Report on Building Namhan Mountain Fortress陳修築南漢山城狀
臣巡到廣州登南漢山城更爲詳察形勢圖畵上送其城西北東則皆據億丈之峯勢甚斗絕惟南面四千餘尺水口近處頗與外山相連不甚險絕若欲修葺則當先專力於此處然後可無疎虞計其功役浩大非今日人力所易辦出而亦不可以時日望其成就但本邑民情則皆欲以此爲避亂之地今旣略設城門而臣以沿江淺灘等處今已氷解措置尤急故今日發向龍津等處巡審計料僧將惟政來在其處欲與其徒極力修築不意下去南方修築之計尤似遲延且近因兩。天使之行畿甸之民累月出待力甚困疲而今年寒氣入春猶甚高山絕頂氷雪尙在土脈未解旬日之內勢難始役萬一警報稍緩而民力少紓則當觀勢漸次修築以爲永久之圖似爲宜當臣從事官韓浚謙黃海道操鍊防守形止檢擧次分付上送
On my circuit I came to Gwangju (廣州), climbed Namhan Mountain Fortress, examined its lay of ground closely once more, and send up a drawing of it. On its west and north and east the fortress rests upon peaks of countless gil, so that the ground is exceedingly steep and sheer. Only on the south, for some four thousand cheok, and near the water mouth, does it run on into the outer hills and is not so rugged and sheer. If it is to be rebuilt, there must be no weakness left, and for that the strength must first be put wholly into this part.
Reckoning the labor, it is great and broad, not a thing to be easily done by the manpower of today, nor can it be hoped to be finished in a few days. But the people of this district are all of a mind to make the place their refuge from the troubles, and so the gates have now been roughly set up already.
Since the ice has now melted at the shallow fords along the river and such places, so that putting them in order is the more urgent, I set out today for Yongjin and thereabouts to look all around. The monk commander Yujeong (惟政) had come there and meant to build with his company with all their strength, but he has unexpectedly been sent down south, so the plan of building seems likely to be slower still.
Moreover the people of the capital region (畿甸) have of late been out waiting for months upon the progress of the two Ming envoys, and their strength is sorely spent. Besides, this year the cold is still severe though spring has come: there is ice and snow yet on the sheer ridges of the high hills and the veins of the soil are not thawed, so that within ten days it will hardly be possible to begin the work. If the alarms slacken a little and the people's strength is eased a little, it seems fitting to watch the circumstances and build by degrees, making of it a plan that will last.
My aide Han Jungyeom (韓浚謙) I send up separately, on the errand of inspecting how the drilling and the defenses stand in Hwanghae Province.
Interlinear notes 1
丁酉二月二日在龍津
The second day of the second month of the Jeongyu year, at Yongjin.