Sir H.S. Parkes to Earl Granville.—(Received June 27)

(No. 1. Corean Mission)
My Lord, Hanyang, April 28, 1884

I HAVE the honour to report that early on the morning of the 21st instant I embarked with Messrs. Aston and Hillier at Shanghae on board Her Majesty’s ship “Albatross,” in order to join at Woosung Her Majesty’s ship “Cleopatra,” which had been appointed by the Commander-in-chief to convey me to Corea. Leaving Woosung at noon on the same day, we arrived at Chemulpo on the afternoon of the 23rd instant.
I was at once visited by one of the Vice-Ministers of the Foreign Office and several other Corean functionaries, who delivered a letter from the President of that Department, of which I inclose a translation, expressing the pleasure of his Government on my returning to Corea with the ratification of the Treaty. I learned from this letter that the Minister Min Yong-mok, with whom I had negotiated the Treaty, had been replaced in the office of President by the writer, Kim Pyöng-si, and that this and other changes in the Government had very recently occurred. I shall have to report on this subject in a later despatch.
The following day, the 24th, was engaged in disembarking baggage, preparing for the journey to the capital, and in returning on shore the call of the Vice-President.
I arrived here at 5 P.M. on the 25th, and was at once visited by the new President and four of the Vice-Ministers of the Foreign Office. After expressing their personal congratulations, the President inquired after the health of Her Majesty, and I should not omit to report that His Excellency rose to his feet as he named the Queen, and that all the Vice-Ministers simultaneously observed the same mark of deep respect for Her Majesty. I, of course, returned a similar compliment on alluding, in reply, to the health of His Majesty the King. I also arranged at this interview that the ratifications of the Treaty should be exchanged on the morning of the 28th.
The interviewing two days’ were fully occupied in preparing the papers for that ceremony in arranging for temporary quarters, and in necessary official visits.
This morning I proceeded to the Foreign Office at 11 o’clock, and exchanged in due form the ratifications of the Treaty concluded here on the 26th November last. As soon as the seals and signatures had been affixed to the certificate of exchange, the President stated that he was charged to express on the part of the King the great pleasure which was felt by His Majesty on the Treaty having thus come into operation, and also the hope that the event afforded similar gratification to the Queen. In reply, I alluded to the terms of Her Majesty’s letter to the King, a copy of which I then delivered to his Excellency, in order to show that the establishment of Treaty relations with Corea had afforded Her Majesty the same cordial satisfaction.
The President also informed me that the King would grant me an audience on the 1st proximo for the purpose of receiving from me the letter of the Queen and my credentials as Her Majesty’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to this Court.
I inclose a copy of a notification which I have now issued, informing Her Majesty’s subjects that the ratifications of the Treaty have been exchanged, and that it accordingly comes into operation on this date. If the arrangements made for this purpose have been successfully carried out, the event will have been made known at the port of Chemulpo at noon this day by a salute of twenty-one guns fired by Her Majesty’s ship “Cleopatra” in honour of the occasion, and also of the Corean flag, which will thus have been saluted by us for the first time. His Excellency Min Yöng-mok, the Minister who negotiated the Treaty, together with one of the Vice-Ministers of the Foreign Office, were instructed to proceed to Chemulpo in order to receive this compliment from Her Majesty’s ship.

I have, &c.
(Signed)　　HARRY S. PARKES