CHINESE GAMES WITH DICE AND DOMINOES. 



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The Emperor Kienliing (A. D. 1736-1796) was in the habit of walking at nightfall 

 among the houses occupied by the candidates for the degree of Hanlin, who came 

 up to Peking for the triennial examination; and hearing, night after night, the song 

 of the dice issuing from one of them, he sum- 

 moned the oftender before him to exjilam his 

 conduct. In excuse, fearing jiunishment, he 

 told the Emiieror that he had constructed a 

 chart, on which were written the names of all 

 the official positions in the Government, and that 

 he and his friends threw dice, and according to 

 their throws traversed the board, and were thus 

 impressed with a knowledge of the various 

 ranks and steps leading to official advancement. 

 The Emperor commanded him to bring the chart 

 for his inspection. That night the unfortunate 

 graduate, whose excuse was a taction created at 

 the moment, sat until daybreak, pencil in hand, 

 and made a cliart according to his story, which 

 he carried to the Emperor. That august prince 

 professed to be much pleased with the diligence 

 of the scholar who improved his mind, even 

 while amusing himself, and dismissed him with 

 many commendations. 



This familiar sounding story can not 

 be accepted without question, especially 

 since it will be seen that Dr. Hyde jiub- 

 lished his account many years before the 

 period mentioned; but my informant, a 

 clerk in a Chinese shop in Philadelphia, 

 may not have stated the date correctly. 



The paper charts for the game may be 

 purchased at the Chinese stores in New 

 York and San Francisco. The names of 

 the different offices are arranged upon 

 them in rectangular divisions, alongside 

 of each of which is a tablet with the 

 name of the board or class under which 

 those within it are included. They 

 ascend from the lowest to the highest 

 in successive stages, arranged in order 

 around the chart from right to left, and 

 from the outer division, which is devoted 

 to provincial officials, to the innermost, 

 which has the titles of the members of 

 the metropolitan administration. The 

 center is occupied with rules for play- 

 ing. Four dice are thrown in turn by each player, instead of G, as 

 formerly recorded by Dr. Hyde. Entrance is obtained by making a 

 cast, either of 4 alike, by which the player is at once advanced to an 

 ''hereditary rank;" of ''three, four, five, six," called cWihifd; of 3 alike 



Fig. 13. 



FIRST PLACES FOR ENTERING IN THE GAME 

 OF "PROMOTION OF MANDARINS." 



(From ne Ludia Orientalihus, 1691. ) 



