urial purposes. In one alone, seventy-five thousand persons are placed.
The drive presents very diversified scenery. As we approached the tomb
of the Queen, considerable formality was required. It was necessary to
possess a permit, soldiers being stationed outside the grounds. The hill
was very broad and quite steep at places, and on top the large tomb was
composed of marble. We could have visited several others, but preferred
to return home by the way of an old Buddhist monastery, a great part of
the road being lined with trees on either side. We found the monastery
rather dismantled and but few monks in attendance. They have to endure
many privations, and their surroundings looked extremely bare.

After this excursion, we ended the day by attending the Korean Theatre.
The ride there was interesting, as we saw all the particular evening
sights I have described. The arrangement of the room was very simple; we
sat in elevated boxes at the sides. About the stage all the details were
primitive. The action of the play was poor, but the enthusiasm of the
audience was great. We remained but a short time.

[Illustration: _A white marble pagoda in Seoul_]

In the matter of education the women of the higher class are somewhat
above the average, but those of the middle and lower classes are
entirely ignorant. Education is one of the many recent reforms
instituted; the old order of things is rapidly being changed.
Electricity has been introduced, electric trams extend some distances
even into the country, and there is a good postal service. A gentleman
who had been a resident for some fifteen years is my authority for
stating that in his opinion the mistake the Japanese were making in
their protectorate was in pushing reforms too rapidly. The Koreans are
slow in their response to foreign and western ideas.

The deposed King seems to be of a peculiar type. He is described as
having a weakness for intrigue, his early education having been received
under conditions that foster such qualities. He was married at thirteen
years of age to the late Queen; she was said to be unusually gifted, and
an attractive woman, even though unscrupulous and at times cruel.

There are many opinions regarding the immediate outcome of Japan's
protectorate over Korea. Those who have faith in the integrity of
Marquis Ito believe in good results; others fear that the invasion of a
large number of Japanese having business interests will rather
overshadow