The History of Korea (vol. 2 of 2)Hulbert, Homer B. (Homer Bezaleel)
History
The History of Korea (vol. 2 of 2)
Hulbert, Homer B. (Homer Bezaleel)
Korea -- History
Yi Wan, the nephew of the fallen Admiral, still urged on the battle; but
the work was almost done. The fugitive boats became fewer and fewer.
Admiral Chil Lin happened to come near the boat of the dead admiral and
noticing that the sailors in it were quarrelling over some Japanese
heads he exclaimed, “The Admiral must be dead.” He entered the boat and
found it even so. Throwing himself three times at full length on the
deck he uttered this lament: “I thought that he would save me and still
live, but here he lies dead and there is no soldier now left in Korea.”
We have now come to the end of actual hostilities in the peninsula but
we must cross to Japan and inquire into the immediate causes which led
to the final recall of all the Japanese troops. The Korean account of
these events is very remarkable and faith is to be put in it only
in-so-far as it is not directly antagonized by the Japanese account. For
events that transpired in Korea the Korean account must be taken as the
standard, but for events that transpired in Japan the Japanese account
must of course be accepted as the more trustworthy. The Korean account
is as follows.
[Illustration: _THE FARRIER._]
When the Japanese first invaded Korea, in the year 1592, it so happened
that a young Korean boy named Yang Pu-ha, a native of Tong-nă, became
attached to the Japanese army as a slave, and was eventually taken to
Tsushima. From there he made his way to the mainland of Japan and at
last reached the court of Hideyoshi. That observant man spied him out
and said, “Korean and Japanese boys resemble each other strongly. Take
this boy and teach him Japanese, and if he does not learn well cut off
his head.” With this incentive it would be strange if a less intelligent
boy than Yang Pu-ha would not learn rapidly. In the space of three
months he could converse creditably in Japanese, and Hideyoshi as reward
made him one of his body-servants. For some years the boy performed the
duties of this position, until at last the Chinaman Sim Yu-gyŭng
arrived. That official was kept practically in confinement at the court
of Hideyoshi. One day the Korean servant asked his master to be allowed
to see Sim Yu-gyŭng. Permission was granted and the young man found the
Chinese envoy in great perplexity, in fact in tears. This excited the
pity of the young man and he secured the release of the Chinaman, who
from that time was often called into the presence of Hideyoshi, with
whom he soon became on familiar terms. One day as he sat with the great
Taiko he took out a pill and swallowed it. He did the same on several
days in succession until at last the curiosity of Hideyoshi was excited
and he asked what it was. The Chinaman answered that it was an antidote
to indigestion and that by eating it the strength and vigor of the body
was preserved intact. Hideyoshi took one in his hand and eyed it
suspiciously. On one side of the pill was written the Chinese character
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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