960 On the route of Fa-Man through Behar. [Sept. 



if a clearance were made more (and perfect ones) would be discovered. 

 I copied one or two which are represented (see plate). About a quar- ' 

 ter of a mile further, is a tumulus overgrown with jungle and near 

 to it remains of some extensive enclosure and buildings. This tumulus 

 may be one of the " towers" alluded to by Fa-IIian ; at this spot the 

 road has wound to the south-west, and the valley forms a large amphi- 

 theatre ; continuing for half a mile in a more southerly direction, you 

 arrive at a narrow rocky gorge and bed of a Nulla called " Ban Gunga," 

 which empties itself into the plains just beyond, at the foot of the 

 Udhaya Girri hill ; the great wall at this place is very thick and extends 

 for a considerable distance to the south ; this spot is held sacred by the 

 Hindoos who say that Bheem drove his " ban" or dart into the rock 

 upon which water rose from " patal," [the depth of the earth ;] this is 

 one of the spots visited during the triennial fair. 



Having now described the valley, &c. we must return to Fa-Hian's 

 narrative — he says : — 



" Chap. XXIX. Entering the valley and going beyond the 

 mountains fifteen li S. E. you come to the peak of " Khi-tche." At the 

 distance of three li, from the summit of this mountain there is a cave 

 facing the south. Foe sat there in meditation. At thirty paces to the 

 N. E. there is a stone grotto ; " A nan" (Ananda) sat there meditating. 

 The demon of the Heaven, " Phi siun" (ft"$3*r), changed into a vulture, 

 stopped before the cave and terrified A nan. Foe by his supernatural 

 power opened the rock, seized A nan by the arm with his hand, 

 and stayed his fear ; the traces of the bird and the hole where Foe 

 put forth his hand exist to this day. It is thus that the hill came to 

 be named " the hill of the cave of the vulture." Before the hill is the 

 throne of the four Buddhas. All the Arhans had also there every one 

 his cave, where they sat to meditate. The number of these caves is 

 several hundreds." 



With reference to the foregoing, and the notes by M. Remusat and 

 others, I first of all made every possible enquiry to little purpose, 

 except that two caves existed about seven miles distant at the eastern 

 gorge of the valley called the " Guddeh-dwar" or ass's gate before 

 alluded to, I therefore determined to examine it : having no horse and 

 it being impracticable for my palkec, I took guides and proceeded on 

 foot at four p. m. and after two hours' good walking I reached the 



