shift　of　wind　at　the　height　of　a　hurricane　that　had　beaten　our　souls
  sick　for　forty…eight　hours。
  We　drifted　in　upon　the　land　in　the　chill　light　of　a　stormy　dawn
  across　a　heartless　cross…sea　mountain　high。　　It　was　dead　of　winter；
  and　between　smoking　snow…squalls　we　could　glimpse　the　forbidding
  coast；　if　coast　it　might　be　called；　so　broken　was　it。　　There　were
  grim　rock　isles　and　islets　beyond　counting；　dim　snow…covered　ranges
  beyond；　and　everywhere　upstanding　cliffs　too　steep　for　snow；　outjuts
  of　headlands；　and　pinnacles　and　slivers　of　rock　upthrust　from　the
  boiling　sea。
  There　was　no　name　to　this　country　on　which　we　drove；　no　record　of　it
  ever　having　been　visited　by　navigators。　　Its　coast…line　was　only
  hinted　at　in　our　chart。　　From　all　of　which　we　could　argue　that　the
  inhabitants　were　as　inhospitable　as　the　little　of　their　land　we
  could　see。
  The　Sparwehr　drove　in　bow…on　upon　a　cliff。　　There　was　deep　water　to
  its　sheer　foot；　so　that　our　sky…aspiring　bowsprit　crumpled　at　the
  impact　and　snapped　short　off。　　The　foremast　went　by　the　board；　with
  a　great　snapping　of　rope…shrouds　and　stays；　and　fell　forward　against
  the　cliff。
  I　have　always　admired　old　Johannes　Maartens。　　Washed　and　rolled　off
  the　high　poop　by　a　burst　of　sea；　we　were　left　stranded　in　the　waist
  of　the　ship；　whence　we　fought　our　way　for'ard　to　the　steep…pitched
  forecastle…head。　　Others　joined　us。　　We　lashed　ourselves　fast　and
  counted　noses。　　We　were　eighteen。　　The　rest　had　perished。
  Johannes　Maartens　touched　me　and　pointed　upward　through　cascading
  salt…water　from　the　back…fling　of　the　cliff。　　I　saw　what　he　desired。
  Twenty　feet　below　the　truck　the　foremast　ground　and　crunched　against
  a　boss　of　the　cliff。　　Above　the　boss　was　a　cleft。　　He　wanted　to　know
  if　I　would　dare　the　leap　from　the　mast…head　into　the　cleft。
  Sometimes　the　distance　was　a　scant　six　feet。　　At　other　times　it　was
  a　score；　for　the　mast　reeled　drunkenly　to　the　rolling　and　pounding
  of　the　hull　on　which　rested　its　splintered　butt。
  I　began　the　climb。　　But　they　did　not　wait。　　One　by　one　they　unlashed
  themselves　and　followed　me　up　the　perilous　mast。　　There　was　reason
  for　haste；　for　at　any　moment　the　Sparwehr　might　slip　off　into　deep
  water。　　I　timed　my　leap；　and　made　it；　landing　in　the　cleft　in　a
  scramble　and　ready　to　lend　a　hand　to　those　who　leaped　after。　　It　was
  slow　work。　　We　were　wet　and　half　freezing　in　the　wind…drive。
  Besides；　the　leaps　had　to　be　timed　to　the　roll　of　the　hull　and　the
  sway　of　the　mast。
  The　cook　was　the　first　to　go。　　He　was　snapped　off　the　mast…end；　and
  his　body　performed　cart…wheels　in　its　fall。　　A　fling　of　sea　caught
  him　and　crushed　him　to　a　pulp　against　the　cliff。　　The　cabin　boy；　a
  bearded　man　of　twenty…odd；　lost　hold；　slipped；　swung　around　the
  mast；　and　was　pinched　against　the　boss　of　rock。　　Pinched？　　The　life
  squeezed　from　him　on　the　instant。　　Two　others　followed　the　way　of
  the　cook。　　Captain　Johannes　Maartens　was　the　last；　completing　the
