s absolutely unknown to
the islanders. There were none to pilot the fleet across the seas, and
the generals seemed ignorant of where Corea was to be found, or of the
proper direction in which to steer. They lacked chart and compass, and
had only the sun, the stars, and the flight of birds as guides. As Noah
sent out birds from his ark to spy out the land, so they sent fishermen
ahead of the fleet, and with much the same result. The first of these
messengers went far to the west, and returned with the word that land
was nowhere to be seen. Another messenger was sent, and came back with
cheering news. On the western horizon he had seen the snowy peaks of
distant mountains.

Inspired by this report, the adventurers sailed boldly on. The winds,
the waves, the currents, all aided their speed. The gods even sent
shoals of huge fishes in their wake, which heaped up the waves and drove
them forward, lifting the sterns and making the prows leap like living
things.

At length land was seen by all, and with shouts of joy they ran their
ships ashore upon the beach of Southern Corea. The sun shone in all its
splendor upon the gallant host, which landed speedily upon the new-found
shores, where it was marshalled in imposing array.

The Coreans seem to have been as ignorant of geography as the Japanese.
The king of this part of the country, hearing that a strange fleet had
come from the east and a powerful army landed on his shores, was lost in
terror and amazement.

"Who can these be, and whence have they come?" he exclaimed. "We have
never heard of any country beyond the seas. Have the gods forsaken us,
and sent this host of strangers to our undoing?"

Such was the fear of the king that he made no resistance to the
invaders. Corean envoys were sent to them with the white flags of peace,
and the country was given up without a fight. The king offered to
deliver all his treasures to the invading host, agreed to pay tribute to
Japan, and promised to furnish hostages in pledge of his good faith. His
nobles joined with him in his oath. The rivers might flow backward, they
declared, or the pebbles in the river-beds leap up to the stars, but
they would never break their word.

Jingu now set up weapons before the gate of the king in token of her
suzerainty and of the peace which had been sworn. The spoils won from
the conquered land consisted of eighty ships well laden with gold and
precious goods of every kind the country possessed,