Jemulpo (modern Incheon) in the late 1880s / Robert Neff Collection

Homer Hulbert is arguably one of the most beloved early Westerners in Korean history. He came to Korea in July 1886 as an American educator (a task he performed admirably) and went on to write prolifically about Korea — subsequently educating his fellow Westerners of the peninsula’s culture, history and charms. Of course, his efforts weren’t always appreciated, even by his own government; he was occasionally dismissed as troublesome and “going native.” Hulbert was, right up to his death, a champion of Korea’s right to self-government.

In 1939, he published a short article describing his early memories of Korea — it was a kaleidoscope of amusing anecdotes. Here are some of them (augmented by those of his peers):

The first of his anecdotes was his “adventurous trip” from Nagasaki to Jemulpo (modern Incheon) aboard the small Japanese steamship Tsuruga Maru in July 1886. According to a previous passenger, the Tsuruga Maru was a “very comfortable [vessel, with] nice cabins, and saloon, a popular commander, good table, and plenty of ice.” But Hulbert wasted very little ink in describing the ship. Instead he concentrated on the uncanny navigational abilities of the ship’s captain.

Off the coast of Jeolla Province, amongst the myriad of “unchartered islands,” the Tsuruga Maru encountered a thick bank of fog. Captain Peter Hussey, a 58-year-old American hailing from Boston, was an extremely experienced sailor and was undaunted by the adverse conditions. Using the ship’s whistle, he slowly made his way to a safe anchorage near a precipice that towered nearly 100 meters high.

Rickshaws at the American Legation in Seoul in the 1880s / Robert Neff Collection

In an article he published shortly after the event, Hulbert explained:

“I placed myself in the extreme bow of the boat and strained my eyes into the dense black fog ahead. Suddenly in an interval stillness I thought I heard — yes, it was, the soft dash of ripples along a shore. I knew that I was the only one who had heard it, and I turned, lifting my hand to shout to the man at the wheel, but at that instant I was glued to the spot by the sight of an immense black, cold shadow into which we were slowly drifting. The next instant I became aware that this goodly steamer lay alongside a sheer precipice of gray rock which towered far above her highest mast. But the momentum of the vessel could not be stopped instantly, and I caught hold of the railing with the certainty that the next moment I should feel her grate upon the bottom. As we drew near I caught sight of the black seams and fissures in the face of the rock, and there swept over me such a feeling of horror as I had never experienced before.”

When questioned about the obvious dangers of approaching the rocky island in the fog, the captain seemed almost blasé and explained that there was little chance of grounding considering the depth of the water around the........

© The Korea Times