of, pains and troubles softened, calamities prevented and children procured for sterile people.  The Government itself does not consider these houses as forming part of the religious gang, and one or two of them may be found even in Seoul within the wall.  One, an extremely noisy house and mostly patronised by women, is situated not far from the West Gate along the wall.  There are also one or two on the slope of Mount Nanzam.

The exorcisms, with the exception of a few particular ones, are, for the most part, performed in the open air, on a level space in front of the house.  A circle is formed by the various claimants, in the centre of which a woman, apparently in a trance, squats on her heels.  The more money that is paid in, the greater the noise that takes place, and the longer does the performance last.  Every now and then the woman in the centre will get up, and, rushing to some other female in the circle, will tap her furiously on her back and shake her, saying that she has an evil spirit in her which refuses to come out.  She will also hint that possibly by paying an extra sum, and by means of special exorcisms, it may be induced to leave.  What with the shaking, the tapping, the clapping, the drums and the howls, the wretched “spotted” woman really begins to feel that she has something in her, and, possessed—­not by the spirits—­but by the most awful fright, she disburses the extra money required, after which the spirit ultimately departs.

These witches and sorceresses are even more numerous than their male equivalents.  They are recruited from the riff-raff of the towns, and are generally people well-informed on the state, condition, and doings of everybody.  Acting on this previous knowledge, they can often tell your past to perfection, and in many cases they predict future events—­which their judgment informs them are not unlikely to occur.  When ignorant, they work pretty much on the same lines as the Oracle of Delphi; they give an answer that may be taken as you please.  Then, if things do not occur in the way they predicted, they simply make it an excuse for extorting more money out of their victim under the plea that he has incurred the displeasure of the spirits, and that serious evil will come upon him if he does not comply with their request.  The money obtained is generally spent in orgies during the night.  These sorceresses and male magicians are usually unscrupulous and immoral, and are often implicated, not only in the intrigues of the noblest families, but also in murders and other hideous crimes.

Outside the towns, again, there are, only a grade higher than these, the Buddhist monasteries and nunneries.  Within a few miles of Seoul, several of these are to be found.  One thing that may be said for these institutions is that they are invariably built on lovely spots.  Generally on the top, or high on the slopes of a mountain, they form not only homes for the religious, but fortified and impregnable castles.  The monasteries are seldom very large, and, as a general rule, hold respectively only about two dozen monks.