order to finish his operations the ensuing year. He was a man of genius as well as a good soldier, and having contemplated some time. on the subject, he invented the game of Chess, as well for an amusement to his men in their vacant hours, as to inflame their military ardour, the game being wholly founded on the principles of war. The stratagem succeeded to his wish; the soldiery were delighted with the game, and forgot in their daily contests for victory the inconvenience of their post. In the spring the General took the field again, and in a few months added the rich country of Shensi to the kingdom of Kiangnan, by the defeat and capture of Choupayen, a famous warrior of the Chinese. On this conquest Hung Cochee assumed the title of Emperor, and Choupayen put an end to his own life in despair."

"As there are nine pieces instead of eight, to occupy the rear rank, they stand on the lines between, and not within the squares; the game is consequently played on the lines.

"The King or Chong stands on the middle line of this row; his moves resemble those of our King, but are confined to the fortress marked out for him.

"The two Princes, or Sou, stand on each side of him, and have equal powers and limits.

"The Mandarins, or Tchong, answer to our Bishops, and have the same moves, except that they cannot cross the water, or white space in the middle of the board, to annoy the enemy, but stand on the defensive.

"The Knights, or rather horses, called Mái, stand and move like ours in every respect.

"The War Chariots, or Tche, resemble our rooks or castles.

"The Rocket boys, or Pao, are pieces whose motions and powers are unknown to us. They act with the direction of a rocket, and can take none of their adversary's men that have not a piece or pawn intervening. To defend your men from this attack, it is necessary to open the line between either, to take off the check on the King, or to save a man from being captured by the Pao. Their operation is otherwise like that of the rook, their stations are marked between the pieces and the pawns.

"The five Pawns, or Ping, make up the number of men equal to that of our board (¿.e., sixteen). Instead of taking sideways like ours, they have the rook's motion, except that it is limited to one step and is not retrograde. Another important point in which the Ping differs from ours, is that they continue in statu quo after reaching their adversary's head quarters. It will appear, however, that the Chinese pieces far exceed the proportion of ours, which occasions the whole force of the contest to fall on them, and thereby precludes the beauty and variety of our game, when reduced to a struggle between

the pawns, who are capable of the highest promotion, and often change the fortune of the day. The posts of the Ping are marked in front."

So far Mr Irwin. His account being, according to my apprehension, indistinct and incomplete, and to my knowledge in some respects erroneous, I have been induced to make further inquiries on the subject, the result of which, I hope, will supply his deficiencies, or at least give us a more accurate idea of the Chinese game.

The game is called by the Chinese Choke-choo-hong-ki, literally the play of the science of war.

The piece 1, which we call the King, is named Choohong, which may be rendered the scientific in war, or generalissimo; he moves one pace at a time in any direction, the same as our King, but within the limits of his fort.

The two pieces of next rank, No. 2. 2. are called Sou by the Chinese, which literally means bearded old men, or men of great experience in war. These are supposed to act as counsellors to the Choohong, and have precisely the same moves and powers as the Chekoy in the Burmha, or Vizier in the Persian game, except that they are confined to the limits of the fort with the Choohong.

The two pieces, No. 3. 3. erroneously named Mandarins by Mr Irwin, are called Tchong by the Chinese, which means an elephant; and they have precisely the same moves and powers as the elephant in the Persian and modern Hindoostanee game. That is, they move diagonally in advance or retrograde, always two steps at a move; but the Chinese Tchong has not the power of jumping over the head of an intermediate piece as the Persian elephant does; neither can it advance beyond the limits of its own section, for a reason I shall assign below.

The two pieces, No. 4. 4. are called Mái by the Chinese, meaning horse or cavalry; they have precisely the same moves and powers as

"As there are nine pieces instead of eight, to occupy the rear rank, they stand on the lines between, and not within the squares; the game is consequently played on the lines.

"The King or Chong stands on the middle line of this row; his moves resemble those of our King, but are confined to the fortress marked out for him.

"The two Princes, or Sou, stand on each side of him, and have equal powers and limits.

"The Mandarins, or Tchong, answer to our Bishops, and have the same moves, except that they cannot cross the water, or white space in the middle of the board, to annoy the enemy, but stand on the defensive.

"The Knights, or rather horses, called Mái, stand and move like ours in every respect.

"The War Chariots, or Tche, resemble our rooks or castles.

"The Rocket boys, or Pao, are pieces whose motions and powers are unknown to us. They act with the direction of a rocket, and can take none of their adversary's men that have not a piece or pawn intervening. To defend your men from this attack, it is necessary to open the line between either, to take off the check on the King, or to save a man from being captured by the Pao. Their operation is otherwise like that of the rook, their stations are marked between the pieces and the pawns.

"The five Pawns, or Ping, make up the number of men equal to that of our board (ie., sixteen). Instead of taking sideways like ours, they have the rook's motion, except that it is limited to one step and is not retrograde. Another important point in which the Ping differs from ours, is that they continue in statu quo after reaching their adversary's head quarters. It will appear, however, that the Chinese pieces far exceed the proportion of ours, which occasions the whole. force of the contest to fall on them, and thereby precludes the beauty and variety of our game, when reduced to a struggle between

the pawns, who are capable of the highest promotion, and often change the fortune of the day. The posts of the Ping are marked in front."

So far Mr Irwin. His account being, according to my apprehension, indistinct and incomplete, and to my knowledge in some respects erroneous, I have been induced to make further inquiries on the subject, the result of which, I hope, will supply his deficiencies, or at least give us a more accurate idea of the Chinese game.

The game is called by the Chinese Choke-choo-hong-ki, literally the play of the science of war.

The piece 1, which we call the King, is named Choohong, which may be rendered the scientific in war, or generalissimo; he moves one pace at a time in any direction, the same as our King, but within the limits of his fort.

The two pieces of next rank, No. 2. 2. are called Sou by the Chinese, which literally means bearded old men, or men of great experience in war. These are supposed to act as counsellors to the Choohong, and have precisely the same moves and powers as the Chekoy in the Burmha, or Vizier in the Persian game, except that they are confined to the limits of the fort with the Choohong.

The two pieces, No. 3. 3. erroneously named Mandarins by Mr Irwin, are called Tchong by the Chinese, which means an elephant; and they have precisely the same moves and powers as the elephant in the Persian and modern Hindoostanee game. That is, they move diagonally in advance or retrograde, always two steps at a move; but the Chinese Tchong has not the power of jumping over the head of an intermediate piece as the Persian elephant does; neither can it advance beyond the limits of its own section, for a reason I shall assign below.

The two pieces, No. 4. 4. are called Mái by the Chinese, meaning horse or cavalry; they have precisely the same moves and powers as