WITH THE KING OF COREA.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8964, 30 November 1894, Page 2

WITH THE KING OF COREA.

The American Minister Refused to Enter the Pala.ce by the Back Door.

FranJi _?. Carpenter in the Detroit Free Press.

One of the most interesting men iv the world to-day is the King of Corea. The war between Japan and China is being fought over him, and the future of Asia ia involved in the struggle. The king is the absolute ruler of 12,000,000 people. The land of Corea belongs practically to him, aud tbe development of its immense natural resources in gold and coal, which is sure to occur after the war is over, may make him one of the richest kings in the world.

This is how it happened. The Corean !< officials, who put on great airs, have been i trying to lesson the rank of foreigners in i the eyes of the people. They have made a ' back entrance to the palace for them, and < they proposed to inaugurate this by thus i letting ia our new minuter, Mr Sill, who ; had arrived in Corea during my stay. < Minister Sill, however, iefused to accept i their proposition. He eaid he represented the president of the United States, and that oar president was as big as any kiug on the globe. 1C there was a gate for kings lie though-, he ought to ko through if, and ha sent word to the department that he would come at the time appointed .to rhia big gate, and if he was not admitted there he would return to his legation. This message made the faces of the king's officials turn from the colour of Jersey cream to that of skimmed milk. They saw that there would be trouble and they referred the matter to the kinc. Now, his majesty has more brains than all of his miuistera. He is packed full of common sense, and he at once became very angryHe not only said that the minister should go through the chief gate, but he sent bii j own chair and servants in order that .he j might ride there in state. I don't know that he rememoered mc from my past (interview, bac he was told I wanted to meet him and he said that he would give mc a special audience after that of the minister was over. I wish I could show voujhow we marched through the city on our way to the king. Oar procession of soldiers and servants was at least one hundred feet long, and we rode in chairs borne by big-batted coolies. The king's chair shone like cold in its brass trimmings, and it lhad mahogany panels. jMy chair was covered with navy blue silks and Dr. Allen rode in sedan of green. We had a couple of Corean nobles to go with us as interpreters, and these were gorgeously dressed. The minister, Dr. Allen and myself, bad on plug .hate,! boiled shirts and swallow-tail coats». The servants who came from the palace were dressed in white gowns, belted in at the waist, with sashes of green. The soldiers wear blue coats and plum-coloured ptnts, and out of the back of their black fur hats were tassels of the brightest yermillion, each of which was as big as a fly brush. Oh, it was gay ! In this way we went down the Pennsylvania, avenue of Seoul. Our keso9 ran in front and howled out to the common people to get out; of the way for the great men who came. Men and women were crowded up to thS walU. Bullock carts were driven down the side streets with a runli. The people who smoked took their pipes out of their mouth? and held them behind them. "Women with green coats over their heads scampered into their houses, and the eyes of all were so stretched out at the sight that they lost i heir almond shape and became circular in wonder. I" was so till we reached the gate of the p%lace. Here our soldiers put down the chairs, and, accompanied by our pompous Corean interpreters, we walked towards the gate. Midway on the platform we were met by one of the high officials of the king, clad in a gorgeous green gown, with a stork of white silk e<nbroidered on a background Of gold a foot square upon hia breast. . He had a similar square of embroidery .upon Jjis back, and as I looked at him it struck mc that with a good revolver a man could kill both of these embroidered birdfe* at tne same time. He had about hie waist a hoop of what seemed to be shell or horn, studded with precious stones, and he was accompanied by servants, whoheld up hia arms and sort of lifted him along the way. This was not because hd could not walk, bub it better showed liis rank and style. He bowed low. Wβ bowed, and of er a short interval of diplomas ie taffy-eiving he led the way up to the central gate of the palace and motioned the minister to walk through the mala entrance. He Lh'en •went throusrh one of the side gates, fand ourinterpreters fqjla'&ed nim. Dr. Allen and myself were walking with the minister. Said the doctor, "Hβ seems to intend that I eaall go through the main jgate, too;" " Weil, doctor," eaid I, " I think I will Btick to the party, and though I have no official ran£, I'll see how it feels to :walk the path ithat ha* only been trodden by the feet of kings." I had not forgotten that I was an American prince. And co we three representatives of the royalty of the IJniied States marched through the temple-like entrance. The act in itself seems little in America, but it is a great thing in Corea; and everywhere I went after that in was mentioned in connection with my introductions to other Coreans.

I had an audience with him six years ago, aud I met him in one of his palaces in Seoul just before the outbreak of the present rebellion. He received mc with tbe highest of honours, and I am, I believe, tbe only strictly private American who has ever gone through the imperial doer of the great gate which leads into his palace city.

