the Koreans, who are indolent and inclined to take their
ease. On this subject there can be only conjecture; time will decide.
An interesting book, "In Korea with Marquis Ito," which has been
published during the year, deals with this question fully; George
Trumbull Ladd is the author.

Looking backward, we find that the kings of Korea were the vassals of
China for a long period, but as one of the results of the
Chinese-Japanese war, there was a complete renunciation of the authority
of the Emperor of China. Hence it seems strange that at the close of the
Russian-Japanese war another important change and crisis should have
come to Korea.

* * * * *

FROM SEOUL, KOREA, TO YOKOHAMA: We left Seoul at eight on the morning of
June 9th for Fusan, and the railway journey, an all-day trip, was a
fatiguing one, owing to the dust; but we had glimpses of mountain
scenery and plains. Fusan was simply a point of departure for Japan. We
took our steamer, _Satsuma-maru_, at six that evening for the night
only, as we were due at Shimonoseki early the next morning. The approach
here was through the straits, and was unlike any previous view,--a wide
entrance between two high promontories, with mountains on either side.

[Illustration: _Street scene in Seoul_]

Shimonoseki is quite an important point commercially, but our stay was,
as I say, one of convenience only, since we took the train at 9.30 for
Miyajima and the Sacred Island. This is considered the finest railway
trip in Japan as regards scenery, and our exclamations of delight were
many, for there were mountains covered with verdure and rice-fields, and
from time to time glimpses of the famed Inland Sea. We had long
anticipated this visit to the Sacred Island; we knew Miyajima had a
population of three thousand, and was a fishing village, aside from the
great interest which attaches to the temples; that the island rose
eighteen hundred feet above the sea and was rocky, although covered with
heavy foliage; but I was unprepared for the unique charm that awaited
us.

The approach to Miyajima, as we crossed the lake, gave us a fine first
impression,--the great torii standing boldly forth from its watery base;
the stone lanterns in the foreground; the temple seen dimly through the
green; and the thickly wooded hills in the background all added greatly
to the landscape. At our right, on an eminence, was situated the Mikado
Hotel, which was to shelt