The Marmot’s Hole

Most people who have studied Korean history are probably aware of Ernst Oppert’s ill-fated attempt to blackmail the Taewongun to open Korea to the West by stealing the Taewongun’s father’s bones in 1867.  Oppert, like many Westerners in the Chinese and Japanese open-ports, had not raised his army of men just to steal the bones of the King - he had heard rumors that Korean kings buried their dead in golden tombs with vast amounts of treasure, and he probably used this promised treasure to recruit his men and fund his expedition.

Recently I was fortunate to purchase some very rare copies of a British warship’s on-board-newspaper (1888-1889).  The warship had served in Korean waters during the Port Hamilton affair and had visited the Korean open-ports including the unopened area of Port Lazarev on the east coast of Korea near Wonsan where they hunted and fished.  One of the interesting articles I found in this “newspaper” was a fictional account of another tomb robber in Korea - an American.  This article, entitled the Golden Coffin, has all that you could ask for: adultry between an American and a Korean woman, burning people alive, cutting off their hands, and, of course, plundering Korean tombs.  It may not be historically important but it is entertaining - the article can be read below:

“I guess, boys, I’ll have a try for that ‘ar coffin,” said old Seth Adams, after listening to a curious legend of Corea.

The legend told how, in the old days, long before the civilized age, Corea had been a mighty and magnificent nation: dominant over her neighbours, and ruled over by a king as rich and as powerful as Solomon in the plentitude of his greatness. How, when he died, he had been buried, with all his jewels, in a massive golden coffin, near to Seoul, his capital.

The narrator went on to say that he had seen the tomb himself, no secret being made of it in Corea; it being supposed that the spirit of the dead king was a sufficient guard against all marauders. His own opinion was that the solidity of the masonry was the real guard, for time had converted the cement into the hardest stone, and it would be a long job to unearth the Golden Coffin.

Seth Adams, of New England, was the owner of a small fast schooner, built for seal hunting: and his practice was to hang about the coast of Kamtschatka until he could get sufficient furs to pay his venture. As the Kamtschatkan coast is all leased out by the Russian Government to recognized hunters, it follows that Seth was simply a poacher; and not infrequently he had to pay, with the blood of himself and crew, for his temerity in thus invading legitimate interests. He had, thus invading legitimate interests. He had, in fact, just put in to Yokohama from a voyage in which he had got neither seals, nor otters, but had lost seven of his hunters, besides being slightly wounded himself in an affray with the rightful hunters of the coast. They would not believe, when they had found his ship in an inlet abounding with seals, that the furry inhabitants were “quite safe for him,” and that he “had only put in for wood and water.” So incredulous were they, that they opened fire on his boats there and then, compelling Seth to clear out as quickly as he could. So he was just in the humour for any adventure that promised large and quick returns.

He set about his preparations, and soon sailed for Corea. His plan was to land on some desolate part of the coast and then send the ship to Chemulpo, as though awaiting a cargo. If discovered inland, he made up a plausible story of shipwreck on a uninhabited coast to account for his desire to reach some large town.

All went well, and they reached Seoul. No suspicion of his real intention was thought of by the Coreans, and he and five of his Japanese hunters excited no distrust when they had told their story: still they were observed with curiosity wherever they went, so Seth decided to remain in Seoul for a few days to accustom the natives to their presence.

He therefore feigned sickness as an excuse for staying, and, so well did he simulate that the kind-hearted owner of the hut insisted that he should be taken to an inner room. Here he was waited on by a native doctor, who, to his surprise, pronounced him to be dying.

This announcement quite overcame any scruples his host may have had about his prudence in allowing him into his house; indeed he even allowed his wife to visit the white stranger, a remarkable concession, for the Coreans are intensely jealous.

Seth, finding time hang heavily on his hands was only too pleased to make himself agreeable to his hostess, and as they both could speak Japanese, more or less, their conversation was mutually agreeable.

He, being a sturdy, well built white man, possessed a beauty little less than godlike in her eyes: she had never seen a foreigner before other than Chinese or Japanese; as a consequence, she was rarely to be found away from his side except when her husband was at home.

He, for his part, found the commerce agreeable, though dangerous. He had heard that in Corea an adultress is burnt alive, and her paramour has his right hand cut off, at least. Hence he was cautious. When his host visited him he appeared to be dying, when his hostess came he showed undoubted signs of vitality.

A week passed thus; Seth decided it was time to adventure his enterprise.

That night, about 10 o’clock, he stole out of the hut and swiftly made his way to the tomb, where his men, with shovels and pick axes, awaited him.

