622 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
remaining two boats, Xia Zhi lashed them together. Worried about the delay
in crossing the river, Xia Zhi reproached his men and pressed them to hurry.
So he finally boarded the boat along with three soldiers, including Liu
Chouer, as well as two boatmen named O Ŭlch’ung and O Paek, residents
of Ŭiju.
‘At the sin hour [around three thirty to four thirty in the afternoon] on
that same day, three people, including Liu Chouer, hailed us from across the
river, so we sent our men on a small boat in response to their call. Liu
Chouer and others returned to our side, crossing the river, and told us that
their boat, which carried five people, including Xia Zhi and boatmen O
Ŭlch’ung and O Paek, was overturned while crossing the Yalu River. When
they passed through the third crossing point in the West River and reached
the middle of the river, they ran into swirling rapids. Then the cows aboard
their boat lost their balance, causing the boat to tip to one side and capsize
immediately. As they struggled to come out of the water and looked around,
they found that Xia Zhi and O Paek were drowned and four other people,
including boatman O Ŭlch’ung, were missing.
‘Upon hearing this report, Chin Ch’unggwi immediately ordered his
men, together with Liu Chouer and others, to search for the dead and missing
people by combining ten small boats into one large boat and scouting up
and down the river for several days, but with no success.’
“We have already reported the accident and our rescue efforts to the
Regional Military Commission of Liaodong. Our report was all based upon
the testimony made by Liu Chouer, O Ŭlch’ung, and others who survived
the ordeal. Though we did not personally witness the accident, the circum-
stances in which Xia Zhi was drowned do not disagree with the report we
made.
“Now, based upon the above report, and in accordance with the imperial
instruction, we transport Chin Ch’unggwi, myriarch of Ŭiju, as well as the
boatmen who were involved in that accident, to the Ming capital, having
interpreter Ch’oe Un take charge of them.”30th Day (Kapsin)
The Righteousness Flourishing Three Armies submitted a memorial to
the king:
“As we humbly review the military training systems throughout history,
the Zhou dynasty trained soldiers in the military camp in spring and summer