Chau Ju-Kua - University of Oregon Libraries

I,'44 KOREA. 167
There are two great clans called the Kin (^) and the P'o (^[).
During the mt-io period of the T'ang dynasty (A. D. 618 — 627) ChQn
Kin (^ ^ or the
M
true Kin) was appointed Prince of Lo (or Yo)-lang (i^
J^
3l)'j
^is descendants have always been princes (j^y.
5 During the period k'ai-yau (A. D. 681 — 682) they sent a mission to
ask for the T'ang Ceremonial and their request was complied with*.
Their houses, utensils and implements, their mode of dressing and their
methods of administration are more or less copies of what we have in China.
In their government the people are ruled by severe laws, for which
10 reason offences are of rare occurrence; and the idea of theft is so foreign to
the people that they do not even pick up things dropped on the road *.
When contracting marriage, they do not send presents. The people can
write, and are fond of learning; even the menial classes are given to studious
pursuits; in the villages they have colleges, called «pubUc halls» (^ '^) in
IB the inscriptions over their doors. In these their unmarried sons and younger
brothers are placed in order to study literature and to practice archery.
They have a triennial examination for the degree of K^u-jon, also the exami-
nation for the degree of Tsin-sM, with the several faculties, as «Exact Scien-
ces)), etc. On account of all this the country is styled Kun-tzi-kuo (^ -^
20 PI «the Country of Gentleinen»)^
The soil of the country is w^ell adapted to the growing of rice, and
there are (no) camels or buffalo. They use no cash, but merely barter with
rice. Their household vessels and other implements are all made of copper,
and they have two kinds of music called the h'u (j^ ^) music and the
25 Mang (^ ^) music'.
During the period ¥ai-ymn (A. D. 713—742) Hing Sh6u (Jf|5 J§)
was sent on a mission of condolence (to the Sin-lo Court)*. During the
periods fung-huang (A. D. 923—926) and ch'ang-Mng (A. D. 930—934)
of the Five Dynasties, tribute missions were sent to the Court of China to
30 perfect the ceremonial; and under the present (Sung) dynasty, in the second
year Men-lung (A. D. 961), they sent tribute; this was repeated in the second
year oiking-kuo (A. D. 977).v
The people of this country believe in the theory of the male and female
principles, and in good and evil spirits, and are very superstitious. When
35 Chinese envoys arrive, they must first select a lucky day before they can
properly receive the Imperial commands; and, whenever such a message has
been received, an address of thanks is written by them to the Emperor, which
is not devoid of elegance in style.