China abounds with Game. In several parts of Peking, during Winter, are to be seen great Heaps of Animals, and Fowls of various Kinds, hardened by the Frost, and free from Corruption. There are a prodigious Number of Bucks, Does, wild Boars, Goats, Elks, Hares, Rabbits, Squirrels, Cats, Field-Rats, besides Woodcocks, Quails, Geese, Ducks, Partridges, Pheasants, already mentioned, and several other Creatures not to be met-with in Europe, which are all sold exceeding cheap. China likewise produces a great Number of Fallow-Beasts of all Sorts, except Lions, such as wild Boars, Tigers, Buffaloes, Bears, Camels, Rhinoceroses, etc. Not to mention Oxen, Cows, Sheep, and the like domestic Creatures.

Navarette observes, that the Chinese say there are no Lions in their Country, and that many believe there is no such Beast : Yet he observes, that if there be Leopards, as they affirm there are (besides Ounces) it is scarce possible but there must be Lions ; but he adds, perhaps those they speak of are not Leopards.

The Tigers are very numerous in China, large, and fierce : It is incredible what Numbers of People they kill, and devour every Year. A Christian Chinese affirmed to Navarette, that they ranged in Troops of a hundred or two together, at one Place on the Road, from Kanton to Haynan ; so that Travellers durst not set-out, unless they were one hundred and fifty strong ; and that some Years they had destroyed sixty thousand Persons. But the Author well observes, that if such Ravages continued, China would at length be dispeopled. He saw several, one bigger than a Great Calf. A Friar of his own Order told him, that he had seen a Tiger leap a Wall as high as a Man ; and catching-up a Hog, which weighed about an hundred Pounds, threw it over his Neck, leaped the Wall again with his Prey, and ran swiftly away to the Wood. As in Winter they come into the unwalled Villages, near the Mountains, all Men are at home betimes, and secure their Doors. Navarette, who was some days in a Place where they did so, observed, that they would come to the Door before it was dark, howling so dreadfully, that they were not without Fear in their Rooms : Yet the Chinese do not take much Pains to catch them, although they value their Skins.

But what some Chinese Books mention of the Horse-Tiger, ought to be looked-on as mere fiction. They pretend it differs from a Horse only in being covered with Scales, in having Claws which resemble a Tiger's, and in its bloody Disposition ; which in the spring makes him leave the Water to seize Men and Beasts : Yet the Missioners, who travelled along the River Han, that waters the Territory of Syang-yang-fu, in the Province of Hu-quang, where they say these Animals breed, and crossed the frightful Mountains of Yun-yang-fu, could neither see, nor hear of any such Creature, not withstanding all their Enquiry, and the Diligence of the Natives to show them every Thing worth observing.

Bears there are in abundance. In the Province of Shan-tong, there is one Species of them which the Chinese call Hyung-jin, or Men-Bears : They walk upon two Legs, their Face is like a Man's, their Beard like a Goat's. They climb the Trees nimbly to eat the Fruit ; they do no hurt, unless provoked ; but in that Case they come-down furiously, fall-upon the People, and strike two or three Times with their Tongue, carrying-away with it all the Flesh it touches. This, says our Author, is very odd : Yet Friar Antony de Santa Maria, wh saw these Animals, and John Balat, a Jesuit, who likewise had lived several Years in that Province, often affirmed it. With Regard to this Man-Bear, Du Halde only observes, that what the Chinese report of the Jin-hyang, found in the Deserts of the Province of Shen-si, ought only to be understood of the extraordinary Bigness of those Bears compared with Men ; just, says he, as the Animal called Ma-lu, or the Horse-Stag, is only a Species of Stag, which are near as high as the little Horses, named Chwen-ma, of the Provinces of Se-chwen and Yun-nan.

This last Province also breeds a Kind of Stags, to be found no-where else ; for their Size never exceeds that of ordinary Dogs : the Princes and great Men keep them in their Gardens as Curiosities. China abounds in Mules and Asses. It likewise affords many good and able Horses : Vast Numbers are continually brought thither from the Countries to the West, but they geld all. They have abundance of Pads, some very small, and finely shaped. Their Saddles differ somewhat from the Spanish.

But the most remarkable Quadrupedes to be met-with in China, are two. The first of these is a Kind of Camel, or Dromedary, no taller than an ordinary Horse, having two Bunches on his Back, covered with long Hair, which make a Sort of Saddle. The Bunch before seems to be formed by the Back-bone, and the upper-Part of the Shoulder-Bones, being bent backwards, not unlike the Bunch which the Indian Cows have on their Shoulders ; the other Bunch joins to the Buttocks. Its Neck is shorter than the common Camels, and much thicker, covered with thick Hair, as long as that of Goats : Some of them are of a yellowish Dun-colour ; others again a little upon the red and blackish in some Places. The Legs are not so long and slender, in Proportion, as those of other Camels ; so that it seems more fit to carry Burdens.

