ANTIQUITIES. 



369 



^•ulty, cannot prove unacceptable to 

 your lordship, when adding a mite 

 to the Transactions of the academy 

 which is distinguished by your su- 

 perintendence. 



Why I have addressed a subject 

 of this nature to the Irish academy, 

 when there isa society existing, who 

 seems to have a title to it from its 

 name — or why the first offering of 

 my researches should proceed from 

 the remote empire of China, are, I 

 trust, questions that are not neces- 

 sary for me to resolve. If a patriot 

 wish to promote the spirit of inves- 

 tigation in my country, by the ex- 

 ertion of my mean abilities, be not 

 denied me, I am indifferent to cen- 

 sure or praise on this occasion. 



I must premise to your lordship, 

 that, during a long residence in the 

 East Indies, where the game of 

 Chess is generally supposed to have 

 originated, I had often heard of its 

 fticistence in China, though on a 

 different footing, as well in respect 

 to the powers of the king, as to 

 the aspect of the field of battle. 

 The Bramins, who excel in this 

 game, and with whom I used fr«- 

 qiiently to play for improvement, 

 had a tradition of this nature, which 

 is a farther argument in behalf of 

 what I am about to advance. But", 

 with all my enquiries from persons 

 who had been there, and from the 

 publications relative to Ch'na, I 

 could never obtain any confirmation 

 of the game being ever known in 

 the country, except that Chamb<-rs, 

 in his Dictienary, mentions it to be 

 the favourite p;iijtime of the ladies, 

 but quotes no authority for the as- 

 sertion. 



Some unlocked for circumstances 

 in the cours<i? of the last year, at 

 length brought me to the quarter, 

 which I had once wished, but ne- 



VoL. XXXVI. 



ver expected to visit. I need not 

 say, that among other objects of 

 curiosity, I was eager to ascertain 

 the reality of the Bramins story. 

 And ifthe difHcuity of acquiring in-. . 

 formation here, not more from the 

 want of interpreters, than the jea- 

 lousy of the government, were not 

 well known in Europe, 1 should bfr 

 ashamed to tell your lordship that I 

 despaired of success for some time.. 

 A young Mandarin, however, of' 

 the ])rofession of arms, having an^ 

 inquisitive turn, was my frequent, 

 visitor; and what no questions; 

 could have dr^wn from him, the 

 accidental sight of an English chess- 

 board effected. He told me, that, 

 the Chinese had agame of the same 

 nature ; and on his specifying a. 

 difference in the pieces and board, . 

 I peiceived, with joy, that I had 

 discovered the desideratum of which 

 I had been so long in search. The 

 very next day my Mandarin brought i 

 me the board and equipage ; and I 

 found, that the Bramins were nei- 

 ther mistaken touching the board, 

 which has a river in the middle tq 

 divide the conteodi^ng parties, nor- 

 in the powers of the king, who is' 

 entrenched in a fort, and moves 

 ohly in that space, in every direc- 

 tion. But what did I not before 

 hear, nor do I believe is known out 

 ot thiscountry, there are two pieces, 

 whose movements are distinct from 

 any in the Indian or European game.' 

 The Mandarin, which answers to 

 our bishop, in his station and side- 

 long course, cannot, through age, 

 cross the river ; and a rocket-boy, 

 still used in thejndian armies, who 

 is stationed between the lines of 

 each party, acts literally with the 

 motion of the rocket, by vaulting 

 over a man, and taking his' adver- 

 sary at the other end of the board,' 

 B b Except 



