The waterfront of Jemulpo in the early 1900s / Robert Neff Collection

The summer of 1892 was, a foreign resident in Jemulpo (modern Incheon) declared, the hottest summer in Korea he had experienced. According to him, "the oldest resident" in the community could not remember a hotter summer, and, the narrator added, the old man had a "pretty lengthy" memory to draw upon. Unfortunately, we do not know if the elderly gentleman was Korean or foreign — but regardless, considering Jemulpo was a fairly new port, it was a pretty bold assertion.

According to the Imperial Customs' Service Meteorological Return, July began with "rain, fog, and boisterous weather." The rain only lasted for a couple of days and then the weather became "remarkably dry" and "nature seemed for the greater part of the month exhausted of all moisture." There was wind, but it "became heated and oppressive in its passage over the bare, heat radiating hills," that surrounded the port.

According to the report, the highest temperature in July was 34.4 degrees Celsius in Jemulpo but this paled to the heat in Wonsan (on the east coast) where it climbed to 38.6 degrees.

Not only was the dry heat uncomfortable, it was also dangerous. The crops began to die, and sacrifices and prayers were made for rain. On the evening of July 26, a beautiful double rainbow graced the sky, but there was no rain. However, to the superstitious and religious, it was a sign that their prayer had been heard.

A swimming pool at Jemulpo in the early 20th century / Robert Neff Collection

On the night of July 29/30, the rain began to pour — nearly 5 inches (122 mm) of rain within 13 hours. The "providential showers" saved the crops. In gratitude, King Gojong later commanded that a deerskin be presented to each of his officers who went out to pray for rain.

The rain may have brought relief to the fields, but not to the people. The dry heat was replaced with muggy weather that sapped the energy from the population. Not everyone, however, was displeased.

In the Japanese section of Jemulpo, many shops and stores were doing a thriving business in providing iced drinks to their patrons. In order to entice customers, these establishments had their balconies and windows decorated with evergreen boughs, ribbons and paper lanterns. Others had beautiful Japanese women serving the drinks while female entertainers sang and played musical instruments. According to one observer, the atmosphere was something one would imagine coming out of the pages of the "Arabian Nights."

Of course, cold beer and cocktails were not the only drinks served. Most of the missionaries did not drink alcohol, so they found cool relief with iced lemonade and carbonated drinks. Many of these stores also sold ice cream — a highly prized treat.

For the people who did not want to venture out, relief could be delivered to your home. Vendors wandered the streets, their shrill voices extolling the virtues of their ice cream — described as being "delicious stuff" — throughout the day and late evenings. For just two cents a cup, the purchaser was able to enjoy the cool refreshing taste of their ice cream while listening to the hot gossip that was currently circulating in the community.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.