DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



always included. Why these should have been selected, and 

 what they particularly symbolize, he did not learn. The 

 charcoal was not omitted in the gifts on this occasion, and 

 four small dogs of a rare breed were sent to the President as 

 part of the Emperor's gift. We have observed also in the 

 public prints that two were put on board Admiral Stirling's 

 ship for Her Majesty of England. The fact that dogs are 

 always part of a royal Japanese present suggested to the 

 Commodore the thought that one species of spaniel now in 

 England may be traced to a Japanese origin. In 1613, when 

 Captain Saris returned from Japan to England, he carried to 

 the King a letter from the Emperor, and presents in return 

 for those which had been sent to him by His Majesty of 

 England. Dogs probably formed part of the gifts, and thus 

 may have been introduced into the kingdom the Japanese 

 breed. At any rate there is a breed in England which is 

 hard to distinguish from the Japanese dog. The species sent 

 as a present by the Emperor is by no means common even in 

 Japan. It is never seen running about the streets or following 

 its master on his walks, and the Commodore understood that 

 they were costly." * 



Records of the several Dutch embassies f to the Japanese 

 Emperors, which took place during the seventeenth century, 

 though enumerating the presents exchanged on each occasion, 

 do not mention the giving of dogs. A record of cargo 

 brought to England on certain of the ships of the East India 

 Company during this period does not mention dogs, but 

 includes merchandise to the value of some thousands of 

 pounds under the general heading of " toys." 



The Bishop of Victoria, writing in 1861, remarks that like 



* 



* " United States Japan Expedition (1852-3-4)," Captain J. C. Perry, vol. i, 

 p. 369, published 1856. 

 f " Ambassade vers 1'Empereur du Japon," Henry Drummond, 1686. 



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