DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



large measure for the poverty of later writings in matters 

 dealing with the early history of Chinese dogs. Just as King 

 James' " Counterblast " against tobacco-smoking forbade the 

 writers of that period notably Shakespeare to mention 

 the weed which flowed in wreaths of smoke thus depriving 

 us of much of the early history of Raleigh's discovery so 

 Chin Shih's ban on all things literary has left us in ignorance 

 of many an incident which would otherwise now stand 

 chronicled. 



Short-mouthed dogs are referred to as having existed in 

 the time of Confucius.* The Sage mentions the dog in- 

 cidentally in exhorting his disciples to salvage economy. 

 He says : "I have heard that the discarded hangings of the 

 chariot may be used to wrap the beloved saddle-horse for 

 burial, and that the torn awning (or chariot umbrella) will 

 serve to cover the dear house-dog in his grave." f 



About 500 years B.C. it is recorded that dogs were used in 

 the kingdom now represented by the Province of Shansi 

 for sporting purposes. Some of these were probably small 

 dogs, for it is mentioned that after the day's sport, one kind of 

 dog followed its master's chariot, while " those having short 

 mouths were carried in the carts." J 



It was only as late as the Roman occupation that specific 

 knowledge of the five races of dogs existent in England was 

 secured. These are believed to have been the house-dog, the 

 greyhound, the bulldog, the terrier, and the slow-hound. The 

 British dogs are said to have been in great demand in Rome, 

 both for hunting and for the sports of the amphitheatre , 

 and a special officer was appointed for procuring them. 



Similarly, it was only at the end of the first century of our 

 era that the Chinese books became a little more specific as 



" Erh Ya." f Li Chi. Pan Rung. { " Erh Ya." 



Notes and Queries, 1900, vol. v, p. 524. 



16 ' 



