The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-25


minton Magazine. totally destitute Of a de-
sire for amusements, whether indoor or
outdoor.
Quail fights are in vogue both in the
north and south of China, and it is by no
means uncommon in Pekin to see a man
walking about in the country lanes with
his favorite bird in a cage. He takes it
out, feeds it, and plays with it just as the
Spaniards do with their fighting cocks,
''nourshing" its hate and ferocity, wher-
ever opportunity may occur, by confront
ing it with rival of it's
own kind. In Canton quail
fights are usually held in gambling
booths or mat sheds Called lip or LAX, ac-
cording to dialecD, and betting goes on
very freely. Cricket fights are also com
mon, alike in Pekin, in the Great River
valley and in the south In Pekin the
crickets are invariably kept in a sort of
covered jar made of a porous earthen-
ware, which Europeans used to find most
eXcellently adapted for keeping tobacco
in. When once the insects close. they
rarely separate until one or the other is
left dead on the field
Cockhghting is a very ancient sport, but
at present ii seems to have gone somewhat
out of vogue. At Shanghai the Manila sea-
men. of whom there are always great
numbers in port, Invariably amuse them
selves on a Sunday with an afternoon of
cockhghting. 1t is either ignored or con-
nived az by the foreign municipality The
arrangements, though on a humber scale,
differ in no way from those of the regular
arenas in Madrid, Mexico or Havana. The
spurs are small razors of the most deadly
description, and the movements of the
birds are so rapid that one of the two
often falls dead from a blow clean through
its head without the inexperienced spec
tator being able to see more than a futter
of feathers and an instantaneous rush on
both sides. Camel nights and ram fights
are mentioned by the Chinese as having
been In vogue among the Tartars. Over
thousand years ago the people of Kut-
cha Ton the road from Turfan to Kashgar)
were said to inaugurate ram fights and
camel fights during the weeks holidays at
the new year and to judge the prospects
of harvest by the results.
There are horse races and cart races
every year a few miles TO the west of Pc
kin, chiefly I'm connection with the annual
drill of the Manchu troops; but there is
Httle true sport about them. The Chinese
are clever at making their nags run (as
distinct from trotting and galloping). An
even runner will fetch twice as much as
a mere galloper. Trotting is not an adj
mired movement. Hawking was wont to
be a great amusement in the extreme
North of China, and Marco Polo gives
graphic accounts of the sport he witness
ed IN the days of Kubla Khan. Tribute of
hawks used to be eXacted from the tribes
about Manchuria, and well-trained birds
are very valuable indeed. Even now 1t Is
no uncommon thing in and around Pekin
to meet men In the streets with a hawk
a,
but very little practical use seems to be
made OF them now.
Sedentary amusements are more 10 the
taste Of the Chinese than outdoor sports,
and the various forms OF gambling are.
of course, the most popular Of the former.
Their playing-cards are about the same
length as ours, but only half the breadth,
besides being much llmper. There Is rea-
son to believe that they must be at least
as old as our era. but, up to the present
no one seems TO have made q serious
study Of Chinese card games. The most
popular ones appear 10 be a kind of beg
gar-my-neghbor' and draw poker" and
women play more than men.
Chinese chess has been carefully studied
by several Europeans, notably Mr.. Ho-
lingsworth CISCO. Mr.. Himly OSG9 and
Signor Vopcel dSsO. II Is stll a ques-
ton whether China or India was the
country which gave birth to the game. but
- - NAAAF A'NtalN hiihA - WIS Known 10
the chinese at least before the first CEN
fury OF our era. II not much earlier. The
Chinese chessboard. like ours, has six
ty-four squares, with the addition Of a
river" which practically means eight
squares more. However. the men are not
placed in the center OF the squares. as
with rs. but on the interesting points,
and they move along the lines. The Chi
nese stalemate counts as "A win instead
Of a draw; and some Of the pieces, besides
skipping, are placed differently from ours
Otherwise there Is great similarity be-
tween the two games. Among Europeans
u Is common 70 give the vague name Of
Chess" not only 20 the elephant chess"
which 50 closely resembles ours. but to
the surrounding chess" or, kind OF
draughts-the japanese gobang, or. sim
ply, 20.
Dice seem 10 have been known 10 the
Chinese az far back MS history goes. They
are not shaken. as with as. IN a box. and
then thrown out the custom IL 10 grasp
them IN the hand, and then flick them
sharply into common rice bowl. There
are three different games one played with