| | | 7-19 November |
Seoul, Nov. 7 1890
Dear Amy,
I have just come back from the Palace where I have been to offer my congratulations ont the 40th birthday of the Queen & while waiting form my interpreter who is never on hand when wanted, I will devote a half hour to my darling daughter. We were very much surprised on the 4th to receive a summons to the Palace the next day at 1 PM. The King is just come out of strict mourning for his ????? mother, the Queen Dowager, & during this time, 5 months, has recd no foreigners.
As we knew the Queen's birthday was today, we had not expected that he would show himself before, but it turned out otherwise & a little after on the first flight of diplomats were assembled in the waiting room attached to the Pavillion where the King receives foreigners. On hand later the Consuls Hillier (Eng) & Krein (German), arr. with Genl Le Gendre & Vice Prest. of the Home Office.
About 1/2 an hour afterwards the King signified that he was ready for us & I, Kondo, Japanese, Waeber, Russian, both chargé d'affairs & ???? French "Commepaire" -- ??? by a score of high Corean officials proceeded to the presence. It is etiquette to remove the hat as one enters the court yard of the pavillion bow at the foot of the steps & at the door & again when finally in the presence. I told you what he was like at the time of my first audience. This time recd us [??] in the same way except that in the place of scarlet clothes he wore drab the color of mourning as did all the attendants. The Coreans knelt at the threshold & knocked their foreheads on the floor.
As doyen of the corps I have to do all the talking & speechifying: & try not to disgrace myself in the eyes of my collegues, who are old hands at it. The King is a small man, with a very amiable courtly expression of countenance, & I have no doubt is a "very good fellow"! He looks bright & intelligent. He is always very friendly. He said his mourning had prevented him from seeing us for a long time but it gave him great pleasure to welcome us again & ct. -- I replied expressing our thanks - our pleasure at seeing him again in good health & ??? & ???. My interpreter stands at my left & translates. Each of us had his interpreter with him.
After a few questions ??? we took leave & were ushered into the presence of the Crown Prince, who like his father stood behind a small table lanked by two eunuchs, one on each side, who looked like old women. Same ceremonies here, but shorter.
Today it was pretty much the same thing, except that as my interpreter is scared to death in the royal presence & probably muddles what I say, I wrote out my speech of congratulations & had it put into Chinese - the official language. A copy lay on the table before the King while I was speaking & after I had got through the interpreter read from the paper in his hand the translation. This is the only way I could be sure he would know what I said.
Both the President of the Home Office and the Prest of the Foreign Office came to me afterwords & thanked me for doing this & complimented me on my speech, which was nothing but banalité.
Today we were summoned for 10 this morning. The Consuls at 11 & it was barelly 11 when we were called to the King. So it was for s??? ???.
A bad thing about aoll these functions is the chapaign you must drink with the various officials: & when the wait is long the quantity of tobacco you get through. I was in evening dress, white cravat & the others in uniform.
There was a great number of Corean officials & diginataries about the Palace, come I suppose on the same errand as ourselves & the great Audience Hall was besieged. The King's chair was before us as we came out, all in white & supported on an elaborate frame work, to allow of the presense of 24 bearers, which is I believe the regulation number.
I am getting used to the speechifying but I don't like it. I have not the habit, I suppose. Russell wd get up & rattle off a harangue worth listening to, without giving himself the troubloe of thinking abt it beforehand but I am not up to that. I had to make quite a speech the other day at Kondo's who gave a big dinner in honor of the birthday of the Emperor of Japan & I got through it pretty well. I proposed his health. As senior of the corps, all such work falls on me. We are just in a period of great excitement. These days are big with fate -- the fate of Corea. On the death of the Queen Dowager the King sent an envoy to the Emperor of China to apprise him of the fact & now the return Embassy comes to bear the Emperor's condolences. Corea is tributary to China & though at the time of making the treaties she declared herself "indepe3ndent in all matters of national administration and foreign affairs," with China's knowledge & approval, & the Prest of the U.S. in his reply takes act of this & states that the U.S. wd only make a treaty with a sovereign power. China has regretted it betterly ever since & loses no oppy to humiliate Corea & reduce her to "vassalage." This is one of those occasions in which China exults. The Chinese Ambassador arrvd yesterday at Chemulpo with 2 ships of war & started from there for the capital at 4 this morning. While I write he is probably arrived at a pavillion ? ??? ???? a little outside the city walls. To carry out the full etiquette the King must go himself to this Pavillion & receive this Ambassador with the same honors as he wd pay to the Emperor himself -- down to the Kow tow & then conduct him into the city. And we are all agog to know what he will do. Will he go? Or won't he? Of course we shall know long before this letter leaves.
Nov 10
There are 2 Chinese envoys, who bring a letter from the Emperor, an invocation or prayer on sacrificial paper which is burned, & a patent of increased nobility for the deceased lady.
A short distance outside the West gate at a corner made in the road leading to the ???? crossed at right angles by the broad road coming from the Peking path & running down to the South Gate are the Gov of the Province, & before him ??? a canopy was raised. The King went out to this canopy in the morning of the 8th & the Chinese procession came up from the ??? bearing each in it separate litter and chair the 3 offerings mentioned above. He stood at the angle & as they were borne by turning to the right he bowed his head slightly. After they had passed the curtains were drawn around him, the soldiers filed in & he reentered the city by the West Gate, not seeing or receiving the Chinese envoys who were behind. They made a circuit to enter by the great South Gate while the King went directly to the Palace to receive them. The three objects from Peking were placed on a table, laid East & West, and the King facing North, with an envoy on each side, prostrated himself before them -- which is a very different thing from making the Kow tow to the envoys.
He goes to make them a visit of inquiry [??] & that finishes the ceremonies when they withdraw to the place they came from.
I was occupied all day with a question of etiquette concerning these men. The Chinise Minister calling them ambassadors sent the For. Rep. a circular saying they were too busy to receive calls which is a gross kind [???] of impertinence. We deny them the right to be called ambassadors.
If they are not, they ought to call on us. If they are, they should have sent their cards: as if they had said to pay or receive visits, it would have been all right. We finally sent in last night a politely worded letter to say we thanked him, but had no intention of calling. So we go!
Mamma sends love and kisses, Yours ever affly,
A.H.
[marginal note] Nov. 19 The delay of this str ??? me to send you a detailed statement in French of the ceremonies which is in good ??? ????: but certain parts the breakfast with the ???? especialoly is better in an En g version which I also send. I have had a great many ????d. from wh. I made my official statement. Show them to the family.
| | | 7-19 November |