Hunting in Many Lands 



of China have had, at different times, great 

 hunting parks, inclosed by high walls, at con- 

 venient distances from their capital, or even in 

 close proximity to it, where they could indulge 

 their fondness for the chase. Several of these 

 parks (called wei chang) are still preserved 

 for imperial hunts, and one I visited in 1886, 

 to the north of Jehol and about six days' 

 travel from Peking, is some ninety miles long 

 from north to south, and over thirty miles 

 from east to west. It is well stocked with 

 pheasants, roebucks, stags, and, it is said, there 

 are also tigers and leopards in it. The park 

 is guarded by troops, and any person caught 

 poaching in it, besides receiving corporal pun- 

 ishment, is exiled for a period of a year and 

 a half to two years to a distant town of the 

 empire. During my visit to this park, I and 

 my three companions camped just outside one 

 of the gates, and, by paying the keepers a 

 small sum, we were able to get daily a few 

 hours' shooting in a little valley inside the 

 wall and near our camp. Though we had 

 no dogs, and lost all the winged birds and 

 wounded hares, we bagged in nine or ten days 

 over 500 pheasants, 150 hares, lOO partridges 

 and a few ducks. 



258 



