1848.] through Afghanistan and India. 31 



Immortal." In the F. K. K. — note 7. p. 307, Klaproth gives Hwan 

 Thsang's details at length, from which it would appear that the temple 

 was on the bank of the Barna river. Following the distance and bearing 

 before mentioned the temple must have stood near the village of Secrole 

 or Sikror, where the panch-kosa or "five-kos" route of pilgrims crosses 

 the high road to Ghazipur. In that part of the panch-kosa there are 

 numerous fragments of Buddhist sculpture and architecture. But the 

 ruins around Sdrndth offer a much more probable position, as the re_ 

 mains of three existing topes correspond with the three that were erected 

 on spots rendered sacred by three events in Sakya's life. These spots 

 were 1st. That where Buddha seated himself and began to turn the 

 wheel of the law. 2nd. That where he related his history to Mi-le or 

 Mei-tha-li-ye (Maitreya) ; and third. That where the serpent I-lo- 

 po asked Buddha at what period he should get rid of his serpent body. 

 Of the three existing topes only two have names. The largest is called 

 Sdrndth which is probably a contraction of Sdranggandtha ■J^rtFTTO the 

 " Lord of Deer" a meaning which, if correct, must refer to the " cerfs 

 de 1' Immortal" of Fa Hian. I cannot help suspecting that Hwan 

 Thsang's temple was this very Stupa : for he states that the temple was 

 more than 200 feet in height, and that the foundation was of stone and 

 the superstructure of brick. Now this is a very accurate description of 

 Sarnath, of which the lower half is of stone and the upper half of brick ; 

 the height being nearly 130 feet above the country. With a gilt arrow 

 on the top, such as the temple is said to have borne, the height would 

 have been fully 200 feet. The second existing tope, 2500 feet due S. 

 of Sdrndth is called Chokandi : but this name refers properly to an 

 octagonal on its summit with four door ways, which was built in honor 

 of the Emperor Humayun having once seated himself there. The third 

 tope, situated 520 feet due W. of Sarnath has no name now ; but it is 

 that which was half pulled down by Jagat Singh, the Dewan of Cheit 

 Singh, Raja of Benares, to furnish materials for the walls of a tank in 

 Jagat-ganj. The relics found in it were transmitted by Mr. Duncan to 

 the Asiatic Society : but they are no longer forthcoming, which is 

 very much to be regretted, for as the transcript published by Wilford 

 gives one third part of the formula of Ye dharmma, &c. incorrectly, the 

 probability is that the same proportion of the long inscription has been 

 read incorrectly. Wilford in his usual loose manner always refers this 

 inscription to the Sdrndth tope, but without any reason, further than 



