Imperial funeral has become an accomplish-'The Jong delayed and. much talked of ed fact. The Court Astrologer deserves much credit for selecting such a beautiful day for the State fanction. He generally selects the worst possible weather for Imperial ceremonies, to the discomfort of thousands of participants; but on this occasion he evidently struck the right key in selecting last Sunday and Monday for the great event. The two days were balmy and bright and perfectly ideal for the occasion.
beginning Inst Saturday afternoon thousands of soldiers and citizens assembled in front of the Palace with their gorgeous silk banners, bright, silk-covered lanterns, and other gay-coloured pennants, and spent the night in the open air. The streets were crowded with people and both sides of the route through which the funeral procession passed were lighted with silk lanterns rendering " charming effect upon the broad street leading from the carriers eat under their silky Muminations Palace to the East gate. Groups of lantern
and passed the weary, long night hours by playing games of cards and dominoes; the vociferous sweetmeat vendors filled the still night air with their cries, soliciting patronage and praising the quality of their The scene inside the Palace was equally interesting. The building in which the Imperial coffin was lying in state was closely packed with court officials wearing, the inverted V-shaped headgear anc yellowish grass-cloth garments with volume mous sleeves, ornamented with coils of dark ropes made of rhea plants. Thousands of wax candles cast weird yet comparatively brilliant light everywhere snd the burning of incense filled the sacred building with the faint odour of sandalwood, There were numerous soci each possessing some ceremonial cance, but they were Greek to the wri However, the ceremonies were simple in their procedure. Large round plates were filled with various food, including meat, vegetables, fruits, and sweets, all of which were piled on plates to the height of three feet, The i ween relatives, State officials, and courtiers bowed several times before the casket coffin), and when the Mastersof Ceremonies cried out in high falsetto some long-drawn sentence, everybody knelt upon his knees and wailed in subdued voices, The veiling: stopped in unison when the Masters of omanies uttered another long-winded sentence. All the ceremonies were the same in this respect, and at the beginning of each ceremony the entire table was cleared, new food was brought in and more incense was thrown into the poe guaos creating fantastic wreaths of smoke, There were two hearses: one was called small and the other large. The small hearse was placed in the middle of the courtyard, and the other under a large awning in front of the Palace just below the main gate.
The larger of the two was on a fiat platform built upon twenty pieces of long beams, each fully fifteen feet long. They were laid parallel about two-and-a-half feet apart. The platform itself was about twelve feet long and six feet wide with low, carved railing around the border, and the railing was beautifully painted with varied gated colours. The platform was fastened in the centre with cross low, and on the upper surface of the floor another raised platform or square shelf was erected in the shape of a raised cabinet. The latter was covered with a high rectangular lid made of brocaded silk of the most gorgeous red, yellow, and green. The lid was or-lamented with gilded metallic trimmings and crimson silk cords, presenting an appearance'of barbaric splendour. The cross beams were secured by thick stout hemp and saddles, while one pair was unharness-rope making a network in the ed, assuming a running posture with two interspaces in which the pall-bearers were wooden legs. raised in the air. They are to stand and carry the hearse by supporting called If OG, or spirit horses, and were inthe ropes upon their shoulders. The hearse was carried by two hundred and tended for the departed soul to ride while twenty-two men, and every five lia fresh making the journey to heaven. For that corps of carriers relieved them. Altogether reason they were burned immediately after the remains were interred in the grave, #0 one thousand four hundred and forty-four men were employed in carying the hearse. that the soul might ride on the spirit of the imitation horses. The next most remarkable The top of the hearse was somewhat conical in shape and ornamented with things in the procession were the Pi, shining brass carvings and red brocaded or devil-chasers, which were huge round silk awnings with hundreds of golden tassels, masks about five feet in diameter. The silvery fringes, and red, silky streamers. On features of the faces were simply horrible each corner of the platform a large red and undoubtedly they would frighten any wooden bowl was placed and filled with ordinary devil whether he be mortal or spire water, the purpose of which was said to itual. "Devils may pride themselves upon be that whenever the water was spilled their hideousness but they would not be in it was an indication of unevenness in the it with these chasers. The round eyes, as position of the form while being big as saucers," rolled round in all directions carried by the men below. Therefore with equal facility. Sometimes the eyes pro-Vow! was guarded an official who traded several inches; then again they dis-stood by and watd the water-level. appeared altogether into their sockets. Whenever they noticed any unevenness he mouths extended from ear to ear and they warned the camera by ringing a large the color of the lips was like that of coa-bell, the shape of which was more like an walated blood. Yellow protruding upper ordinary dinner bell than anything else. teeth would make any elephant ashamed The guardians of the bowls were each because of the insignificance of his tusks in provided with s long red and a brass comparison to these. There were six of inkstand filled with red ink. When they these uncanny objects which were carried observed that any carrier failed to take upon the shoulders of men and each man proper steps his back was marked by the rode on a pony. The men could not be guardian with the stick which was dipped seen as their bodies were completely in the red ink. If any one had a red ink covered by the masks. mark on his back he would not be paid or 'A few hours later His Majesty and the rewarded by the Government.
