KoreaAngus Hamilton was a British journalist who reported for a number of newspapers and journals between 1894 and 1912. Among the events he covered were the Boer War in South Africa, the Boxer uprising in China, and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. He spent several months in Korea as the Far East correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette and produced this book on the basis of his observations. Korea was at the time little known in the West, and Hamilton's book contained much information about the country's economy, international trade, and the activities of the major foreign powers then vying for economic and political influence in Korea. Among the information provided was, in Appendix I, the timetable for travel by rail from Port Arthur (present-day Dalian, China) to Moscow. The total travel time was given as 13 days, 2 hours, and 42 minutes. Other appendices dealt with Korea's shipping, exports and imports, coastal trade, customs revenues, and the export of gold. Hamilton was writing on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War, and he devoted his introductory chapter to the political crisis then unfolding between Russia and Japan, the question of whether it would lead to war, and what effect a possible war would have on Korea. |
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American An-tung beauty British Buddha capital centre Chang-an Chang-an-sa Chemulpo Chin-am-po China Chinese Chyung-chyöng classes coast Colin de Plancy commercial concession Court cruisers Customs East Elswick Emperor Emperor of Korea existence exports feet fish foreign French Fusan German gold grooms guns Han River harbour Hermit Kingdom horses houses hundred Imperial important interests island Japan Japanese journey Kang-wha kingdom Korean Government Lady land Legation Ma-san-po Majesty Manchuria McLeavy Brown ment miles million yen mining Minister missionaries Mok-po monastery monks mountains native nickel Office open ports Pacific Squadron Palace passed ponies population Port Arthur ports of Korea position postal present priests Province Pyöng-yang railway revenue rice Russian Seoul servants settlement ships shores silk spirit Squadron steamers stream telegraph Temple thousand tion Tons trade treaty port valleys Vessels village Vladivostock Wi-ju women Won-san Yalu River Yi Yong-ik Yong-an-po Yu-chom-sa