Description: "...the object of the Editor of this work is to interest American readers, and especially American Christians, in what the French priests call "the land of martyrs." -William Griffis, Corea Without and Within Corea Without and Within (1884) was written at a time of intense American interest in expansion, both cultural and religious. As part of this movement, the author traveled extensively in Asia. To share what he had learned about Korea in particular, Griffis combined a reprint of a journal Hendrick Hamel wrote in the 17th century with two chapters that recounted Griffis's own experience with Korean history and culture.
Brief description: WILLIAM ELLIOT GRIFFIS (1843-1928) was an American theologian, orientalist, and prolific author, who traveled extensively to the Netherlands, Europe, and Japan. Among his many books are The Religions of Japan, The American in Holland and Brave Little Holland. HENDRICK HAMEL (1630-1692) was a bookkeeper for the Dutch East India Company who was shipwrecked on an island in South Korea during a voyage to the Dutch East Indies. Held in captivity there for 13 years, he recorded his impressions of the country in Hamel's Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666.