far as the eye can reach in order to mark the track, it would be impossible to succeed but for the rotting bones of dead men which point the way. After travelling seventeen days, about 1,500 li, they arrived at the country of Shan-shan.[1]
CHAPTER II.
This land is rugged and barren. The clothes of the people are coarse, like those of the Chinese, the only difference being that they use felt and serge.[2] The King of the country is a convert[3] to Buddhism. There may be some 4,000 priests, all belonging to the Lesser Development.[4] The religion of India is universal among the people and Shamans[5] of these[6] kingdoms: but there are distinctions of refinement and coarseness (in their practice of it). From this point travelling westwards, the nations that one passes through are all the same in this respect, except that the Tartar dialects they speak are
- ↑ "At present called the desert of Makhaï." Beal.
- ↑ This 褐 is still commonly used in Peking by the working classes. Peking carters are often called 車褐子
- ↑ Mr. Beal has "well affected to;" but 奉法 is stronger than that. Cf. 奉敎 used in the present day for actual conversion to Christianity.
- ↑ "La petite translation consiste dans la morale et le culte extérieur." Rémusat. The Hinayana.
- ↑ Ascetics.
- ↑ The word 諸 chu, all, frequently precedes 國 in this narrative with the meaning we have here given to it.
rather a hindrance than an aid to the student of the text. He has avoided the difficulties of construction by giving a not over correct paraphrase.