  fourteen　of　us　that　clung　on　in　the　cleft。　　An　hour　afterward　the
  Sparwehr　slipped　off　and　sank　in　deep　water。
  Two　days　and　nights　saw　us　near　to　perishing　on　that　cliff；　for
  there　was　way　neither　up　nor　down。　　The　third　morning　a　fishing…boat
  found　us。　　The　men　were　clad　entirely　in　dirt　white；　with　their　long
  hair　done　up　in　a　curious　knot　on　their　patesthe　marriage　knot；　as
  I　was　afterward　to　learn；　and　also；　as　I　was　to　learn；　a　handy　thing
  to　clutch　hold　of　with　one　hand　whilst　you　clouted　with　the　other
  when　an　argument　went　beyond　words。
  The　boat　went　back　to　the　village　for　help；　and　most　of　the
  villagers；　most　of　their　gear；　and　most　of　the　day　were　required　to
  get　us　down。　　They　were　a　poor　and　wretched　folk；　their　food
  difficult　even　for　the　stomach　of　a　sea…cuny　to　countenance。　　Their
  rice　was　brown　as　chocolate。　　Half　the　husks　remained　in　it；　along
  with　bits　of　chaff；　splinters；　and　unidentifiable　dirt　which　made
  one　pause　often　in　the　chewing　in　order　to　stick　into　his　mouth
  thumb　and　forefinger　and　pluck　out　the　offending　stuff。　　Also；　they
  ate　a　sort　of　millet；　and　pickles　of　astounding　variety　and　ungodly
  hot。
  Their　houses　were　earthen…walled　and　straw…thatched。　　Under　the
  floors　ran　flues　through　which　the　kitchen　smoke　escaped；　warming
  the　sleeping…room　in　its　passage。　　Here　we　lay　and　rested　for　days；
  soothing　ourselves　with　their　mild　and　tasteless　tobacco；　which　we
  smoked　in　tiny　bowls　at　the　end　of　yard…long　pipes。　　Also；　there　was
  a　warm；　sourish；　milky…looking　drink；　heady　only　when　taken　in
  enormous　doses。　　After　guzzling　I　swear　gallons　of　it；　I　got　singing
  drunk；　which　is　the　way　of　sea…cunies　the　world　over。　　Encouraged　by
  my　success；　the　others　persisted；　and　soon　we　were　all　a…roaring；
  little　reeking　of　the　fresh　snow　gale　piping　up　outside；　and　little
  worrying　that　we　were　cast　away　in　an　uncharted；　God…forgotten　land。
  Old　Johannes　Maartens　laughed　and　trumpeted　and　slapped　his　thighs
  with　the　best　of　us。　　Hendrik　Hamel；　a　cold…blooded；　chilly…poised
  dark　brunette　of　a　Dutchman　with　beady　black　eyes；　was　as　rarely
  devilish　as　the　rest　of　us；　and　shelled　out　silver　like　any　drunken
  sailor　for　the　purchase　of　more　of　the　milky　brew。　　Our　carrying…on
  was　a　scandal；　but　the　women　fetched　the　drink　while　all　the　village
  that　could　crowd　in　jammed　the　room　to　witness　our　antics。
  The　white　man　has　gone　around　the　world　in　mastery；　I　do　believe；
  because　of　his　unwise　uncaringness。　　That　has　been　the　manner　of　his
  going；　although；　of　course；　he　was　driven　on　by　restiveness　and　lust
  for　booty。　　So　it　was　that　Captain　Johannes　Maartens；　Hendrik　Hamel；
  and　the　twelve　sea…cunies　of　us　roystered　and　bawled　in　the　fisher
  village　while　the　winter　gales　whistled　across　the　Yellow　Sea。
  From　the　little　we　had　seen　of　the　land　and　the　people　we　were　not
  impressed　by　Cho…Sen。　　If　these　miserable　fishers　were　a　fair　sample
  of　the　natives；　we　could　understand　why　the　land　was　unvisited　of
