DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



James to the King died on the voyage except one young 

 mastiff which was caused to fight with a leopard and killed 

 it, and also with a bear, which some dogs sent by the King 

 of Persia would not touch, and so " disgraced the Persian 

 dogs, whereby the King was exceedingly pleased." " Two 

 or three mastiffs, a couple of Irish greyhounds, and a couple of 

 well-fed water-spaniels would give him great content." 



In 1616 Sir John Roe, the Company's representative at the 

 Court of the Great Mogul, wrote that of the Company's 

 presents the dogs only were well liked. The next year the 

 Company's factor wrote, " From the Persian Court and army 

 near the confines of the Turk, twenty-five days from Ispa- 

 han," that among a list of " necessaries " desired by the next 

 fleet were " a suit of armour, two young and fierce mastiffs, 

 and, above all, as many little dogs, both smooth and rough- 

 haired, as can be sent. His women, it seems, do aim at this 

 commodity." On the next day an additional list of toys 

 required by the Persian monarch was sent : " Some choice 

 fighting-cocks' and hens, turkey cocks and hens, a dog and a 

 bitch that draw dry foot these with the little women's curs 

 he chiefly desires of anything you can send him." Four 

 years later, however, the factor at Ispahan states that " Their 

 present of dogs is almost come to nothing. Twig, Swan, 

 and one of the beagles grew mad, whereof they died, albeit 

 Fras. Mason hath taken great pains with them." The Persian 

 demand for British dogs continued, however, for we find the 

 factor at the Persian Court writing : " The king demands 

 coats of mail, mastiffs, water and land-spaniels, Irish grey- 

 hounds, and the smallest lap-dogs to be found, well-tempered 

 knives, some of the finest and choicest sorts of China, drinking 

 glasses, and a kind of blue stone whereof they make powder 

 for eyes." 



Mastiffs continued to be exported, for in 1625 we ^ n ^ m 

 82 



