CHINESE SPORTSMAN AND WEAPONS 209 



each winter season immense quantities of 

 game were killed, which included animals 

 of the most ferocious nature, — such as the 

 royal tiger and the imperial bear. Thus it 

 happened that the Emperor Chien-lung 

 lost his life, after slaying an enormous bear, 

 on one of these hunting expeditions. 



Those were the days of sportsmen who 

 were really fond of sport, and the days, too, 

 when China and the Chinese were in the 

 foremost rank of art, science and literature, 

 and when the civilization of China was 

 abreast of the times. But since those days 

 sport and sportsmen have greatly declined in 

 the good estimation of Chinese. The study 

 of science, art and literature has been much 

 neglected, or not advanced as it should have 

 been to have maintained the supremacy of 

 China over eastern countries, as when sport 

 and sportsmen were held in esteem. No 

 people in the world enjoy sport as keenly 

 as the English, and this has been true since 

 that people became known to history. It 

 is also true that no people has accomplished 

 more in art, science, literature and govern- 

 ment, or ever fashioned a more perfect 

 system of laws than the English speaking 

 race. 



