Page 412 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KEEN-LUNG.
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he had not nimbly turned aside, but unfortunately the arrow
grazed on his Majesty's ear. The horse ran away, and as he
belonged to the emperor's stables the page ran after him and
took occasion to absent himself the rest of the day ; but at
he returned with his horse, and his hands to be
night causing
tied behind him like a criminal, went and kneeled at the door
of the emperor's tent to show that he threw himself at his
and himself of death.
Majesty's mercy, acknowledged worthy
The was contented with him a
emperor sending reprimand."
One day seems to have differed but little from another, and
by the .22nd October the party were back in Peking. The
on these vases or
landscape may represent Ulatay, Ulastay,
other favourite resort of the deer, and may have been painted
in commemoration of some celebrated day's hunting.
Father Ripa gives the following account of the stag call :
" The emperor took part in another species of sport unknown
in Europe and less fatiguing. He set out by night with all
the great company above mentioned, and when within two
miles of the selected for he left the and
spot sport army,
ascended to the top of a hill with six or seven hunters clothed
in stag-skins from head to foot. Here one of the hunters put
on a kind of mask resembling a stag's head with horns, and
concealed himself among the bushes in such a manner that at
first sight he might be taken for a stag, while the Emperor
and others crouched down close by, all being armed with good
to the ends of which were fixed small of
guns, pieces stag's
horn. The stags are followed by several does, which they will
not allow any other stag to approach. Early in the morning
they instinctively raise a cry of challenge ; the other stags
arrive and a fight ensues, which continues till one is slain,
when the victor takes possession of his rival's herd of does.
One of the hunters now blows an instrument, which both in
and sound much resembles those with which our
shape very
herdsmen call the swine, and which imitates the
closely belling
of the stag. At this sound the stags hasten to the hill, and
seeking their supposed rival they come within gunshot, and
meet with their death. The Emperor had the first shot,
and if he missed the was killed the huntsman.
stag quickly by
It one that at the sound of the horn not one
happened day
but two at the same time within shot and
stag only appeared