we are deplorably ignorant; and, moreover, if our means of information
were much better than they are, our figures would merely show the
outward adherence. A fractional per-centage might tell more for one
system than a very large integral one for another.





THE TRAVELS OF FA-HIEN

or RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS



CHAPTER I

FROM CH'ANG-GAN TO THE SANDY DESERT

Fa-hien had been living in Ch'ang-gan.(1) Deploring the mutilated and
imperfect state of the collection of the Books of Discipline, in the
second year of the period Hwang-che, being the Ke-hae year of the
cycle,(2) he entered into an engagement with Kwuy-king, Tao-ching,
Hwuy-ying, and Hwuy-wei,(3) that they should go to India and seek for
the Disciplinary Rules.(4)

After starting from Ch'ang-gan, they passed through Lung,(5) and came
to the kingdom of K'een-kwei,(6) where they stopped for the summer
retreat.(7) When that was over, they went forward to the kingdom
of Now-t'an,(8) crossed the mountain of Yang-low, and reached the