Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-02-23
RUNIING as CHINA,
Some OF the Pleasures and Draw
bscks OF the sport In the Celestial
Empire.


Empire.
From this Courier-Jourpall
TsUs HuA, Nov. 2S.-Forsigners have
found much sport in hunting in China and
much SORROW, too. Those who have
brought fine dogs out with them complain
that their dogs die of the mango from hsv-
Ing to wade through dirty streams and
ponds. Some die from what is called
worms in the heart, while others become
deaf from grsss seed that gets In their
ears, or lame from a seed that works its
way into the foot and up into the leg be-
fore 1t comes out. Last, not least, If care
is Tot taken tbs POO, beast Is nearly ssten
up with ticks. As for tie hunters, they
complain bitterly of mos9alsees.
A writer of authority, Lieutenant Crs-
dock, of the royal navy, gives this de-
scriptiou of an uufortunst- In thess north
ern wilde: His face is but one swollen
mass, his eyes inaamed snd hardly 10 be
sem beneath the burning and tortured eye
lids, bis swollen mouth and nostriis c5v-
cred with sorss." There Is another trou-
BILE In most parts of China, and that Is In
q land like this, where armies almost raise
from the ground when one stamps bis foot.
1t Ia dangerous to shoot, for no one knows
just how many luckless Chinsmen may be
in range of the gun, though perhaps none
a. that time may ba seeD; but for all that,
6ne bags OF duck, geese, snipe, bustsrd
(Chins's wild turkey, wcodcock, quail and
pnsassuts are killed. These sportsmen sre
not missionaries, but sailors and msr-
chants. Somesmissionsries, when ps .ipg
through these regions, leave their iolry
carts and lay in a fine supply of duck and
oustsrd for their families. and thus make
a pleasure of what perhaps would be q
very hard and unpleasant journey.
The Chinese can hardly be calisd hunt
ers. although the emperors sod wealthy
men of leisure have always shown soms
taste for the chase. Three miles south of
Peking there is a walled imperial hunting
park, which is some fifty miles In cirsum-
terence. It contains lsrJe meadows stocked
with antelope, deer and rabbits. In the
park there 10 one species of deer that 10
not known to exist in any other part of
the globe. Chinese ancient history tells
US of some famous hunters and fishermen.
One Kispg Ttzs Va wss not only a famous
angler, but withal righteous man. It is
said the fish recognized his virtuss, and
though he fshed with a straight bar of iron
the sh voluntarily imps'ed themselves on
ks
men or fieh in these dsys. But ths Chi
nese are by no means given to tho chase as
q rule, perhaps becauss the people are too
busy, and partly bs cause the sale and man
ufsc.ure of firearms Is restricted,
Duriug the winter season we can buy all
the ducks, pheassnts and rabbits we want
These are caught in traps, driven into a
net, caught with dogs. or shot with a gun.
There is other gams-the muck wolf and
the fox. The fret is sought for Its fur and
also for the fine hair in its tail, which is
used In the Chinese writing brushes The
last nsmei sniusl, the fox, is q sacred an
imal. IL is believed 10 bs able to perform
many wonderful things. Among othere,
to change its body into human form, to
cure disease, aud also do do much evil.
The shy o:d fox, there Is no telling what
he may do. The Chinese never write the
name of the fox IL they can help IL. for
they believe that 1t displesses his majesty
very mush. This animal Is worshipped.
I have seen Intelligent men in Peklpg
burn incense and bow down to worship it.
But for all that. his sacredness dos not al
ways save bis skin, and after that has gone
his divinity has deprecated in vslus more
than silver has during these hard umes.
have Q large and beautiful foIskin over
coat purchased from q Chinamsn for SIX
teen dollars, which could not be bought
for forty dollars At home. The wolves are
sought for their skins, too. They collect
IN such numbers around this city some
times as to be dangerous to man and bssst
Speaking of the wolf reminds me of q
picture 1 purchased some time ago. /
bought It because / thought IL wss the
ugllest picture had ever ssen. / tried TO
hDd out the history or meaning of the
thing for some time without any suecsss,
until q few days ago, while studying Tao
| i'm, 1 found the ugly man wss one of tes
Tsoiss gods. In his esrly days his spirit
| had the power Of leaving h!s body ard
roaming over the universe slone. When
off on one of these trips wolves came and
| ate his body. So when his spirit returned
it found only few bones. After hunting
| around for q while the spirit found the
body of a dead hunchbaek beggar, who
| walked with an iron cane Ia his life time.
| The spirit crawled In this body and has
lived in 1t ever since. Tih KEslei, for
that is the gods name, carries q guurd on
/ his back, which, II the breath were blown
/ out of IL In the heavens, would bring back
his originsl body. According to last &C.
counts the breath has not flown out of the
| gourd.
Hawking like that of the middle ages Is
prscticed here by the men of leisure
Travelling through this country one often
II sees y usu IN tne Nlilsges apO EoNae Win
/ o ssvsge-looking hawk on his arm These
birds are frsiued for the Chase snd becoma
perfectly manageable. Thsy ere kept In
| fine condition and IL q feather happens 90
fall out of the birds tall during the time
he is most used It is replaced, for the Cai-
nese believe that the fight of Q bird. or at
least his movements TO right or left or
rapid descent depends much on the tail.
L.t MS imagine our party starting ont for
q days Eport mounted on horses, men
dressed In long flowing garments, with
dogs, whip in one hand and the hawk upon
the left arm or shoulder. They do no,