In the spring of 1909 the writer had the honor of being a guest for a
week in the summer home of Dr. W. A. P. Martin, near Peking. Many
residents of the Capital during the decade preceding the Revolution,
and for a number of years before that, knew “Pearl Grotto” and visited
the venerable senior missionary of China, then lately retired from the
Presidency of the Imperial Tung Wen College.
Dr. Martin was a scholar of the old school and enjoyed few pursuits
better than that of reviewing his remarkable memory of the classical
writers. During the meals the old gentleman, then nearly eighty, would
quote readily from Homer, Horace, and Virgil, and would ask his guest
to translate the passages freely into English and to cite the books and
chapters quoted.
After a few days in this uncomfortable situation the guest began to
cast about for some means of relief. At that time he had been in the
country but a few months, and was just beginning a general study of
Chinese art. The dragon, among other objects of interest, particularly
attracted his attention. It occurred to him to ask Dr. Martin some
questions about this creature whose form was so popular with the
Chinese. Accordingly a carefully prepared list of six or seven
questions about the dragon was launched one morning across the
breakfast table before the attack of Greek and Latin began. The first
question met with a noncommittal reply, the second fared little better,
and so on to the end. Then Dr. Martin admitted that this was one of the
subjects about which he knew very little. He was, however, very warm in
his desire to help find answers to these questions, and he referred his
guest to his personal friend, Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector General of
the Imperial Customs, who had also lived fifty years in China.
Unfortunately Sir Robert’s replies were as vague as those of the
retired Professor. The questions which were asked of these two eminent
Sinologues were also submitted to several other British and Americans
in Peking, and later to many Chinese, but with similar results.
It soon became evident that if the searcher for light on “Things
Chinese” were to learn much about this creature which had challenged
his attention, he must look it up from original sources. He was later
convinced of this fact when he found it impossible to secure any
satisfactory information from books published in English. He then
resolved that before he himself was fifteen years in the country he
would have answers to the seven questions which he had asked of his
friends in Peking. The contents of this brochure are the results of a
study made in ten provinces of China over a period of fourteen years.
While this volume is not offered as the final word upon this subject,
it probably represents the most exhaustive study thus far given to the
Chinese dragon.
This book is not intended primarily for Sinologues and it contains no
Chinese characters. The volume is written for the average reader, who
in his study of things Chinese, has little time to go to original
sources. Most people do not wish to be burdened with long quotations to
prove abstract hypotheses or to have Chinese characters inserted in the
text repeatedly to break the sequence.
If later interest in this subject justifies it, a larger work will be
attempted and a more detailed presentation of the material thus far
collected will be made. The writer’s purpose in this book has been to
make as clear a statement of the subject as could be done within the
compass of a small book, without introducing unnecessary material. If
he has succeeded in this endeavor, he will be more than gratified.