The other Animal is a Kind of Roe-Buck, called by the Chinese, Hyang-chang-tse, that is, the odoriferous Roe-Buck. This Creature is found not only in the Southern Provinces, but even in the Chain of Mountains within four or five Leagues to the West of Peking. It is a Sort of Deer without Horns, with Hair of a Blackish Colour : Its Musk-Bag is composed of a very thin Skin, covered with Hair exceeding fine : The Flesh is good to eat, and severed-up at the best Tables. When one of the Jesuits was serving his Mission in the Mountains above-mentioned, they brought him a Male and a Female, while they were yet warm and bleeding. He bought the Male for a Crown, Musk and all, (for some buy only the Flesh.) Hereupon they immediately cut-off the Bag, lest the Musk should evaporate, and tied the Top of it close with a Packthread. Those who would keep it out of Curiosity, dry it.

The Musk is generated in the inward Part of the Bag, and sticks all round it like a Kind of Salt. There are two Sorts ; but that which is in Grains, and called Tew-pan-hyang, is the most precious : The other, named Mi-hyang, is the least esteemed, because it is too small and fine. The Female produces no Musk, or at least the Matter which she yields, having the Appearance of Musk, has no Scent.

The usual Food of this Animal, as he was told, is the Flesh of Serpents ; which, though of an enormous Size, are easily killed by it : Because when they are at a certain Distance from the Roe-Buck, they are suddenly overcome with the Scent of the Musk, and grow so feeble, that they are not able to stir. This is certain, that when the Peasants go to cut Wood, or make Charcoal in the Mountains, they have no surer Way to preserve themselves from these Serpents, whose Bite is exceeding dangerous, than to carry-about them a few Grains of Musk : Being thus armed, they sleep quietly after their Dinner.

That which happened on his Return to Peking, was in some Measure a Confirmation, that the Flesh of Serpents is the principal Food of the Musk-Animal. Part of the Roe-Buck being dressed for Supper, one of those who was at Table happened to have such an Aversion to Serpents, that the bare mentioning of them, in his Presence, would make him extreamly sick. As he knew nothing of what was reported of this animal, and the Serpent, the Jesuit was very careful to say nothing at all about it, but observed his Countenance very carefully. He took some of the Roe-Buck, as others did, with a Design to eat it ; but he had no sooner put a Bit in his Mouth, than he found an extraordinary Loathing at his Stomach, and would not touch any more, while the rest eat of it very heartily.

Navarette informs us, that these Musk-Animals abound in the Provinces of Shen-fi, and Shan-fi, where they are called She. According to the Chinese Authors, it is like a small Deer in the Body, and the Hair resembles that of a Tiger, or Ounce : That when hard-pressed by the Hunters, it climbs the Rocks, where it bites-off the Musk-Bag which hangs at its Navel, thinking thus to save its Life by quitting the Treasure ; but it soon dies. This Account, he tells us, agrees with the common Opinion.

The same Author says, there is another Creature in the same Province, which differs from the former only in that it has no Bag. He adds, that this Beast is sold to eat, and that the Missioners, in their Way by Water from Peking to Kanton, bought one. The Flesh, when roasted, has so strong a Scent, that it perfumed the whole Vessel, and in eating tasted like the highest Preparation of Musk : Yet he says the Smell did not give them a Disgust to the Meat ; though if it had been stronger, there would have been no eating of it.

The Chinese talk, and write much concerning the Unicorn, which they account an Omen of Prosperity. They paint him very beautifully, and their Authors affirm, that he has the Belly of a Deer, the Feet of a Horse, and Tail like a cow's : that he is of five several Colours, the Belly yellow ; has only one Horn with Flesh about it, is two Fathom high, a merciful Beast, and the Emblem of Felicity : But all this, says Navarette, favours too much of the Fable of the Phoenix.

The same author speaks of two other strange Creatures, one called Lang, whose Fore-feet are very long, and the Hinder short. The other Pwey, or Poy, with long Hind-feet, and short Fore-feet. As neither Kind can walk by itself, the two join, making, as it were, one Beast, which moves-about by Means of the long Feet. The Chinese call miserable poor Wretches, who cannot live by their own Industry, Lang-poy, to signify, that they want some Assistance to get their Bread.

There is yet a third extraordinary Beast, called Jang, found in the Mountains of the Province of Nan-king : It is shaped like a Goat, has Ears and Nose, but no Mouth, and lives upon the Air. It must be observed, that Navarette does not relate these things as an Eye-Witness, but from the Books and Discourse of the Chinese, though he seems to believe all as Fact. Du Halde tells us, that the Missioners were not able to procure an exact Knowledge of the rare Animals, which the Chinese pretend are to be met-with in the Mountains of this Empire. He adds, that what they relate of some has such an Air of Fable, as not to deserve mention. As to the Sin-fin, continues he, by the Account which is given of it all-over Se-chwen, it seems to be a Kind of Ape : They say it is as large as a middle-sized Man, and has a greater Resemblance of the human Species, than other Apes, both on its Actions, and in the Facility with which it walks on its Hind-feet.

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Last updated on May 15, 2002 by Sylvia and Kevin.