The king's palaces cover nearly one thousand acres. They lie at the foot of a ragged gray mountain, and a thick wall of atone as high as a two-storey house runs around them. This wall is entered by a half dozen great gates, at which, day and night, soldiers are stationed to see that only the proper people go in. Each gate has its own rank, and there are special entrances for servants and low noble*. The great central gate is reserved for tbe highest. It has three doors, and the middle of them is kept for royalty alone, and only kings and princes are supposed to go through it. I see that the papers state that General Clarence Greathouse, the king's foreign adviser, ia the only American who ever entered the palace city through this door. This is not true. The same honour was accorded last May to Minister Sill, Dr. H. N. Allen, and also

In our march through the city of the king this gorgeous prime minister stalked along in front of,us. leading us through great courts till we cam© to another gate, through the centre arch of which wo passed. Then we went on through other courrs walled with palaces, past servants clad in brown and red. and by officials wearing all sorts of hats and gowns. There were soldiers everywhere, and Catling guns stood pear some of the entrances. We passed through street after street, walled with the buildings in which live this king attd his servants, until we came to a great gate, the side door of which alone was open. The central door was closed. The secretary of the home office stepped through the side gate and expected us to follow. We had gotten used, however, to the arch of honour, and we stopped and waited for the main gate to be opened. The secretary therefore changed his mind. He came back and was practically lifted by his servants to the top of.l hUI « here WM * a new gate, and he, led us throuab this. This brought us into the vestibule built for the foreigners. It was a magnificent corridor, so long that yon could not see the end as you stood at the top and looked down it. It was lighted at the top and on both sides by beautiful lattices of white paper. The woodwork was papered with this wonderful Corean paper, which is as smooth as ivory, and as strong as leather. The floor waf covered with matting as fine as the web of a Panama hot, and so thick that our feet sank as softly into it as they would have done had it been Brussels carpet. This corridor had many Handings. We descended from one to another by easy steps, and after a walk of perhaps a quarter of a mile, we came out of it into an open hail, which looked out upon the gardens of the king, and gave a view of the new palace in the distance. This room was furnished in foreign style, and the highest officials of the king and a number of great nobles of the court were gathered within. Each noble had his servant with him. Tall, broad shouldered men, clad in brown gowns and gorgeous hats, stood about as guards. These are known as the brown-coated kesbs They are the body-guard of the king and, like the famed soldiers of Peter the Great, have been picked out for their height and strength. Nearly every one of them is over six feet, fttfd their long gowns make them look like giants. In addition to these, there were servants in red caps, servants in caps of purple, and servants with gorgeous headdre«sings of blue. The officials were clad in their court dresses, and the head of each showed a topknot shining through its fine Corean cap of horsehair, which, with its great wings flapp&g out at tne aides, forms the bfficlal head dress. These wings are oval in shape, and they stand out like ears, denoting that their owners are ever listening for the commands of the king. The gowns of these officials were ot the finest sUk, made very fulL They fell from their necks to their feet, and nearly covered the great official cloth boots, which made each man look as though he had the goat, and waa nursing hi* feet for the occasion. The gowns were of dark green, embroidered with gold on the breast and back, and containing white storks or tigers, according as the man belonged to the civil or military rank. iwi _._ ._,__•_ «... all xrarw Alanlfimft. Wa

! were introduced all around bj the cabinet ' minister, who conducted u» into the room, and we then eat down to a long table upon which were plates filled with assorted cookies about the size of macaroons. Afc each m&tfs seat th«re were champagne glosses, ana the servants opened a half dozen or so of cold bottles while we chatted and waited. The American minister had hUprewntation first. Ea spent about halt an hour with his majesrv, and then oue of the English-speaking officials came into tbi« room and told mc that the King was ready to see mc. Taking off my hat and my eyeglasses, I walked with thU man through long passageways, walled with stone, by red-capped, rod-gowned servants, and pint soldiers in gorgeous unitoiius, to the gvte of a large court yard. As we neared -his raj interpreter, who was a high official noble, bent hie head over, and hie face looked like that of a man in pain at a funeral. As w«* entered the court he bent h«lf double, and as I looked across it, I caw that there was a Urge open hall facing us. This hall had a massive roof of heavy tiles, and at the front of it there i i were a number of big round pillars painted ! ! red. There were three entrances to it, reached by granite step* guarded by atone dogs, and the floor was, I judge, about six ; feet from the ground. Within the hall, in front of a Corcan screen, stood the King, with two eunuchs on each aide of him holding up his arrm. And about him were a number of officials, who bent over half double and dared not look at him for i reverence. All of these officials had those : gorgeous storks, or tigers, on thrir breasts, s and they looked at mc out of the tails of , their eyes as I came up. My interpreter got down on his knees as he got to the \ steps. He crawled along the floor to the 1 front of the king and bumped his head upon the carpet. He then bent himself 5 over half double and remained in this \ position during the whole of ihe interview, I whispering in tones of awe his majesty's sentences to mc and my questions to him. ! J 3 • >

