for the thatcher, before climbing to the roof, to shout in loud tones, "The thatcher is coming! the thatcher is coming!" so that the women in neighboring compounds may have a chance to run to cover.
Women are confined to domestic labor. Among the lower classes the husband has a right to beat his wife. There is no law for women. If she commits a crime, such as a personal assault or theft, she is not punished, but her husband is. A woman can pass in front of the king's procession, and the king must wait. The women are considered greater than men in trivial things.
Customs.—The chopstick is evidently not so commonly used in Korea as in Japan or China. A spoon is used for soup and all other forms of liquid food; even rice is eaten with a spoon. Dry food, however, is eaten with the chopstick. Guests of high rank sit midway between the two ends of the table. If two guests are present, they sit side by side. When at table the Koreans remain silent and eat very slowly. In passing food both hands must be used in holding the dish, as in Japan. In summer the meals are usually at seven, one, and eight o'clock. Dinner is at midday, though there is very little difference in the character of the meals. Salké is drunk at every meal.
The relation between master and servant is supposed to be the same as that between father and child. The servants help the master through the yard to his house and up the steps, and this attention is given whether the master stands in need of assistance or not. At dinner a servant ties a big napkin about the master's neck.
The Koreans have no music at weddings or funerals. (Contrary to this information, Carles records loud chanting at funerals.) On birthday festivities and times of feasting music is heard. They have battle songs and love songs.
The Koreans never tattoo or wear earrings, though in the western part of the peninsula prostitutes are sometimes seen with earrings. Women use paint for facial decoration. Men and women wear finger rings, but this custom is not very common with men.
An extraordinary feature is seen in the dress of women of the lowest classes, in the fact that the breasts are fully exposed. An abbreviated jacket drops from the neck to the upper part of the breast, while the waist of the skirt portion comes up just under the breast. The exposure of this part of the body seems all the more singular when it is considered that Koreans never go barefooted; even coolies working in the city do not go barearmed or barelegged. Women rarely wear a comb in the hair. Men and women do up their own hair.
Among the middle and higher classes it is considered improper to speak of money, and for this reason mathematics is not taught.
