italian jesuit martino martini had visited china in the 1650s and published "novus atlas sinensis" in 1655. in the section on peking province, martini described a variety of cossetted white, long-haired and long-eared cats found in the region. the breed was once found in region around peking and probably resembled a long-haired scottish fold. his description of white, droop-eared companion cats was copied in 1673 by john ogilby and by later authors.