962 On the route of Fa -hi an through Behar. [Sept, 



Now if we take the distance of four yojuns to Kia-ye (Gaya) 

 modern Gaya would answer, but if we are guided by the direction, it 

 is too much to the southward of west, if on the other hand we be 

 guided by the bearing and less by the distance, we should decide that 

 by "Kia-ye" was meant the ancient Gaya now known as " Ram Gya," 

 which is on the west or right bank of the Phulgo and a mile to the 

 north of the Barabur hills. There is a tradition that all ceremonies were 

 formerly performed here ; a fair is held in the month of April, at which 

 still, the lower casts perform the " Pind" or ceremony of offering the 

 funeral cake. Hoolasgunge, which is further east, consequently nearer 

 the distance given (of four yojuns) is by some supposed to have been 

 ancient Gaya, (see Buchanan, Vol. I. p. 100.) It is strange that Fa-Hian 

 mentions neither the Phulgo (or Mohana) nor its branch stream which, 

 had he gone to Ram-Gya, he must have crossed ; it is also remarkable 

 that he does not allude to the Barabur caves or hills, places which 

 must have been of note even in his time, however, it is possible that 

 they were in possession of heretics or of Hindus, for from the later 

 inscriptions we learn that Sardula Varma, Annund Varma, &c. appro- 

 priated the caves and set up brahmanical images, the same reason may 

 be assigned, for no mention being made of Kundilpur or Burgaon, but 

 let us now turn to the south. 



" Going to the south twenty li, you come to where the Phou-sa 

 spent six years in mortifications ; the place is woody. Thence 

 going three li to the west you come to where Foe descended into 

 the water to bathe ; the gods held branches of trees over him 

 when coming out of the pool (or tank). Two li further to the 

 north, you come to the place where the young women of secluded fami- 

 lies offered Foe rice and milk : thence to the north two li more, to where 

 Foe' sat on a stone, turned to the east, under a great tree ; the tree 

 and the stone exist to this day. The stone is six feet long and six broad. 

 In the kingdom of the middle (Magadha) the temperature is so equa- 

 ble that trees last several thousand years, even ten thousand." 



We now come to the most perplexing part of our pilgrim's narrative, 

 for not only do his bearings but his distances puzzle us, the indiscri- 

 minate use of li and yojun is one cause.* Now if Iloolasgunje or 



• With regard to the length of the yojuna, we must not expect to find extreme preci- 

 sion in the narrative of Fa-hian. That traveller no douht set down his distances from 



