DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



The Chinese Emperors used their expeditions into the 

 hunting-parks for the training of their armies and for demon- 

 strating their power to the tribes of Mongolia. Each of the 

 soldiers became a huntsman or beater for the occasion. 

 Similarly, though it does not appear likely that all of the 

 vast number of dogs used possessed powers of scent, any 

 more than do the great majority of dogs to be found in the 

 villages of the hunting-parks at the present time, every 

 available dog was pressed into service. 



Friar Odoric, who spent three years between 1322 and 1328 

 in Peking, " took the opportunity to make diligent inquiry 

 from Christians, Saracens and all kinds of idolaters," who all 

 told him with one voice that " the king's players alone 

 amount to XIII tumans (10,000 men) ; that, of those others 

 who keep the dogs and wild beasts and fowls, there be 

 XV tumans ; of leeches to take charge of the royal Person 

 there be 400 idolaters, eight Christians and one Saracen." * 



Marco Polo further speaks of two barons as " having 

 charge of the hounds, fleet and slow, and of the mastiffs," f 

 and states that each of them maintained a body of 10,000 men 

 dressed alike, the one lot in livery of red, and the other in 

 blue, to accompany the Great Khan to the chase : " Of the 

 20,000 men there were 2000, each of whom was in charge 

 of one or more dogs, and when the Prince goes a-hunting, 

 one of these barons with his 10,000 men and something 

 like 5000 dogs J goes towards the right, whilst the other goes 

 towards the left with his party in like manner. The whole 

 line extends for a full day's journey, and no animal can 

 escape them. Truly it is a glorious sight to see the working 

 of the dogs and the huntsmen on such an occasion, and as 



* " Cathay and the Way Thither," Yule. 



f " Marco Polo," Marsden's edition, translated from the Latin. 

 j " Marco Polo," Marsden's edition reads " the dogs of different descriptions 

 ... are not fewer than five thousand." 



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