Ebook The History of Gambling in England

The Chinese and Indian games of skill, such as Chess, are of great antiquity; but, perhaps, the oldest game is that of Enclosing, called Wei hi in Chinese, and Go in Japanese It is said to have been invented by the Emperor Yao, 2300 bc. But the earliest record of the game is in 300 b.c. It is a game; like Kmeg spi,el a game of war. There are not only typical representatives of the various arms, but the armies themselves, some 200 men on each side; they form encampments, and furnish them with defences; and they slay, not merely a single man, as in other games, but, frequently, hosts of men. There is no record of its being a gambling game, but the modern Chinese is an inveterate gambler.