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a title to it from its name — or why the firft offering of 

 my refearches fhould proceed from the remote empire of 

 China, are, I truft, queftious that are not neceffary for me 

 to refolve. If a patriot wifli to promote the fpirit of invefli- 

 gation in my country, by the exertion of my mean abiHties, 

 be not denied me, I anpi indifferent; tp cenf^re or praifg on 

 this occafion. 



I MUST premife to your Lordfliip, tjiat, during a long refi- 

 dence in the Eaft Indies, where the game of Chefs is generally 

 fuppofed to have originated, I had often heard of its exiftence 

 in China, though on a different footing, as well in refped 

 to the powers of the King, as to the afpedl of the field of 

 battle. The Bramins, who excel in this game, and with 

 whom I ufed frequently to play for improvement, had a tra- 

 dition of this nature, which is a further argument in behalf of 

 what I am about to advance. But, with all nay enqui- 

 ries from perfons who had been there, and from the pub- 

 lications relative to China, I could never obtain any con- 

 firmation of the game being even known in the country, 

 except that Chambers, in his Didlionary, mentions it to be 

 the favourite paftime of the ladies, but quotes no authority 

 for the affertion. 



Some unlooked-for circumflances in the courfe of the lafl 

 year at length brought me to the quarter, which I had once 

 wifhed, but never expected, to vifit. I need not fay, that 



