which the great-grandfather of the Founder of the present dynasty was born. The grave is just outside of the eastern boundary of what the tablet house claims to be its premises. During all these years nobody has ever raised a question as to Kim's right to bury his dead where he did, the hills outside of the boundaries being private property. A crazy old wretch, Yi Jung Kiu 李貞奎 claiming to be a descendant of King Ik Cho 翼祖 of the 16th generation, having some personal grievance against Kim Yong Kun, asked me last year to remove the grave as it is hurting the blue-dragon 靑龍 or left arm of the sacred(?) spot on which his ancestor was born. Finding that Kim's grave was on a hill belonging to him, I refused to have it disturbed.
6
This royal descendant went to Seoul some months ago and complained to the Bureau of Ceremonies that I would not remove a grave within the precincts of the tablet-house. Without any investigation into the case, the Master of Ceremonies reported the complaint to the Emperor, who got into a rage, ordering that the Governor of Ham Hung be dismissed and I to be punished! All this happened in July. My case was almost hopeless. But thanks to the efforts of my father and of a few friends, the true facts of the case were presented to His Majesty and the order for my arrest was suspended. The Governor of Ham Hung was ordered to proceed to the tablet-house to make a personal investigation into the case.
7
The Governor found that Kim's grave was outside of the tablet-house precincts; that Yi had no right to demand its removal; and that the difficulty would not have risen had Kim given the royal descendant a few strings of cash. The Governor's report must by this time be before His Majesty. We are now humbly waiting on the "Celestial" pleasure.
8
The Emperor, who sells, for a morsel of bribes, his dearest birthrights to the aliens without the least compunction, rages like smoke because a poor fellow's grave was falsely reported to have been located with in a tablet-house precints. O how great the miserable Koreans are in little things but little in great things!
9
On the Kumajawa Maru, Mr. Appenzeller was drowned between Kunsan and Mokpo. What a loss to the Christian work in Korea! What a loss to me personally!
10
It was in summer of 1887, if my memory serves me right, that I first met Mr. Appenzller in Nagasaki. I heard him preach in the Te-zima Church one Sunday morning. His strong, manly figure and face impressed me then as handsome and rather haughty. I introduced myself to him silmply because I had been told he was from Korea. His manner to me was not magnetic enough to encourage my approaching him a second time while we were in Nagasaki. His wife was so beautiful―I thought. They had one baby. I think it was the now beautiful Alice.
11
In 1895, when I returned to Seoul, I found him a pillar of the Christian Mission in Korea and a leading light in the Foreign Community, enjoying the confidence and love of all who knew him. He proved to me a staunch friend all through my ups and downs. His home was ever open to me. Mrs. Appenzeller was very good to us, her house being the first home my Darling went to on her arrival in Seoul in 1895.
12
After my return to Seoul from Europe in 1897, we, Mr. Appenzeller and I, had occasion to walk together. In what connection I have forgotten now, but I remember his saying "Well, Yun, if the Lord calls me, I would be happy to return to America."
13
In 1898, he helped me very much in my work in connection with the Independent. When he met me the day after His Majesty, the Dai Whang Jay of this Great Empire of Han, promised or I―d to the members of the Independence Club, in the presence of Foreign Ministers and thousands of Koreans, that he, the Great Whang-Jay, would grant the petition of the Club etc. etc. etc.―viz.: the day after the 26th November, when Mr. Appenzeller met me, his face becaming with smiles, he gave me a hearty hand of shake saying "Yun, I was proud to see you coming before the Emperor with the people."
14
The last time I saw him in this world was in June 1900. After adressing the boys of the Pai Chai School on their Commencement Day, I went to his house. He put his strong hand on my shoulder and said: "Yun, it was well done." referring to my speech. Who ever thought that would have been the last word of encouragement he should have given me! When I heard of his tragic death, caused by the sinking of the Kumajawa Maru, I could hardly believe my own ears. O how I miss him! God bless and sustain his bereave wife and children!