Crown Prince went tothe Imperial grave with The small hearse was made similar to the large one being only on a smaller scale the usual pomp, and were closely [acted by Russian officers and sergeants. Besides, and possessing fewer decorations. there were thousands of the native troops The Foreign Representatives, army and and hundreds of the civil and military naval officers of various nations, the advi-officers of the Government. The Imperial sets of the Corean Government and other Representatives and the army and naval procession was soon followed by the Foreign foreign employes, arrived in the Palace by 6 o'clock in the morning in their full uni-officers of the different Legations. When forms, with an addition of a piece of black they reached their destination they were crape on their sleeves, as.a mark of respect escorted into their resting-places by the for the late Empress.' They were escorted.
Reception Committee, the Chairman of to the temporary pavilion which was built in front of the Palace on the opposite side which was Mr, Cho zg the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Each repre-of the street, where they waited for two sentative was provided with a couple hours in the cold morning air. Finally the of newly finished rooms with the necessary Imperial casket was carried out from the furniture, and the members of the Com-Palace in the small hearse and transferred mittee seemed to try their best to to the large one. 'The procession was soon make the guests comfortable as far as formed and the funeral march commenced. they knew how. The foreign advisors, the Emperor, and the' Crown Prince the corrige passed, His Majesty foreign teachers, and other invited foreign guests were also provided with quar-~ who had also been waiting outside ters. The meals were furnished by Mr. of the Palace, bowed to the slowly moving Bijno of this city and the dinner was Imperial hearse and the Foreign Representa-served at half-past seven o'clock. The tives uncovered their heads and made the dining room was rather too crowded for usual courtesy. Shortly after the process. comfort and the assembled guests were sion passed, His Majesty gave a brief thoroughly cosmopolitan. The American diene in his pavilion to the foreign re-Minister, the Hon. H.N.. jad with him presentatives and foreign employes. six American naval officers from the U. S.
The procession was a mixture of Europe- S, 7. The British Consul-General, an and Asiatic civilisation. The army and police turned out in their European-stylod uniforms with golden epaulettes and shining swords, marching or riding amidst columns of bayonets and keeping step with the resonant notes of trumpets. This was the si that Europeat civilisation has the far-off land of Great Han. Otherwise it was strictly Oriental in every respect. Thousands of silk Innterns, numerous gorgeous banners presented by diferent guilds of the city, rust-covered {speats, gilded wooden swords, red wooden fans with elongated handles, bunches of silk umbrellas with long streamers of variegated silk, flagn of various di-mansions and colours, and inscriptions [and long rolls of white benners covered with fine writings (which were said to be the memorial essays contributed by the literary statesmen of the Empire), were carried in the unique procession. Six imitation horses mounted on two wheeled gute and each polled by fifteen men were odd features. The horses ware made of wicker and covered with paper and painted with gray and white colours. They were life-size and four of them had on fall harness Mr. J. N. Jordan, and the British Vice-Consul at Chemulpo, Mr. H. B. Joly, wore accompanied by the Captain of H. B. M. cruiser Rainbowand three other officers. The French Minister, M. Collin de Plancy, and the Secretary of the Legation, M. Lefevre, represented France; and Mr 'F. Kuen, the German Consul, represented the Empire of His Majesty the Kaiser. Japan, was largely represented by her Minister Mr. Koto, Consul. Akizuki, Secretary of the Legation Mr. Hioki, two military "tlachés, and other Legation officials. The Russian Minister, Mr. de Speyer. had with him Col. Strelbitzky, the Russian military agent, anda ion official. The dinner table
Affairs in his full mourning dress and the was pt over by the Minister of For guests were in their full-dress uniforms, glistening with gold lace and medals. After the dinner was over the guests retired to their. respective rooms and endeavoured to get some sleep, with varying degrees of success.
At two o'clock on Monday morning the foreign guesta were invited to attend the last ceremony before the Tmperial remains wore interred. They were ushered into the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.