1849.] Notice of a Chinese Geographical work. 159 



the water, when the alligator spontaneously binds himself. They cut up 

 and examine him, whether the body still exist. Whosoever has got dropsy, 

 goes to the sang, and entreats a charm to deliver them from it. Hence 

 they generally revere the doctrines of Fuh. When the rich die they 

 are buried in graves. Over these erected are towers of Shih (Sakya). 



Now, there is a kind of man and woman named shi lo man. They 

 differ not from [other] men, save that their eyes have no pupils. 

 People intermarry with them and have male and female offspring. Duiing 

 the night they transform their spirits into wolves and dogs, and in con- 

 formity with the nature of these, proceed to foul places, and feed on 

 excrement. Towards dawn, they return to their soulless bodies. If, in 

 their heavy sleep, you turn their bodies, the spirit cannot return to them. 

 The women conduct business. The men amuse themselves by spurt- 

 ing lime juice on them. Tears flow in abundance from their eyes, and 

 they cannot endure it. * * * * Hence the people erect their 

 dwellings over streams, where there is facility of ablution. 



Again, there is a species of men called hung. The word hung signi- 

 fies enchanted. Swords or knifes cannot wound these. The king 

 employs them as soldiers of his guard. If they violate their duties, 

 they are fitly punished. The sang commands their transformation by 

 imprecations, and compels them to abandon their condition of hung as 

 a punishment. 



In that kingdom, many worship demons. Tradition affirms that 

 when the Three Precious Ones arrived in Tsim lo,* the inhabitants were 

 very few, and the worship of demons was predominant. These entered 

 upon a strife with the Three Precious Ones, that who should overcome, 

 should there abide. In one night each [party] completed a temple 

 and a tower. It was about dawn, and the temple of the Three Preci- 

 ous Ones was yet without a roof :f but lo! the tower of the demons was 

 complete. [The Three Precious Ones'] caused a wind to blow the tower 

 aside, and with his cloth-cap roofed in the temple. To this day that 



* Buddhism, according to M. Klaproth was diffused through Siam in A. D. 

 607, when intercourse first began between that country and China. 



f M. Klaproth translates somewhat differently : " Le lendemain celui des Trois 

 Precieux se trouvait entitlement acheve, et le toit convert de tuiles ; mais voyant que 

 le tour des demons etait egalement termine, ils exciterent un vent," &c. In the 



original the expression is, /\< ££. " not completed." 



