268 GAMES. 



The Po-yin is a six-sided die, made of buffalo's- 

 born; each face is divided into two ecjual parts, Hie 

 one being painted red and marked in Chinese cba- 

 r u lers JPo, the other white and marked TJionfj: 

 both of these words imply good hick. The oult-r 

 box is made of brass, about an inch and a half 

 square; it has no cover, but an inverted brass box 

 is made so as to fit and slide into it. At the centre 

 of the bottom of the outer box, inside, is a compart- 

 ment for holding tbe die, one ouly being used at a 

 time. When the die is placed in this, the inner box 

 is slid down over it. Tbe lower end, now tbe upper, 

 of the inverted box, is somewhat convex and is on 

 the same plane nearly as the edges of (he opening of 

 the outer box. On this convex surface, the whole, 

 which now looks like a single box, is spun round on 

 thn table. 



On the table there is drawn a cross, as represented 

 in the diagram. Tbe die being shut, op, and the 

 box with its enclosed one having been inverted by 

 the bolder of it, he twirls it on tbe table and then 

 places it in the centre of the cross, the angles of the 

 box being made to coincide with the lines forming 

 the crass. The stakes have been all previously depo- 

 sited. He then lifts up the outer, or larger box, lea- 

 ving the smaller one with the die lying loosely on a 

 small pin fixed to the bottom, so that the player, 

 having once opened or drawn up the box, cannot 

 cheat by pushing it down again, the smaller box 

 being then impeded by the die. The jierson who 

 challenges the holder of the box puts the die into it. 

 The holder calls out his colour or not as he pleases; 

 the red being that uii which he will win, if silent. 

 The challenger may call out his own coluiir, in 

 w inch case the holder of the box must take the op- 

 posite colour. 



