Busan’s bustling harbor in 1918 / Robert Neff Collection

“The great heat of summer will soon be upon you,” declared Chesney Duncan in late spring 1884, "and many [of the expat community in China] will be casting about for some place that will afford both change of climate and of scenery to spend the hot months in!”

For those who were “tired of dull and expensive Chefoo” (modern Yantai) in China, and were willing to “rough it a little in a cooler climate,” he suggested they come to Fusan (modern Busan), Korea. I think it is kind of amusing to point out that a little over a decade later, Chefoo was a popular escape for the American missionaries in Korea.

In his letter, Duncan went on to provide “two new and agreeable routes” that had recently been established to Korea from China and Japan.

The first he described was the Nanzing, a small British-owned steamship which was commanded by Captain Charles Richard Balbernie (sometimes spelled as Balbirnie or Balberney) and assisted by four or five European officers and a small Chinese crew.

According to Duncan, this ship was the most suitable for traveling families and was able to “accommodate in comfort some ten passengers in her cabins and saloon.” The ship departed Shanghai about once every three weeks and sailed first to Nagasaki where, while the ship was boarding cargo, passengers could do a little exploring.

“Don’t go on shore,” urged Duncan, but instead “take your lunch, and get into a boat, and spend the day at Pappenberg (Takaboko Island), where you can have plenty of bathing, and wander round the sacred rocks, getting back in time for dinner.”

Generally the Nanzing departed Nagasaki just after dinner and, as Duncan poetically waxed, “with a fine [moonlit] night and calm sea, you will inhale health and strength at every breath, and be positively charmed with the scenery” and arrive in Fusan between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. the following morning.

Pappenberg Island (Takaboko........

© The Korea Times