15
One of the legacies of the Boxer trouble in northern China is cholera. The epidemic invaded Korea through Eui-Joo. Chinnampo seems to have caught it, and that badly, too. Vladivostok is reported to be raging with it. Wonsan is in great danger. The people seem to be afraid of the disease, but it is very hard to make them observe the simplest laws of sanitation. When forced to clean up their permises of accumulated filth and dirt, they grumble saying. "Our fathers, for generations, have had these filthy surroundings without being the worse for it. Life and death are a matter of fate." They prefer acupuncture and moxa.
17
7th. (6th of 8th Moon). Sunday. Rain.Wonsan
18
We have almost forgotten how the Old Sol looks. Rain, rain, nothing but rain, last seven days. I am throughly sick of this abominable weather. Grains are rotting in water. Cholera seems to have struck a favorable field of labor the unspeakable filth, nameless smells and wretched weather of Wonsan. Fortunately(?) the Wonsanites seem to be perfectly at ease. Oh, ignorance, thou art bliss!
19
Hearing that there are cases of cholera in Wonsan, I got Dr. Hardie's preparations and sent them to the Police Station to be given to patients. But the Police Inspector tells me that the foreign medicines are no use, since the patient will not take them as directed.
20
Some time ago, some of Pire Brette's converts asked him if there were any church laws against eating diseased meat. The missionary first said "Yes" but later said "No", meaning that there was no written law about it. The converts ate the meat and three of them died. One of Dr. Hardie's cows dying the other day, he buried the carcass deep in a hole purposely made for the purpose. That night some neighboring villagers came and took away nearly half of the "high" beef.
21
When I was in Samwha, I asked a butcher if he had a profitable year in his business. "Sir", said he, "thanks to the cattle disease, I have made some money!"
22
Now and then I come across articles on Korea written by missionaries in this country. They have nothing good to say of the Korean. He is filthy, lazy, and ignorant. When I have the misfortune of reading one of these stinging and insulting(?) statements about Koreans I feel bad for days "imagining vain things" against the writers. But when I calmly examine a Korean―in what he has done in history and in what he is today―the worst thing a foreigner has ever said about Koreans doesn't come forty miles within the actual facts.
23
The Tokwon people have found a key to the cause of the excessive rain of the past three months. A man located his father's grave on one of the hills in the northern part of the district. The geomancer told him that the auspicious property of the grave site, would not come to its full realization unless its owner dug a pool in front of the grave and prayed for rain for 100 days. The man has been at it―and the result? Why, rain, rain, rain. The people have sent me word to suppress the rain prayers! I guess I shall have to put the man in jail and fill up the pool and remove the grave. O, Yes, anything to stop these unreasonable and unseasonable rain.
24
The "Whang Sung Sin Moon," in its so-called editorial on the birthday of the Emperor, has enough fulsome flattery to turn the stomach of every man and woman and child in this lie-ridden country. But that can never be, because, in the first instance so few read the "Sin Moon." and secondly, because the Korean stomach is so thoroughly seasoned with nauseous flattery of the King, that no amount of it can upset it―the stomach. The editorial actually said that wind and rain have been this year moderate and seasonable!―all because this is the 40th year of the reign, whose glories and virtues have never been paralleled in history, modern or ancient!!!
25
A stone drum is to be set up in Seoul with inscriptions setting forth the mighty achievements of the Dai-Whang-Jay. For this purpose all the officials of the Government have been compelled to give up one month's salary. This being insufficient―to go round all the pockets, I reckon―the gentry of the thirteen provinces have been compelled to make voluntary contributions to the drum fund. The South Ham Kyong Do is to pay 25.000 yang or 5.000. My distric Tokwon, is put down for 1.100 yang. Among the many glorious things that the Dai-Whang-Jay has achieved in his 40 years of reign, the following facts should not be left out of the inscription:―
26
1. His Palaces have been three times invaded by Japanese troops.
27
2. The murder of the Queen by the Japanese.
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3. The unnatural quarrels between His Majesty and his father.
