CHINESE GAMES WITH DICE AND DOMINOES. 

 SAKA. 



501 



In Siain the game of backgammon is known as salca, and is played 

 upon a board, represented in tig. 7, with 2 dice.* Sixteen discs of ivory, 



Fiff. 7. 



SAKA (liACKGAMMON) BOABD: SIA5I. 



like draftsmen, are used on each side, one set being white and the 

 other, red. The small compartments on either side of the board are 



Fig. 8. 



KRABOK: CYLINDER FBOM WHICH DICK AKE THROWN. 



(Siamese Backgammon.) 



said to be intended for cowries (/>/«), which are used as counters. The 



pieces are entered, according to the throws, in the right hand side of 



the board opposite the player, aiid are 



moved around, as in our game, to the 



side directly opposite, where they are 



thrown off. A player does not take 



his opponent's pieces. The dice are not 



thrown directly with the hand, but are 



loaded into a tube {Iraholc) of ivory, 



about 3 inches in length (tig. 8), called 



l-rahok saM, and shot obliquely through 



another cylinder of ivory, 2^ inches high 



(tig. 9), called by the same name, placed 



upon the board. These implements 



correspond with the Roman fritiUus 



or dicebox, and the pyrgus, the latter 



being defiued as ''a little wooden tower 



on the side of a gaming board, hollow. 



and having steps inside, through wiiich the dice were thrown upon 



the board. t 



Fig. 9. 



CYLINDER INTO WHICH DICE ARE 

 THROWN. 



* Dice are called in Siamese lok hat. They are ideutical with those of China. 



t Andrews's Latin-Englisb Lcxieou. 



