Page:Dogs of China & Japan - Collier - 1921.djvu/88

 The Chinese Emperors used their expeditions into the hunting-parks for the training of their armies and for demonstrating their power to the tribes of Mongolia. Each of the soldiers became a huntsman or beater for the occasion. Similarly, though it does not appear likely that all of the vast number of dogs used possessed powers of scent, any more than do the great majority of dogs to be found in the villages of the hunting-parks at the present time, every available dog was pressed into service.

Friar Odoric, who spent three years between 1322 and 1328 in Peking, "took the opportunity to make diligent inquiry from Christians, Saracens and all kinds of idolaters," who all told him with one voice that "the king's players alone amount to XIII tumans (10,000 men); that, of those others who keep the dogs and wild beasts and fowls, there be XV tumans; of leeches to take charge of the royal Person there be 400 idolaters, eight Christians and one Saracen."

Marco Polo further speaks of two barons as "having charge of the hounds, fleet and slow, and of the mastiffs," and states that each of them maintained a body of 10,000 men dressed alike, the one lot in livery of red, and the other in blue, to accompany the Great Khan to the chase: "Of the 20,000 men there were 2000, each of whom was in charge of one or more dogs, and when the Prince goes a-hunting, one of these barons with his 10,000 men and something like 5000 dogs goes towards the right, whilst the other goes towards the left with his party in like manner. The whole line extends for a full day's journey, and no animal can escape them. Truly it is a glorious sight to see the working of the dogs and the huntsmen on such an occasion, and as 50