29
4. The driving out of the Chinese from Korea by the grace of Japan and the subsequent promotion of the King to Emperorship.
30
5. His refuge in the Russian Legation.
31
6. The giving away for paltry consideration, the most precious rights and interests of Korea to foreign nations.
32
7. The many fine promises of reformation which His Majesty has been in the habit of making and breaking.
33
8. The number of new bureaus or offices he has been creating, each with its legion of presidents, vice-presidents, chusas, clerks. See, there are, besides so called State Departments, (1) The Bureau of Title deeds; (2) of Land Surveys; (3) of Water Wheel, or Irrigation; (4) of Peddlers; (5) of Beggar-manufactory, or Poor Relief; (6) of Privy Council; (7) of Railroad; (8) of Ceremonies; (9) of Royal Clans; (10) of Crown Treasury; (11) of Palace Police; (12) of Foreign Ceremonies; (13) of Mint; (14) of Weights and Measures; (15) of Buddhist Monks.
34
If these bureaus are used simply for manufacturing―, chusaships ticketed with prices ranging from200 to600. Their raison d'être may be explained, though not justified, by the painful facts that His Majesty wants money for his dancing girls, grave mongers, etc. etc. etc. Any of these bureaus has the dangerous power of levying taxes and of signing contracts with foreigners. The Japanese adventurers who are thronging Seoul get mines and islands through these irresponsible and unprincipled channels.
37
Rain all night and this morning. At about 3 p.m. blue sky and bright sun brought back cheer and joy to our dampened and depressed hearts. Yes, there is this difference between the gloom of rainy days and that of the condition of Korea; viz; one is sure of the return of good weather but who is so bold as to hope for a change for the better in the Korean administration?
38
The policeman whom I sent to the Police Inspector to find out something about the cholera scare, reported that no new cases known. I asked if the people had been to the police station for the medicines. To which the policeman said: "Two men took the medicine and died." A good joke on Dr. Hardie.
39
Outside of Seoul, Wonsan is likely the only place in Korea where Jin-rik-sha are used. After the completion of the new bridge, a merchant named Wi Hong-soon brought out five of these vehicles for experiment. The wheels began their useful career from the first day of this year. At first the "rik-sha" was like a horse, a vain thing for safety owing to the inexperience of the coolie. But now, the rik-sha seems to have become an accomplished fact in Wonsan. There are now seven of them. A coolie earns from 300 to 800 cash a day.
41
11th. (10th). Thursday. Beautiful.
43
Laura has been sick just a week. She is only a shadow of a girl. Nobody but a mother with her inexhaustible love can nurse a child who is sick eleven months out of the twelve in the year.
44
Kim Jung Nim is a respectable merchant in Wonsan. His son, yet in the teens, was, some time ago, persuaded to go to Seoul by a couple of rascals. Once in the capital, the sink of iniquities, the young hopeful was forced to sign a note of hand for yang 5,000 for the honor of being "capped" as a "chusa" in the Poor Relief Bureau or the Beggar Manufactory. Kim had to pay the money through an agent, and his boy was ready to return home when he was once more imprisoned to pay yang 4,000 for having been made a senior royal grave keeper. Kim is almost ruined, yet he has no authority to appeal to for redress. Am told that the Beggar Factory is a favorite institution of His Majesty. Likely these sums of money are extorted in the name of the beggars, but His Majesty gets the lion's share of it.
45
On dint that His Majesty is going to cut off his Imperial top-knot before or on the occasion of celebrating this forthieth year of reign. If he does―which I doubt very much―it will be one of the despairing few good deeds he has ever done in his life. The top-knot, as innocent as it may seem, is a token of slavery to China, to the rotten old, to the blind guide of Confucianism. Cutting the hair short will be a step toward freedom and progress.
47
14th. (13th). Sunday. Cloudy.
48
Went to Kalman to see Mrs. Bilbrough and to settle a question of boundary between her and the Korean villagers.
