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MINERAL WEALTH FLORA AND FAUNA CLIMATE. 843
eating tigers enter the villages, prowl about the houses, and even penetrate through
the thatch roofs for their human prey. They are hunted chiefly in winter, when
they are often overtaken floundering in the half-frozen masses of snow, and easily
dispatched with spears and knives. The Korean horses, imported especially from
the island of Quelpaert, are very small, like Shetland ponies ; but the oxen, used
as mounts, are powerful beasts. Pigs and dogs are very numerous ; but the latter
are cowardly curs, useless for the hunt, and chiefly bred for their flesh, which
is largely consumed, and regarded as a great delicacy. The surrounding waters
Fig. 161. ISLAND OF QUELPAERT.
Sreile 1 : 900,000.
to 160 Feet. 160 to 320 320 and upwards.
18 Mile.
abound in animal life, and here is taken the species of skate whose skin is used in
the manufacture of sheaths.
Although washed by marine waters, the climate of Korea resembles that of
' 'liina and Manchuria. This is due to the shallowness of the Yellow Sea and Gulf
of 1'echili, which are rapidly heated and cooled according to the seasons, and which
have consequently but a slight influence in regulating the yearly temperature. As
on the mainland, the isothermals corresponding with those of Europe are deflected in
Korea several degrees south of the latitudes which they cross on the Atlantic sea-
board. Thus the mean temperature of France will be found in the south of the
peninsula under the same parallels as Gibraltar and Morocco. But while the
mi -mi temperature is lower, the extremes are much greater than in Europe, a fact
due to the prevalence of cold north-east winds in winter, followed by the warm
south-west monsoons in summer. Even in the southern provinces the glass falls