About 2¾ by 5¾ miles.—_Ibid._, November 1. Late in December, a report reached the Korean Government from the frontier that the Russians had forbidden all but their countrymen to enter into the Russian territory at Yong-am-po.—_Ibid._, December 23. Footnote 626: Many stories have been told of M. Pavloff’s influence over the venal politicians of Seul. Of these, two are given below, which are not verifiable, but certainly interesting. Yi Keun-thaik is said to have told the Emperor, late in December, 1903, that the following assurance had been given by the Russian Representative: if the Korean refusal to open Wiju and Yong-am-po to foreign trade should result in the mobilization of Japanese forces, Russia would also dispatch troops against them; in 1894, Korea erred when she relied on China, but Russia was not a China, and might implicitly be relied upon.—The _Kokumin_, telegram, December 25. One day, it is said, M. Pavloff remarked in the presence of the Korean Emperor and his attendants: “The Koreans often rely upon Japan, or else are afraid of her, but where in the world is Japan?” Then he scanned a map through a pocket magnifier, and said: “Oh, I find a tiny country called Japan in a corner of the Pacific Ocean. My Russian Empire is the greatest country on the globe, spreading over two continents. If Korea relies upon our Empire, she will be as safe as in navigating a sea in a colossal vessel. Should Japan object to it, our Russia would only have to do thus.” Here, placing a few matches on his palm, he blew them off.—The _Kyōiku Jiron_. Footnote 627: In the latter half of 1900, for example. Footnote 628: Korean neutrality is said to have been telegraphed to the Korean Representatives abroad through the French channel. It was not until some time after the other Powers had received the declaration that it reached Japan. Russia, it will be remembered, told the world that Japan infringed the neutrality of Korea when the former’s warships had an encounter with the “Variag” and “Korietz” at Chemulpo. See pp. 355 ff., below. CHAPTER XIX THE RUSSO-JAPANESE NEGOTIATIONS, II The Russian counter-note having been received on October 3, Baron Komura began to confer with Baron Rosen upon the basis of both the Japanese note and the Russian reply.[629] Meanwhile, the Japanese statesmen again held deliberations on the 10th and 24th of October,[630] and agreed upon the “irreducible minimum,” which was accordingly communicated to the Russian Minister on the 30th in the form of the following note:— “1. Mutual engagement to respect the independence and territorial integrity of the Chinese and Korean Empires.