arable land belonging to the crown, where the Heir Apparent sat under a tree and watched men ploughing. Fifty li to the east of the city was a royal garden, called Lumbinî; and here the queen having entered the pool to bathe, came out on the north side, and after walking twenty paces, raised her hands and grasped the branch of a tree. Then, facing the east, she brought forth the Heir Apparent. On reaching the ground, the Heir Apparent walked seven steps, and two dragon-kings washed his body. At the place of washing, a well was afterwards made; and also from the above-mentioned bathing-pool, the priests of to-day are accustomed to get their drinking-water.

In all, Buddha has four places which will ever be remembered: (1) where he became a Buddha; (2) where he began to turn the wheel of the Faith; (3) where he expounded the Faith by discussion, thereby routing heretics; and (4) where he came down after going up to heaven to expound the Faith to his mother. Other spots have been noted from time to time in accordance with the happenings thereat.

The country of Kapilavastu is desolate and barren, with very few inhabitants. On the roads, white elephants and lions are to be feared; travellers must not be incautious.

Travelling eastwards five yôjanas from Buddha's birth-place, there is a country called Râma-grâma, the king of which obtained a share

(one-eighth) of the relics from Buddha's corpse, and returning home, built a pagoda, known as the Râma pagoda. By the side of this there is a pool, and in the pool there is a dragon which is always guarding the pagoda and making offerings day and night. When king Asôka went into the world, he wished to destroy the eight pagodas (over the eight relics) and build eightyfour thousand (one for each atom of Buddha's body). Having already destroyed seven, he next wished to destroy this one; but the dragon became bodily visible, and led him into the building. Then when the king had seen the instrumental parts of the offerings made, the dragon addressed him, saying, "If you can worship more efficiently than this, you may destroy it." Leading the king away, the dragon continued, "I will not contend with you"; and the king, knowing that such instrumental parts were not of this world, returned home.

The place becoming rank with vegetation, and without any one to sprinkle or sweep, a herd of elephants took to bringing water for sprinkling the ground in their trunks and also making offerings of various flowers and incense at the pagoda. A Buddhist of this country, wishing to worship at the pagoda, when he came across the elephants, was very much afraid and hid himself behind the trees. Then beholding the elephants making offerings in accordance with the Faith, this Buddhist was overcome with sorrow that

there was here no monastery from which offerings might be made at this pagoda, so that the sprinkling and sweeping devolved upon elephants. Thereupon he gave up his secular (Five) Commandments, and returning home became a deacon (accepting the Ten Commandments), himself cutting down the grass and shrubs, levelling the ground, and making it neat and clean. He further persuaded the king to make a dwelling-place for priests, and when completed he became abbot. There is now a monastery in which priests are in residence. The above events are quite recent; and from the date of their occurrence until now, a deacon has always been chosen as abbot.

From this point going three yôjanas to the east, there is the spot where the Heir Apparent sent back Chandaka, his charioteer, and his white horse, and where a pagoda has been built.

Travelling four yôjanas to the east, the pilgrims arrived at the Charcoal Pagoda, where also there is a monastery; and twelve yôjanas farther on in the same direction, they came to the city of Kusanagara. To the north of the city where, between two trees, on the bank of the (southern) Hiranya, the World-Honoured One, with his head to the north, passed away; where Subhadra was converted in his last moments; where in his golden coffin offerings were made for seven days to the World-Honoured One; where Vajrapâni discarded his Diamond Club; and where the

eight kings divided the remains of Buddha's cremated body;-at these places pagodas have been built, as well as monasteries, all of which exist to this day. In this city, too, the inhabitants are few and scattered, and are only such as are connected with the priesthood.

From this point going twelve yôjanas to the south-east, the pilgrims arrived at the place where the Vâisâli chiefs wished to pass away with Buddha, but He would not hear of it. Longing to be with Buddha, they refused to depart; whereupon Buddha caused a great gully to pass between himself and them, which they could not cross. Then He gave them his almsbowl as a token, and sent them away to their homes. A stone pillar has been put up, with these facts inscribed thereon.

From this point travelling five yôjanas to the east, the pilgrims arrived at the country of Vâisâli (now Besârh). To the north of the capital there is a large forest and a shrine in two sections where Buddha once dwelt, and also a pagoda built over half of the body of Ananda. Inside the city there is the pagoda, still in existence, which the courtesan, Amradârikâ, built in honour of Buddha. Three li to the south of the city, on the west side of the road, there is the garden which Amradârikâ presented to Buddha for a dwelling-place. When Buddha was about to pass away, and had issued with his disciples out of the west gate of the city, He turned

himself round to the right, and beholding the city of Vâisâli, said to the disciples "This is the last place I shall visit." Men of later ages have built a pagoda on the spot.

Three li to the north-west of the city there is a pagoda, called "Arms Discarded," the origin of which name was as follows. On the upper Ganges there was a king whose concubine had been delivered of an unformed foetus. The queen in her jealousy said, "Your delivery is a bad omen," and accordingly enclosed it in a wooden box and threw it into the Ganges. Lower down the stream another king was taking a stroll when he saw on the water the wooden box. He opened it and found inside a thousand small boys, well-formed and of striking appearance. The king at once took them and brought them up as his adopted sons; and when they were full-grown they were very brave and strong, so that whenever they went to war their enemies were invariably compelled to submit. Subsequently, they attacked the country of the king, their real father, at which he was overwhelmed with sorrow. The concubine, their mother, asked him what was the cause of his sorrow; to which he replied, "The king of that country has a thousand sons, brave and strong beyond compare, and they wish to come and attack my country; that is why I am sorrowful." The concubine said, "Do not grieve, but put up a lofty platform on the eastern wall of the city,