C H IN E S E GAM B L ERS
with Fighting Quails.
I t is m o re com m o n in C h in a to b re e d q u a ils fo r fig h tin g , th a n to b rin g
u p game -cocks, fo r th e same p u rp o s e , in E u ro p e . T h e m a le quails,
d e s c e n d e d from a g o o d s to ck , a re tra in e d w ith g re a t c a re ; th e ir owners
te a c h in g th em to fig h t m o s t fu r io u s ly , a n d w ith a s p ir it e q u a llin g th e
b e s t o f o u r gam e -co ck s. T h e s e b a ttle s , th o u g h fo rb id d e n b y th e laws,
a r e c o u n te n a n c e d a n d e v e n p ra c tis e d b y th e M a n d a rin s ; a n d it is a
fa v o u rite d iv e rs io n am o n g th e e u n u c h s in a tte n d a n c e a t th e pa la c e , wh o
o fte n h a z a rd la rg e sums in bets on th e issu e o f a co n te st. I f d u r in g a
co n fiic t b e tw e en th e se little fu rie s , b o th b ird s sh o u ld h a p p e n to fall
to g e th e r , th a t w h ic h la s t e n d e a v o u rs to p e c k a t h is ad v e rsa ry , is d e em ed
th e v ic to r.
I t is said, th a t o ften tim e s o n th e r e s u lt o f th e se b a ttle s , n o t o n ly th e
fo r tu n e , b u t e v e n th e wives a n d c h ild re n o f th e p a r tie s w a g e rin g , are
p u t to th e c h a n c e o f b e in g g iv en u p to th e w in n e r as c o n c u b in e s a n d
servants.
T h e fig u re sm o k in g , h o ld s in h is h a n d some C h in e s e m o n e y th re a d e d
o n a s trin g ; th e man w ith a fe a th e r b e h in d h is c a p is b e ttin g w ith h im.