Report on Setting the Western Provinces in Order Beforehand經理西方事務。啓

Looking at the state of the west of late, it grows more worrying by the day. Only when, before the river freezes, things are provided beforehand in every way and a plan for the autumn defense is laid, can we be ready for what presses upon us. The rest of the matters your servant has sent dispatches upon of himself, giving orders to that province, and he has set the aide Han Jun-gyeom (韓浚謙) to go back and forth and look into them. Some few among them must await the court's disposal.

Those in Pyeongan who have passed the military examination (出身) counted it at first a glory to have risen in the examination and were quite glad of it. But of late the duty of going to guard the border north and south has been leaned upon these men alone, and with packing to go and sending supplies while they are there they have lost their farming altogether. Besides, the magistrates, far from looking after them, encroach upon them no differently than upon any common people, and if there is the least thing to be collected they at once shut up their wives. And so every man who has passed resents and suffers it and repents rather of having passed. With the minds of all of them thus, how can we hope that on a day when something happens they will give their whole strength?

Those who argue it speak thus: let all of these men be made probationary bongsa of the Military Training Agency by word of mouth (口傳); when they go in to guard the riverside, let their days of service be reckoned and their posts advanced, as is the practice of the Military Training Agency; let the border commanders test them in archery at the new moon and the full moon and reckon their scores, and report them to the governor and the army commander for submission; and if the outstanding among them are picked out and employed in particular, then men's hearts will surely be roused and there will be no sighing of resentment at going to guard. May the ministry concerned be made to deliberate it and carry it out, and so comfort the hearts of the border soldiers.

Further, among the riverside troops those who have horses are very few. What the northern barbarians are good at is riding at speed, and troops that fight on foot alone cannot withstand them. Among the native soldiers of the pastures of that province and of Hwanghae, let the army commander and the governor seek out and ask after, in particular, those who are nimble and fight well, those who have judgment and may be used, and those who know the lie of things among the barbarians closely and may go in and out to spy; and let them find out the truth of it, and each year recommend the one or two best among them and send them down to the Ministry of War, to be posted where a border commander's (邊將) place at the frontier camps and forts (鎭堡) stands empty. Then the border soldiers will surely strive the more and take it as a model and rouse themselves.

Of late there are places at the riverside camps and forts where a gun tower (砲樓) has here and there been built. Hearing the words of Yi Si-eon (李時言), the former magistrate of Byeokdong, a gun tower has already been built at Byeokdong too, and the surrendered Japanese, seeing it, all said it was a device of rare worth for holding a wall. Only, though a gun tower be built, if the firearms are not provided it is no more than a useless thing. Of gunpowder and cannon, the more the better; yet what is stored at the riverside is not enough even to hold out one engagement, so that if the enemy were met suddenly, with what would he be barred? It is chilling indeed.

Gunpowder was ordered boiled in each county, but some do not know the method of boiling and some are idle and do not put strength to it, so that the people's labor alone is spent and what is got is not ample. This too can be done only after a man in charge is set over it and held responsible for the making. Pyeongsa Min Yu-gyeong (閔有慶) is said to put his mind quite well to what is laid upon him, so may the boiling of saltpeter (熖焇) and the business of firearms and weapons be left to the pyeongsa to take in hand. Let him gather artisans at the places within the province where salt earth is got and have them boil it, and weigh whether the amount brought forth is much or little and fine or coarse and so carry out reward and punishment, and let him find out the figure each month and report it.

Further, let the firearms, weapons and gear of the riverside and of the province all be reckoned up and tested for whether they can be used or not; let what can be used be kept and what cannot be repaired or newly made as circumstances allow; and let it be provided beforehand without fail, down to how many cannon great and small go to one tower where a wall has so many towers, so that there be no worry of straits and of being hard put to provide them only when the matter is upon us. As for the firing of cannon, it is not a thing every man can do. Only after men fit by nature to learn it are picked out from among the native soldiers and the several sorts of people, and taught in every way, and relieved of miscellaneous labor and looked after amply besides, can they be used in fighting and holding. May this intent, once handed down, be sent by dispatch to the governor and the army commander to be made known and carried out?