at work in the fields.
At his home the women of the family nearly always stayed in their own
apartments, and when they did go out always went heavily veiled. These
country women not only assisted in the farm work, but they had to do all
the spinning and weaving for the family, in addition to usual household
cares.
Wang Ken was able to tell Yung Pak much about country life, for, like
most of the school-masters of Korea, he was himself a farmer's son. He
told how the Korean farmer lived a simple, patient life, while at the
same time he was ignorant and superstitious. He believed in demons,
spirits, and dragons, and in nearly every house were idols in honour of
the imaginary deities.
Pigs and bulls are the chief animals on Korean farms. The latter are
used as beasts of burden, though occasionally a more prosperous man may
own a pony or a donkey. The farming tools are extremely rude and simple,
thus necessitating the labour of several men or women where one man
could do the work with good tools.
While travelling along Yung Pak met several hunters. They were not an
uncommon sight on the streets of Seoul. When in the city they wore a
rough felt conical hat and dark blue cotton robe. The garments were ugly
in appearance and inconvenient. When the hunters were after game the
robe was discarded, and its place taken by a short wadded jacket, its
sleeves bound around the arms over wadded cuffs which reached from wrist
to elbow. In a similar way the trousers were bound to the calf of the
hunter's leg, and light straw sandals over a long piece of cotton cloth
were strapped to the feet and ankles. A huge string game-bag was slung
over his back, and in an antelope's horn or a crane's bill bullets were
carried. Powder was kept dry in a tortoise-shaped case of leather or
oiled paper.
Yung Pak's father would have been glad to have taken time for seeking
game with some of these hunters, but the business of his trip prevented
any unnecessary delay on the journey.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MONASTERY AT CHANG-AN-SA
In the latter part of the afternoon of the fourth day, our travellers,
weary and worn with the long journey, came in sight of Chang-an-sa, the
Temple of Eternal Rest, one of the oldest monasteries of Korea, where
hundreds of monks devoted their lives to the service of Buddha.
The temple buildings, with deep curved roofs, are in a glorious
situation on a small level lot of grassy land crowded between the high
wa
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