498 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



2 "fours," 2 "tiveS;"' and 2 " sixes."' 



2 "ones," 2 "twos," aud 2 "threes." 



3 "fours" and 3 " sixes," or " fives," or " threes," or " twos," or " ones." 

 3 " sixes" and 3 "fives," or "threes," or "twos," or " ones." 



3 "fives" and 3 "threes," or "twos," or "ones." 

 3 "threes" and 3 "twos" or "ones." 

 A sequence from "one " to " six." 



Each count as 10, and takes either tbe j)ong ngnn or film fa. Three 

 "fours" with any combination except those mentioned count as 8, and 

 take one of the ili iin. Four " sixes," 4 " fives," 4 " threes," 4 " twos," 

 or 4 "ones," with any combination of 2 dice except those ah-eady men- 

 tioned count as 4, and take one of the tsim sz\ Two " fours" count as 

 2 and take one of the l:ii yan. One "four" counts as 1, and takes one 

 of til e .vr(7( f.s'oi. 



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CHINESE BACKGAMMON. 

 ( From De Lmlis Orienlalibus. 1694, ) 



The Chinese game similar to backgammon, which that accomplished 

 scholar, Dr. Thomas Hyde, described in his work on Oriental games 

 under the name of Chinensium Nerdiludium ( The Nerd Game of the 

 Chinese) * is not played by the Chinese laborers in America, nor do 

 any I have met appear to be acquainted with it (fig. 4.) 



According to Dr. Hyde, it is called by Chinese goan Ki, which he 

 translates as erectns ludus, or erectorum Indus, but which might be 

 rendered as " the bottle game " or " bottle chess" go<ni {tsnn), meaning 

 a vase or bottle, aud Ki (A:'r) being a generic name for games played 

 with men as chess. 



This game is played with dice and small upright pillars, from which the name is 

 derived. The board is divided into eight equal parts by transverse lines, and the 

 pieces, which are from 2 to 3 inches high and number IG on each side, are arranged 

 upon it when the playing commences, as seen in the figure. 



The pieces are moved line by line, according to the throws with the dice, from the 

 places on the left to the eighth place on the right, and from thence ascending'to the 



*De Ludis Orientalibus. Oxford, 1694, p. 65. 



