JAPANESE GAME OF CHESS. 465 



all that pertained to the dress and persons of the Americans whenever they visited the land. 

 The Japanese were constantly besetting the officers and sailors in the streets, making all kinds 

 of pantomimic inquiries about the English names of some part of their persons and apparel, 

 from hat to boots, taking out their paper and pencil and making memoranda of the newly 

 acquired English words. 



The Japanese are hard workers, but they compensate themselves with occasional holidays, 

 and in the evenings and hours of leisure with frequent games and amusements. One day, at 

 Hakodadi, Dr. Green, the fleet surgeon, and Mr. Jones, the chaplain^ were strolling through 

 the streets, when a shower of rain drove them for shelter into a sort of military station or guard 

 house, at hand. On entering, they found some of the inmates playing at a game very similar, 

 as it appeared, to chess. This interested the Doctor, who forthwith set about studying it, until, 

 finally, with the aid of the interpreters, he succeeded, after some sittings, in mastering its 

 mysteries. The game is called 8ho-Ho-Ye, and is a great favorite among the Japanese. The 

 Doctor's account of it will be found below.* 



Besides this, they have a game analogous to ours with cards. They play with flat pieces of 

 horn, ivory, or bone. These are about an inch and two-thirds long, and little more than au 



* JAPANESE GAME OF SHO-HO-Yfi, ANALOGOUS TO OUR GAME OF CHESS. 



This game is played by two persons, with forty pieces, (twenty on either side.) and upon a chequer board of eighty-one 

 squares, (nine upon each side.) The board is of one uniform color, though the squares might be colored, as with us, for the 

 sake of convenience. The pieces are also of one uniform color, as they are used, (at pleasure,) by either party, as his own, 

 after being captured from the adversary. They are of various sizes, are long and wedge-shaped, being at the same time 

 sharpened from side to side, in front, and the names of each piece are inscribed upon it, both the original, and the one assumed, 

 upon being reversed or turned over, (as below.) Each player knows his men, or pieces, by their pointed and thin end being 

 always forward or from him. But they would be more readily distinguislied if the back parts of all were painted with some 

 decided and striking color, as that part of his own men is seen by each player only — and if the fronts of all the men were 

 painted of some other color, as that part of the adversary's pieces is seen by either player only. They are laid flat upon the 

 board, (front forward,) and thus their names are plainly visible. They capture, as in chess, by occupj'ing the places of the 

 captured pieces. The King, Olio-shio, bemg the chief piece, cannot remain in check, and when checkmated, the game is lost. 



The pieces are named, and are placed upon the board, as follows, viz : 



Oho-shio, (King,) centre square, first row. 



Kin-s/iio, (Gold, or chief councillor,) upon first row, and one on either side of Oho-shio, 



Gin-shio, (Silver, or sub-councillor,) upon first row, and one on each square, next outside Kin-shio. 



Kiema, (Flying horse,) upon first row, and one on each square, next outside Gin-shio. 



Kio-shia, (Fragrant chariot,) one upon each corner square, first row. 



Hishia, (Flying chariot,) on second square, second row, right side of the board. 



Kakuko, (The horn,) on second square, second row, left side of the board. 



Ho-hei, (The soldiery,) on all the nine squares of the third row. 



The moves and powers of the pieces are as below, only noting, that in capturing, there is no deviation from them as with us 

 in the case of pawns. 



Oho-shio moves and takes on one square in any direction. 



Kin-shio, as the Oho-shio, except that he cannot move diagonally backward. 



Neither of the above are ever reversed or acquire different powers ; but all the pieces below may be reversed, (at the option 

 of the player,) when they move to or from any square, in any of the adversary's three first rows, and thereby they acquire 

 different powers, as well as different names. 



Gin-shio moves and takes as the Oho-shio, except that he cannot move directly on either side, or directly backward. When 

 reversed, or turned over, he becomes a Gtii-.Vai-i-A'iii, and acquires all the powers (and those alone) of the Kin-shio. 



Kiema has the move of our knight, except that he is strictly confined to two squares forward and one laterally, and can in no 

 case make more than four moves as a Kiema. When reversed he becomes a Kiema-^Yari-Kin, with all the powers (and those 

 alone) of the Kin-shio. 



Kioshia moves directly forward onhj, but that may be any number of steps. He may be reversed upon either of ihe first thro* 

 rows of the adversary, and then becomes a Kioshia-^i'ari-Kin, with all the powers (and those alone) of the Kin-shio. 



Hishia has the entire powers of our castle, and when reversed, he assumes the name of Rioho, (the dragon,) and acquires in 

 addition to his former moves, all those of the Oho-shio. 



Kakuko has the entire powers of our bishop, and when reversed, he assumes the name of Uiomc, (the dragoness,) and 

 acquires, in addition to his former moves, all those of the Oho-shio. 



59 J 



