Walking in the footsteps of the past: Naju in 1884 (Part Two)

Korean shops circa 1900s. Photos from Robert Neff Collection

• Published Nov 25, 2018 10:01 AM KST
• Updated Nov 25, 2018 1:53 PM KST

As Foulk and the governor of Jeolla Province entered Naju, a large number of minor officials and government employees rushed ahead and drove the population back into their homes “as well as they could, yet every doorway was filled with curious people, all pleasant enough looking.”

Foulk and Park ascended the South Gate and looked upon the city. Foulk was told that the city had more than 2,000 houses within the walls but he was convinced it was an exaggeration. There were, however, just outside the gate about 400 buildings ― many of them for government use including an imposing old drill pavilion.

In his diary Foulk wrote:

“There are two streets properly to the place, the roads leading to the four gates. They meet in a clear square place by the Yongmun, in which there are a large number of old memorial shrines and all of iron (as I saw). Right in front of the Yongmun, to the east is a very loft, imposing building, the Kaksa (great quarters).”

While in Seoul, Foulk had heard a lot about Naju's manufactured goods: pillows, lacquered goods (black, red and brown) including writing boxes, stools, candlesticks and fans ― which were said to be the best in the country ― and were highly prized by the upper class. He expected to see large shops producing these items, but found “only a few poor shops in all of Naju, none showy, indeed wretched hovels, where beef and fruit, or a few poor paper boxes were sold” along with sandals, paper and small silk articles.

He later discovered “the makers [of the goods prized in Seoul] are people who work in their own huts, one here, one there, each making only a few pieces.”

With the sightseeing concluded, Foulk thanked the governor for his kindness and told him he would be leaving in the morning. He then returned to his quarters to prepare to leave.

The following morning Foulk woke in a foul mood. It was raining and his servants had failed to wake him on time. It was about this time that he discovered that some of his servants had been involved in a brawl in an ale shop and that four of the servants had been beaten with clubs, two very badly.

Apparently, the ale shop was where some of Foulk's servants were housed and during the night a group of young worthies came in and drank a large amount of alcohol and then refused to pay. Foulk's servants tried to help the woman proprietor and for their good deeds were soundly beat.

The governor threatened to have the proprietor punished, but Foulk asked him to punish no one and just to let him and his men get on their way. The governor agreed and provided Foulk with a going away present with which Foulk immediately found fault.

“The [governor] is a damned food, has no sense at all. He sent me a whale almost of a fish and big baskets of paper &c. which I can't carry of course. He is a peasant born man, knows nothing, and has the reputation of being a great gourmand only.”

What he did with all the fish and goods is unclear, but at 10:45 he wrote that 10 of his men “were standing around, some with very sore heads. Am about to leave. It is cloudy and there is a light rain. I've got all I want of Naju.”

A few minutes later he and his party were out the gate and Naju was left behind. The slight discomforts he had received in the city would pale in comparison to the troubles he would experience over the next three weeks.

If you would like to read more about Foulk's adventures, read Samuel Hawley's excellent book “Inside the Hermit Kingdom: The 1884 Korea Travel Journal of George Clayton Foulk.”