Below is a map of Ulleungdo (鬱陵島圖形) made by Inspector Bak Seok-chang (朴錫昌) after his inspection of the island in 1711. It was scanned from a book entitled, "Historical Evidence of Korean Sovereighnty over Dokdo," by Professor Lee Sang-tae of the Graduate School of Korea International Culture University. The map is important in the Dokdo/Takeshima debate because it not only shows Usando (于山島) as a neighboring island off Ulleungdo's east shore, but it also shows the small island as having grove(s) of
haejang bamboo (海長竹田), which is a bamboo that can grow up to seven meters tall. That fact, in itself, eliminates any possibility that the Usando on this map could be "Dokdo" (Liancourt Rocks) since Dokdo does not have the soil needed to grow groves of bamboo.
In spite of the fact that the map shows Usando as a single island just off Ulleungdo's east shore that has groves of bamboo, the author of the book, Lee Sang-tae, still wrote "Dokdo" in parentheses next to Usando on the map. This is an example of just how blind Korean scholars can be when it comes to Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks), which is essentially two large, barren rocks ninety-two kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo.
The Chinese characters written on Usando can be seen more clearly on the following closeup of the island. They translate as follows: "groves of haejang bamboo, the so-called Usando" (海長竹田 所謂 于山島).
In 1694, sixteen years before the above map was made, Jang Han-sang (張漢相) also inspected Ulleungdo. In his report, Inspector Jang wrote the following:
東方五里許 有一小島 不甚高大 海長竹叢生於一面
동쪽으로 5리 (2킬로) 쯤에 한 작은 섬이 있는데, 고대(高大)하지 않으며 해장죽 (海長竹)이 한쪽면에 무더기로 자라고 있다.
About five ri (2 km) to the east (of Ulleungdo) is one small island. It is not very big or very high, and it has a grove of haejang bamboo (海長竹) growing on one side.
Notice that Inspector Jang also wrote about a small island with
haejang bamboo two kilometers off Ulleungdo's east shore. The small island was almost certainly the Usando on the 1711 map.
About 2.2 kilometers off the east shore of present-day Ulleungdo is a small island called "Jukdo" (竹島), which still has groves of tall bamboo growing on it. The Usando on Inspector Bak's 1711 map and the small island mentioned in Inspector Jang's 1694 report were obviously not referring to "Dokdo" (Liancourt Rocks). Instead, they were almost certainly referring to Ulleungdo's present-day neighboring island of Jukdo. (Go
HERE to read more about the 1694 inspection.)
The 1711 inspection occurred after the An Yong-bok incident, which means that An Yong-bok's "Usando" ended up being Ulleungdo's neighboring island of Jukdo (竹島), not Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo).
On the left side of the 1711 map is written the following:
辛卯五月十四日自倭舡倉移舟待風所拙書 一句以標日後(刻立卯岩木於方上)萬里滄溟外將軍駕桂舟平生伏忠信履險自無漫搜討官折衡將軍三陟營將兼水軍僉節制使朴錫昌軍官折衡朴省三金壽元倭學朴命逸
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On March 14 in the "shin myo" year (辛卯 - 1711), we moved the boat from the Japanese boat house (倭舡倉) to the "wind-waiting place" (待風所). A verse was written and made into a sign for posterity (拙書一句以標日後). It was craved in wood and erected on a rock facing east (刻立卯岩木於方上):
On the distance blue sea, the general sails on a cinnamon tree ship. He has been loyal and faithful all his life, so even if there is hardship, there is no need to worry.
Inspector: Jeochung General (折衡將軍), Samcheok Camp Commander (三陟營將) & Navy Cheomjeoljesa (水軍僉節制使) Bak Seok-chang (朴錫昌)
Military Civil Servants (軍官): Bak Seong-sam (朴省三), Kim Su-won (金壽元)
Japanese Interpreter (倭學): Bak Myeong-il (朴命逸)
It seems that the above verse may have been what was written on one of the sign posts that are indicated on many old maps of Ulleungdo.