49
Three years ago when I visited the place, it was nothing but gravel land, oyster shells, patches of stunted millet fields, with a dozen or more Korean hovels with their concomitant dirt and smells, lazy, stolid men and famished, filthy dogs. There was nothing to gladden one's eyes in the whole picture. Now, what a creation! Under the magic touch of occidental energy and capital, the once barren desert is literally smiling with gorgeous flowers. All kinds of English vegetables supply the kitchen with everything a civilized man requires in the way of herbs. The beach on the shore of the cove is no longer, as it used to be, a dumping ground of the garbage, refuse and stinking fish of the Korean. I felt, involuntarily, I could breathe full and free in this delightful morsel of earthly paradise (to a Korean) .
50
The spacious house is built of stone and cement. The timber used is from the tropical forests. The furniture is of the best―the Bilbroughs tolerating no trash.
51
Mrs. B. now employs Chinese cooliese only. Koreans were too lazy and noisy for her. By the way one of th Chinese servants acts a Japanese spy. From that source the Japanese consul learned some time ago that Mr. Bilbrough had smuggled 1,500 rifles. Mr. Wakefield, the Commissioner of Customs, regretted very much that his exeminer, Manheimer, had not searched more carefully B.'s yacht when she came to port from Southern China. I made inquiries and a Korean who went to China as one of B.'s boatmen said that B. had brought a hundred pistols―not rifles. No sufficient proof not only but too late to institute a search. At any rate the B.'s are not such fine and honest folks as they let on to be.
52
Whatever she may be―a member of the English nobility, as she pretends to be, or a smuggler who has found in the primitive Korea an easy and profitable corner for her illegal traffic―she is undoubtedly an able woman who has not only capacity but also talent for work. She talks well and freely, though with a deal of diplomacy. She has no use for missionaries. She hates Japanese, despises Koreans and patronizes Chinese. She never misses a chance to give it to a Customs Officer. Oisen was bad, but Wakefied is worse. "O Mr. Yun," said she, "I was so glad to see Prince Henry give you his right-hand seat when he entertained us. Oiesen didn't get there. In England Customs officials are nothing. Prince Henry has been corresponding with my son ever since his visit here."
53
The beauty of B.'s place is brought out more strikingly, and to me most painfully, by the Korean village close to B.'s back gate. The Korean learns absolutely nothing from the foreigner even in the easy matter of keeping their front yards and lanes clean. When I reminded them (the Koreans) of the difference of the two places in regard to cleanliness and asked them why they didn't keep their houses more tidy, their answer was "We are poor." No arguing with a Korean who verily believes that no man gets rich unless he is dirty. Thus uncleanness in Korea is associated with the strongest passion of a man, viz: the love of money.
54
I have often been inclined to blame Mr. Oiesen who had first decided and insisted on Kalmay being within the 10 li treaty limits, and Mr. Fenwick for buying the Kalmay property for the Bilbroughs. I hate to see pretty sites going into the hands of a foreigner. For the same reason, I could not keep back tears of sorrow and indignation when I saw four years age, some of the century-aged trees on the Nam San slope in Seoul, extraterritorialized by being in the Japanese Legation grounds. But after all, is God unjust in taking a thing from one who abuses it to give it to another who improves it? Compare Hong Kong as it is now with what it was is Chinese hands. Germans have transformed Kouchow from a miserable, unhealthy Chinese village into a splendid city in three years. Australasia, India, the Continents of America, to say nothing about the beautiful islands of the seas,―will any sentimentalist dare affirm that they had better been in the hands of the natives than in those of the European? Look at what a neat settlement Japanese have made of the once miry, muddy, marshy fields in the Korean hand. The northern slope of Namsan and Jung-dong in Seoul were only a few years ago among the dirtiest spots in the Capital-behold what they have become in the hands of Japanese and Europeans. So, if Koreans don't prove themselves worthy of the lovely land God has been long suffering enough to keep in their possession for tens of centuries, they have none to blame but themselves.
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