The metathesis of Noghai-chi into Kuni-chi is the only drawback to this otherwise apt solution.  We generally shall find Polo’s Oriental words much more accurately expressed than this would imply—­as in the next chapter.  I have hazarded a suggestion of (Or.  Turkish) Chong-lt-chi, “Keeper of the Big Dogs,” which Professor Vambery thinks possible. (See “chong, big, strong,” in his Tschagataische Sprachstudien, p. 282, and note in Lord Strangford’s Selected Writings, II. 169.) In East Turkestan they call the Chinese Chong Kafir, “The Big Heathen.”  This would exactly correspond to the rendering of Pipino’s Latin translation, “hoc est canum magnorum Praefecti.” Chinuchi again would be (in Mongol) “Wolf-keepers.”  It is at least possible that the great dogs which Polo terms mastiffs may have been known by such a name.  We apply the term Wolf-dog to several varieties, and in Macbeth’s enumeration we have—­

  ——­“Hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
  Shoughs, water rugs, and Demi-Wolves.”

Lastly the root-word may be the Chinese Kiuen “dog,” as Pauthier says.  The mastiffs were probably Tibetan, but may have come through China, and brought a name with them, like Boule-dogues in France.

[Palladius (p. 46) says that Chinuchi or Cunici “have no resemblance with any of the names found in the Yuen shi, ch. xcix., article Ping chi (military organisation), and relating to the hunting staff of the Khan, viz.:  Si pao ch’i (falconers), Ho r ch’i (archers), and Ke lien ch’i (probably those who managed the hounds).”—­H.  C.]

CHAPTER XX.

HOW THE EMPEROR GOES ON A HUNTING EXPEDITION.

After he has stopped at his capital city those three months that I mentioned, to wit, December, January, February, he starts off on the 1st day of March, and travels southward towards the Ocean Sea, a journey of two days.[NOTE 1] He takes with him full 10,000 falconers, and some 500 gerfalcons besides peregrines, sakers, and other hawks in great numbers; and goshawks also to fly at the water-fowl.[NOTE 2] But do not suppose that he keeps all these together by him; they are distributed about, hither and thither, one hundred together, or two hundred at the utmost, as he thinks proper.  But they are always fowling as they advance, and the most part of the quarry taken is carried to the Emperor.  And let me tell you when he goes thus a-fowling with his gerfalcons and other hawks, he is attended by full 10,000 men who are disposed in couples; and these are called Toscaol, which is as much as to say, “Watchers.”  And the name describes their business.[NOTE 3] They are posted from spot to spot, always in couples, and thus they cover a great deal of ground!  Every man of them is provided with a whistle and hood, so as to be able to call in a hawk and hold it in hand.  And when the Emperor makes a cast, there is no need that he follow it up, for those men I speak of keep so good a look out that they never lose sight of the birds, and if these have need of help they are ready to render it.