Report That I Will Inspect the Ganghwa Sea Route Once the Upper River Is Made Ready待京城上流防守器具粗備後巡審江華海道狀
南方賊勢淺深臣出城之後未知如何大槪固守京城防備江華而堅護上流乃是今日急務臣頃承有旨聞賊兵上洛東江之路驪州等處上流接連鳥嶺備禦尤急故馳到婆娑江口一帶檢勅守灘諸具而江華則再三申勅水使李思命日夜措置待變且令臣軍官擲奸海島瞭望形止則如南陽昇荒島靈興島大部島海路通望處各率邊將已爲分布瞭望今巡察使洪履祥方巡向其處故更爲傳令使之仍在其處另加申勅水使以下將官整備船隻無致疎誤而臣則稍待上流防守器具粗備後巡審海島計料
Whether the posture of the southern enemy is shallow or deep, your servant does not know how it has stood since he left the walls. In general, holding Seoul fast, defending Ganghwa and holding the upper river firmly are precisely the urgent business of today.
Your servant, having received the directive the other day and heard it said that the enemy troops were coming up by the Nakdong River road, found that the upper river about Yeoju and those parts is joined to Joryeong, so that barring and holding it is the more urgent; and so he hurried to the stretch at the mouth of the Pasa River and inspected the several engines for holding the fords. As for Ganghwa, he has two or three times charged the Naval Commander Yi Samyeong (李思命) over again to dispose matters night and day and await events.
He further had his own officers look over the islands one by one and examine how the watch stands; and at every place where the sea road opens and can be watched, such as Seunghwangdo, Yeongheungdo and Daebudo of Namyang, the border officers were already leading men posted in division and keeping watch. Now that the Inspector Hong Isang (洪履祥) is just going on circuit to those parts, orders have again been sent that he stay there and separately charge the Naval Commander and the commanders and officers under him to put the ships in order, that nothing be spoiled through thinness.
Your servant means to wait a little, until the defensive engines of the upper river are roughly in place, and then to go round the islands.
Interlinear notes 1
丁酉八月
The eighth month of the jeongyu year (1597).