Mr. Foulk to Mr. Bayard.
Seoul, Corea, July 5, 1885. (Received August 15.)
Sir: I have the honor to report that a Corean gentleman, who had been instructed as to methods of searching for coal-beds by an American merchant, has returned from a journey of inspection, and reports his having found large beds of coal near the sea-coast, on the Ta-tong River, west coast of Corea. Several loads of the coal have arrived in junks at Chemulpo, and there the coal was tested on board the U. S. S. Alert, proving to be of better quality than that of Japan, although that tested was but surface scrapings. A second coal-bed has been discovered some 30 miles south of Chemulpo, on the coast.
Steps are being taken to develop both these beds, an American to work the first and a Chinese company the second.
I am, &c.,
Ensign, U. S. Navy, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.