  navigators。　　But　we　were　to　learn　different。　　The　village　was　on　an
  in…lying　island；　and　its　headmen　must　have　sent　word　across　to　the
  mainland；　for　one　morning　three　big　two…masted　junks　with　lateens　of
  rice…matting　dropped　anchor　off　the　beach。
  When　the　sampans　came　ashore　Captain　Johannes　Maartens　was　all
  interest；　for　here　were　silks　again。　　One　strapping　Korean；　all　in
  pale…tinted　silks　of　various　colours；　was　surrounded　by　half　a　dozen
  obsequious　attendants；　also　clad　in　silk。　　Kwan　Yung…jin；　as　I　came
  to　know　his　name；　was　a　YANG…BAN；　or　noble；　also　he　was　what　might
  be　called　magistrate　or　governor　of　the　district　or　province。　　This
  means　that　his　office　was　appointive；　and　that　he　was　a　tithe…
  squeezer　or　tax…farmer。
  Fully　a　hundred　soldiers　were　also　landed　and　marched　into　the
  village。　　They　were　armed　with　three…pronged　spears；　slicing　spears；
  and　chopping　spears；　with　here　and　there　a　matchlock　of　so　heroic
  mould　that　there　were　two　soldiers　to　a　matchlock；　one　to　carry　and
  set　the　tripod　on　which　rested　the　muzzle；　the　other　to　carry　and
  fire　the　gun。　　As　I　was　to　learn；　sometimes　the　gun　went　off；
  sometimes　it　did　not；　all　depending　upon　the　adjustment　of　the　fire…
  punk　and　the　condition　of　the　powder　in　the　flash…pan。
  So　it　was　that　Kwan…Yung…jin　travelled。　　The　headmen　of　the　village
  were　cringingly　afraid　of　him；　and　for　good　reason；　as　we　were　not
  overlong　in　finding　out。　　I　stepped　forward　as　interpreter；　for
  already　I　had　the　hang　of　several　score　of　Korean　words。　　He　scowled
  and　waved　me　aside。　　But　what　did　I　reek？　　I　was　as　tall　as　he；
  outweighed　him　by　a　full　two　stone；　and　my　skin　was　white；　my　hair
  golden。　　He　turned　his　back　and　addressed　the　head　man　of　the
  village　while　his　six　silken　satellites　made　a　cordon　between　us。
  While　he　talked　more　soldiers　from　the　ship　carried　up　several
  shoulder…loads　of　inch…planking。　　These　planks　were　about　six　feet
  long　and　two　feet　wide；　and　curiously　split　in　half　lengthwise。
  Nearer　one　end　than　the　other　was　a　round　hole　larger　than　a　man's
  neck。
  Kwan　Yung…jin　gave　a　command。　　Several　of　the　soldiers　approached
  Tromp；　who　was　sitting　on　the　ground　nursing　a　felon。　　Now　Tromp　was
  a　rather　stupid；　slow…thinking；　slow…moving　cuny；　and　before　he　knew
  what　was　doing　one　of　the　planks；　with　a　scissors…like　opening　and
  closing；　was　about　his　neck　and　clamped。　　Discovering　his
  predicament；　he　set　up　a　bull…roaring　and　dancing；　till　all　had　to
  back　away　to　give　him　clear　space　for　the　flying　ends　of　his　plank。
  Then　the　trouble　began；　for　it　was　plainly　Kwan　Yung…jin's　intention
  to　plank　all　of　us。　　Oh；　we　fought；　bare…fisted；　with　a　hundred
  soldiers　and　as　many　villagers；　while　Kwan　Yung…jin　stood　apart　in
  his　silks　and　lordly　disdain。　　Here　was　where　I　earned　my　name　Yi
  Yong…ik；　the　Mighty。　　Long　after　our　company　was　subdued　and　planked
  I　fought　on。　　My　fists　were　of　the　hardness　of　topping…mauls；　and　I
  had　the　muscles　and　will　to　drive