white felt and all kinds of jewels such as Shamans require, he joins with the body of officials in a vow to hand over these things as alms. As soon as this has been done, the various items are redeemed from the priests with money.

This country is mountainous and cold; and with the exception of wheat, no grain will grow and ripen. When the priests have received their annual (land) tithes, the mornings forthwith become frosty; therefore the king is always urging the priests to get the wheat ripe before pay-day.

This country has a spittoon which belonged to Buddha; it is made of stone and of the same colour as his alms-bowl. There is also one of Buddha's teeth, for which the people have raised a pagoda. There are over one thousand priests, all belonging to the Lesser Vehicle. From the hills eastward, the people wear coarse clothes like the Chinese, the only difference being that the former use felt and serge. The observances of the Faith by the Shamans are varied, and too numerous to be recorded here. This country is in the middle of the Bolor-Tagh range; and from this onwards all plants, trees, and fruits are different from those of China, with the exception of the bamboo, pomegranate, and sugar-cane.

From this point travelling westwards towards northern India, the pilgrims after a journey of one month succeeded in crossing the Bolor-Tagh range. On these mountains there is snow in winter and summer alike. There are also veno

mous dragons, which, if provoked, spit forth poisonous winds, rain, snow, sand, and stones. Of those who encounter these dangers not one in ten thousand escapes. The people of that part are called men of the Snow Mountains.

On passing this range the travellers were in northern India. Just at the frontier there is a small country, called Darêl, where also there are many priests, all of the Lesser Vehicle. In this country there was formerly a Lo-han who, using his divine power, carried a clever artisan up to the Tushita heavens to observe the height, complexion, and features of the Bôdhisatva Mâitrêya, so that when he came down he might carve an image of him in wood. Altogether he made three journeys for observation and afterwards executed an image eighty feet in height, the folded legs of which measured eight feet across. On fast-days it always shines with a brilliant light. The kings of near countries vie with one another in their offerings to it. From of old until now, it has been on view in this place.

Keeping to the range, the party journeyed on in a south-westerly direction for fifteen days over a difficult, precipitous, and dangerous road, the side of the mountain being like a stone wall ten thousand feet in height. On nearing the edge, the eye becomes confused; and wishing to advance, the foot finds no resting-place. Below there is a river, named Indus. The men of former times had cut away the rock to make

a way down, and had placed ladders on the side of the rock. There are seven hundred rocksteps in all; and when these and the ladders have been negotiated, the river is crossed by a suspension bridge of ropes. The two banks of the river are somewhat less than eighty paces apart. According to the "Records of the Nine Interpreters," neither Chang Chien nor Kan Ying of the Han dynasty reached this point. Various priests had asked Fa-hsien if he knew when Buddhism first went eastward; to which Fa-hsien had replied, "When I enquired of the people of those parts, they all said that according to an old tradition Shamans from India began to bring the Sûtras and Disciplines across this river from the date of setting up the image of Mâitrêya Bôdhisatva." This image was put up about three hundred years after the Nirvâna of Buddha, which occurred during the reign of king P'ing of the Chou dynasty (770-719 B.C.); hence it was said that the Great Doctrine began to spread abroad from the setting up of the image, and that but for our ghostly Master, Mâitrêya, who is to succeed Shakyamuni, who could have caused the Precious Trinity to be preached afar and foreigners to become acquainted with the Faith? Thus we know that the revelation of these mysteries was clearly not the work of man, and that the dream of the emperor, Ming Ti of the Han dynasty, was not without foundation.

Having crossed the river, the pilgrims arrived at the country of Udyâna, which lies due north of India. The language of Central India is universally used here, Central India being what they call the "Middle Kingdom." The clothes and food of the people are also very like those of our Middle Kingdom, and the religion of Buddha is extremely flourishing. They call the places where the priests live or temporarily lodge "Gardens for Assembly" or monasteries. There are altogether five hundred of them, all belonging to the Lesser Vehicle. If any wandering mendicant-priests arrive, they are found in everything for three days, after which they are told to shift for themselves. Tradition says that when Buddha came to Northern India he visited this country, and left behind him a foot-print. The foot-print appears to be long or short according to the faith in each particular person, and such remains the case up to the present day. The stone too on which Buddha dried his clothes, and the spot where he converted the wicked dragon may also still be seen. The stone is fourteen feet in height by over twenty in breadth, and one side of it is smooth. Hui-ching, Taochêng, and Hui-ta, now went on ahead towards "Buddha's Shadow" in the country of Nagarahâra. Fa-hsien and the others remained in this country for their summer retreat; and when that was over, they went down southwards to the country south of Udyâna.

In this country the religion of Buddha is also very flourishing. Of old, Indra, God of Heaven, in order to try the Bôdhisatva (as Buddha then was), caused the appearance of a kite pursuing a dove. The Bôdhisatva cut off a piece of his flesh to ransom the dove; and when he had perfected his faith and become the Buddha, wandering hither with his disciples, he said, "This is the spot where I cut off my flesh to ransom a dove." Thus the people of the country came to know it, and erected at the place a pagoda ornamented with both gold and silver.

From this point descending eastward for five days, the pilgrims arrived at the country of Gandhâra, which was governed by Fa-i, the son of king Asôka. It was here that Buddha, when a Bôdhisatva, sacrificed his eyes for a fellowcreature; and it was here too that a pagoda was erected, ornamented with both gold and silver. The people of the country belong mostly to the Lesser Vehicle.

At a distance of a seven days' journey eastward from this, there is a country named Takshasila, which in Chinese means "cutting off the head." When Buddha was a Bôdhisatva, it was here that he sacrificed his head for a fellow-creature; hence the name. After again travelling eastward for two days, the pilgrims arrived at the place where he gave his body to feed a hungry tiger. At both the above spots great pagodas were built, adorned with all the preciosities combined.