210 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



by the old and expensive way of recarbonizing the iron. The 

 analysis would not show the presence of the manganese, and the 

 art of mixing for Bessemer steel could easily become one of the 

 lost arts. It is imagined something of the kind occurred in 

 the mixing of the ingredients of the ancient Chinese bronzes. 

 For ornamental objects only beauty would be considered, and 

 the value of the metals would not enter into the matter — only 

 what would give the finest results — I mean whether they put in 

 much or little of the precious metals. 



In the two images of Buddha we have before us you will 

 notice there is a complete absence of tool-marks — in fact, it is. 

 I think, safe to say no tool has been near them. They appear 

 exactly alike at first glance, as though they had come out of 

 the same mould : but on a closer examination there are seen 

 differences innumerable, and it is a tribute to the beautiful work- 

 manship of the Chinese artisans that they should appear so 

 nearly exact as to deceive one. Their method of making a 

 casting was this : The pattern was first made in wax over a 

 core — that is, the wax was the thickness of the metal required — 

 and was then given its exact and beautiful finish ; it was after- 

 wards put in a plaster or clay mould, and when that was set 

 a hole was made through the plaster into the wax, and then put 

 into a heated oven : the wax ran out and left the mould empty. 

 The core was held in place by stays of iron wire. After cooling, 

 the molten metal was poured in, and the mould had to be 

 smashed to get the figure. This process was known as cire perdu 

 (lost wax). You thus see that only one impression was possible. 

 and to make another the whole process had to be gone over 

 again — the wax pattern to be made afresh, and the plaster mould. 

 It was expensive, but the result was beautiful. In the present 

 day castings are never made in one piece, but in several, which 

 are afterwards united by heating and the application of fused 

 metal. 



Most representations of Buddha are as we see these — cross- 

 legged, with the soles of the feet turned up. Sven Hedin, perhaps 

 the greatest traveller in Tibet, speaking of the great seated 

 Buddha of Lhassa, says he is seated European fashion— that 

 is, with his legs down. This is the reincarnated Buddha, and 

 the tradition is suggestive, and appeals to us more than perhaps 

 any other Buddhist legend — that the end of the present age will 

 be in the hands of the Pilings or western foreigner. There have 

 lieen twenty-four legendary Buddhas who immediately preceded 

 Gautama, and the next is the Europeanised Buddha who is 

 thus shown in the fashion of western civilisation. 



The word 'Buddha"' is always used in the ancient Pali 

 texts as a title, not as a name, and means " enlightened." The 



