Some of the stories of Korean successes reaching Seoul were at the best improbable.  The tale of one fight, however, came to me through so many different and independent sources that there was reason to suspect it had substantial foundation.  It recalled the doings of the people of the Tyrol in their struggle against Napoleon.  A party of Japanese soldiers, forty-eight in number, were guarding a quantity of supplies from point to point.  The Koreans prepared an ambuscade in a mountain valley overshadowed by precipitous hills on either side.  When the troops reached the centre of the valley they were overwhelmed by a flight of great boulders rolled on them from the hilltops, and before the survivors could rally a host of Koreans rushed upon them and did them to death.

Proclamations by Koreans were smuggled into the capital.  Parties of Japanese troops were constantly leaving Chinkokai, the Japanese quarter in Seoul, for the provinces.  There came a public notice from General Hasegawa himself, which showed the real gravity of the rural situation.  It ran as follows:—­

“I, General Baron Yoshimichi Hasegawa, Commander of the Army of Occupation in Korea, make the following announcement to each and every one of the people of Korea throughout all the provinces.  Taught by the natural trend of affairs in the world and impelled by the national need of political regeneration, the Government of Korea, in obedience to His Imperial Majesty’s wishes, is now engaged in the task of reorganizing the various institutions of State.  But those who are ignorant of the march of events in the world and who fail correctly to distinguish loyalty from treason have by wild and baseless rumours instigated people’s minds and caused the rowdies in various places to rise in insurrection.  These insurgents commit all sorts of horrible crimes, such as murdering peaceful people, both native and foreign, robbing their property, burning official and private buildings, and destroying means of communication.  Their offences are such as are not tolerated by Heaven or earth.  They affect to be loyal and patriotic and call themselves volunteers.  But none the less they are lawbreakers, who oppose their Sovereign’s wishes concerning political regeneration and who work the worst possible harm to their country and people.

“Unless they are promptly suppressed the trouble may assume really calamitous proportions.  I am charged by His Majesty, the Emperor of Korea, with the task of rescuing you from such disasters by thoroughly stamping out the insurrection.  I charge all of you, law-abiding people of Korea, to prosecute your respective peaceful avocations and be troubled with no fears.  As for those who have joined the insurgents from mistaken motives, if they honestly repent and promptly surrender they will be pardoned of their offence.  Any of you who will seize insurgents or will give information concerning their whereabouts will