The tomb was semicircular in shape, built on the slope of a gently rising hill. Seth decided not to attempt to pierce the masonry, but to tunnel down from above it, which he thought would be easier. They found the soil much looser than they expected, and made such progress that in a few hours they had excavated quite a large chamber under the masonry of the tomb. They had gradually become more excited as their work progressed, and now were digging eagerly, expecting every moment to find the golden coffin, when they were startled by the appearance in their midst of a woman. Seth recognized her at once as his hostess, but the lust for gold and the fear of discovery together, drove away all softer emotions; he seized her by the arm and dragged her violently away from the workers. She seemed petrified with horror and fell against the entrance of the chamber, bringing down a mass of loose earth and stones and exposing to their view the object of their search, the Golden Coffin. Like maniacs, Seth and his men tore away the earth from around it, revealing more and more of its glittering length, their breath coming in short quick gasps, their eyes burning and their frames quivering with excitement. Nothing was heard but the pick, pick of the tools and the moans of the woman, she still lay in the tunnel half covered by the debris. What cared they for a human life when gold was to be had with a few strokes of the pick?

Presently they had its whole length exposed, and ceased their labour that they might feast their eyes on its riches. Then the woman seemed to awake and come to herself a little; for, getting up, she besought Seth to fly at once. At first he could not understand her, and attributed her terror to her superstitious feelings concerning the dead king’s spirit; but at last she composed herself sufficiently to tell him that she heard him leave the house and had followed him, and saw them commence digging; that, being curious, she had watched for some time, trying to solve the mystery, but they were so long, she had to return home. She found on her return that her husband had discovered her absence, and also that of his lodger, and had roused the country to search for them.

Seth calmed the woman as well as he could, then, leaving his men in the tomb, he took her along the tunnel to the entrance. After listening for awhile, he helped her out into the open air, and a few second climbing brought him beside her.

A loud shout, followed by a scream from the woman, rang in his ears, a fierce blow half stunned him, and ere he realized what had happened, thongs were tied round his ankles and wrist, and he was thrown down beside the woman – who had fainted – a prisoner. He dimly saw the Coreans who had captured him drive back his Japanese followers into the tunnel again; then they threw the earth into the hole until it was full. He shuddered at the fate of those who had accompanied him – buried alive with the Golden Coffin. What would his own fate be? He looked around and saw a great heap of straw and wood piled up, and wondered what it was for. Then the tall, white-robed Coreans dragged the woman roughly to it and laid her on the top. Now he knew what it was for. It was her funeral pyre. Was he to share it? Again he shuddered, for the Coreans came to him, lifted him to his feet, and undid the thongs round his wrists; this surprised him not a little. He looked around, no hope of escape, a forest of knives glittered ominously. Then a torch was thrust into his hand, he clutched it, for it was a weapon of some sort at all events. Still holding him tightly and keeping his feet bound, they carried him to the pile and forced him to fire the straw. It caught in a moment and blazed up fiercely. The woman shrieked horribly, but the demons around her only smiled grimly. After a little while they carried him a little distance away and bandaged his eyes. All this time he seemed as though in a horrible dream; his situation, and the terrible fate of his hunters and the woman, took away all his manhood, all thought of resistance; he speculated with a sort of curious horror on his own fate, as though he was someone else.

Many hands now grasped his body, and two or three pulled at his right arm as thought to tear it out of its socket. A sharp blow on the wrist; he fell to the ground groaning and sobbing, with his right hand cut completely off at one blow. Some little time he gave way thus, whilst the Coreans turned again to the fire: then he took the bandage from his eyes and tied it round his bleeding wrist; it was all he could do. Presently he felt something warm close to him, and looking round, discovered it to be the torch still burning. Hope revived, and his courage returned to him. Slowly and painfully he drew the bonds around his ankles over it. It burnt his legs sadly, but he succeeded at last; he was free from the throngs that bound him.

Then he cautiously rolled slowly over and over down the hill, the blood gushing from his wrist at every movement, and at last in the darkness of the early morning, he ran.

By great fortune his captors did not see in which direction he went, and to that he owed his escape. He made straight for Chemulpo, whilst they searched the country towards the coast from which he had come at first.

When he suffered in the fourteen miles from Seoul to Chemulpo, over rocks and bushes, with his scorched legs, his broken head, and his wrist from which the hand had been cut, Seth never recalls without thrills of pain, but to check a too eager desire for wealth in any of his friends, Seth will movingly relate his sacrilegious attempt to steal the Golden Coffin.