embassy, proceeded to the coast of Corea, the eastern
boundary of the, Yellow Sea; for as these ships were not
required in China before the return of the Embassador by
land to Canton, it was determined • to devote the interval
to an examination of some places in those seas, of which
little or no precise information then existed. The following
pages give the details of this voyage.
1st of September.—This morning a t daylight the land
of Corea was seen in the eastern quarter. Having stood
towards it, we were at nine o'clock near three high islands,
differing in appearance from the country we had left, being
wooded to the top, and cultivated in the lower parts, but
not in horizontal terraces as a t the places we had last visited
in China. We proceeded to the southward of the group,
and anchored in a fine bay at the distance of two or three
miles from the southern island. Shortly after anchoring, a
boat came from the shore with five or six natives, who
stopped, when within fifty yards of the brig, and looking at
us with an air of curiosity and distrust, paid no attention to
the signs which were made to induce them to come alongside.
They expressed no alarm when we went to them in
our b o a t; and on our rowing towards the shore, followed us
till we landed near a village. The inhabitants came in a
body to meet us, forming an, odd assemblage, different in
many respects from any thing we had seen; their colour
was a deep copper, and their appearance forbidding, and
somewhat savage. Some men, who appeared to be superior
to the rest, were distinguished by a hat, the brim of which
was nearly three feet in diameter, and the crown, which was
about nine inches high, and scarcely large enough to admit
the top of the head, was shaped like a sugar-loaf with the
end cut off. The texture of this strange hat is of a fine
open work like the dragon-fly’s wing; it appears to be
made of horse-hair varnished over, and is fastened under
the chin by a band strung with large beads, mostly black
and white, but occasionally red or yellow. Some of the
elderly men wore stiff gauze caps over their hair, which was
formed into a high conical knot on the top of the head.
Their dress consisted of loose wide trowsers, and a sort of
frock reaching nearly to the knee, made of a coarseopen grass
cloth, and on their feet neat straw sandals. They were of
the middle size, remarkably well made, and robust looking.
At first they expressed some surprise on examining our
dothes, but afterwards took very little interest in any thing
belonging to us. Their'chief anxiety was to get rid of us
as soon as possible. This they expressed in a manner too
obvious to be mistaken; for, on our wishing to enter the
village, they first made motions for us to go the other w ay ;