File:Corea, the hermit nation - I. Ancient and mediaeval history. II. Political and social Corea. III. Modern and recent history (1897) (14782167004).jpg

Identifier: coreahermitnation00grif (find matches)
Title: Corea, the hermit nation : I. Ancient and mediaeval history. II. Political and social Corea. III. Modern and recent history
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Griffis, William Elliot, 1843-1928
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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st provinces of China. Opposite, at a distance ofabout eighty miles as the crow flies, measuring from lands end tolands end, is the populous province of Shantung, or CoTintryeast of the mountains. On the edge of this promontory are the THE EIGHT PROVINCES. 185 cities of Chifu and Teng Chow, while fm-tlier to the east is Tien-tsin, the seaport of Peking. From the most ancient times, Chi-nese armadas have sailed, and invading armies have embarked forCorea from these ports. Over and over again has the river Ta-tong been crowded with fleets of junks, fluttering the dragon-ban-ners at their peaks. From the Shantung headlands, also, Chinesepirates have sailed over to the tempting coasts and green islandsof Corea, to ravage, bum, and kill. To guard against these inva-ders, and to notify the arrival of foreigners, signal fires are lightedon the hill-tops, which form a cordon of flame and speed the alarmfrom coast to capital in a few hours. These pyrographs or fire , CT«/« ^^^^ J °Chan-rion
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^0 ^ MERIN ISLAND SIR JAMES HALL(3^CROUP j^ Map of the Yellow-sea Province. signals are called Pong-wa. At Mok-mie san, a mountain southof the capital, the fire-messages of the three southern provincesare received. By day, instead of the pillars of fire, are clouds ofsmoke, made by heaping wet chopped straw or rice-husks on theblaze. Instantly a dense white column rises in the air, which, tothe sentinels from peak to peak, is eloquent of danger. In morepeaceful times, Corean timber has been largely exported to Chifu,and tribute-bearing ships have sailed over to Tientsin. The Chi-nese fishermen usually appear off the coast of this province in thethird month, or April, remaining until June, when their whitesails, bent homeward, sink from the gaze of the vigilant sentinels 186 COREA. on tlie liills, who watcli continually lest tlie CHnese set foot onshore. This they are forbidden to do on pain of death. In spiteof the vigilance of the soldiers, however, a gi-eat deal of smuggHngis done a

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