The king was dressed in a gown of crimson silk, cut high at the neck, and embroidered with gold medallions as big around as a tea plate. There was one of these medallions on each of his shoulders, and one covered each side of the gown at about where the fifth rib is supposed to be located. This gown reached to his feet. It was gorgeous beyond description and it harmonized with his cream-coloured complexion. The sleeves of the gown were very full, and out of them a pair of delicate hands came from time to time, and clasped each other nervously. Ou one of his fingers I noticed a magniocent diamond ring, and it seemed to mc as though the great solitaire must cut his fingers, as be clasped and unclasped his bands, now folding them together, and now pulling one finger after the other, as though he would crack the joints. He shook hi*> own hands at mc in Chinese fashion as I came up. I bowed, and looked him struight in the eye while we talked together. I was not more than sft away from him, and there was a little table between us. Above us shone the incandes I cent globes of the Edison electric light. j and there was a European carpet on the floor.

The audience was largely given up to the passing of compliments, and it lasted, I judge, aboub twenty minutes. During it I had a good opportunity to study the king, and 1 photographed, as it were, his form and features upon my brain. He is bo it oft 6in in hight. He is well built, but not heavy. He has baauiiful bright black almond eyes, a complexion the colour of rich Jersey cream, and teeth as while as tho tusks of an African elepb int. His face is full, and it _hincs with intelligence. He has a thin moustache and a few hairs of black whiskers. He smiled frequency, and now and then he. laughed melodiously. He seemed to have a stone of about the size ofa bpy'sjlucfcy. stone in his mouth while be.talki|d,'and ..this from time to time got b-t'ween his teeth while he listened. When he spoke ib sunk back into his friouth, taking the place of an old maid's plumper, or the tobacco quid of one of our .ongressmen. I don't know, why he uses this stone, and I am iiot altogether sure that it was a stone. It seemed too hard for wax, and chewing gum has nob yet been introduced into Cores. Tbe King of Corea is now 42 years old, and he is in good physical condition. He is one of the ablest rulers Corea has ever had, and there is no harder-worked monarch on the face of the globe. His troubles to-day come from his ! officials. He had been so bound round by j tht*m that he did not know the condition jof his people, and he has been hedged iri las was the Mikado of Japan a generation ago. You cannot imagine the pomp of thi* king. No one can go in front of him. He never moves about the palaces without there are eunuchs at his side to hold up his arms, and the officials must get down on all fours and bump their heads on the floor whenever he comes into their presence. He spends his nights in working, and he sleeps in:the daytime. He goes to bed at 8 o'clock every morning, and no one dare wake him. About his rooms guards are stationed, and all the conversation that is carried on near bim must be in a whisper. He usually remains in bed until half past 5 in the afternoon, and in quiet times be begins his work in the palace when the watch fires are lighted on tbe mountains about Seoul. These notify him that all is well thoughout the country, or the reverse. These signal fires lake the place of the telegraph, and from hill to hill all over the kingdom the character of the fire flashes dispatches describing the condition of the people. It is the telegraph system of the. middle ages, and has been in daily use in Corea till the Japanese took possession of the land, a few months ago.

Leaving the King, I was next introduced to the Crown Prince, who is now just about twenty-one years of age, and who is treated with as much veneration by the people as the King himself. I met him in another audience hall, first backing out from the King, and going down the Hide steps of granite which I had mounted. I do not think that the Crown Prince is as able a man as his father. Still, my interview with him was short, and he seemed to b8 coached all the time by the giant eunuchs who. stood beside him and held up his arms. My interpreter had to double himself up between us while we talked, and there was quite a • much pomp in the present presentation. During the audience I heard a low laugh, which seemed to come from behind a screen at one side of the room. I imagine this was uttered by the Queen or one of her maids of honour. She often views, I ara told, such matters through a peep-hole, and, though it would be entirely contrary to official etiquette for her to be seen by a roan other than the King, it is said that she knows all that is going on in the palace, and that there is no prominent audience given which she does not thus inspect. She is said to be a most able woman. Her family ia the strongest in Corea, and her influence in i all governmental matters has been very 1 great. :