1837.] and on the Progress of Buddhism to the Eastward. 7 



determined to make a brazen image of it. One of the workmen em- 

 ployed in casting the image, offended one of the kings, who struck him 

 and wounded his forefinger. The power of fate following this act of 

 the king, destroyed one of the fingers of the image. This king pro- 

 posed to replace it, but one of the priests dissuaded him, and by his 

 knowledge of futurity prophesied that at some future time the statue 

 should be conveyed on the great sea (the bay of Bengal), to the extre- 

 mity of its waters, where a great king should replace the deficient 

 finger. 



" In the year 700 of the Buddhist era, there was a mighty monarch 

 governing Siam, whose capital was Sookcoty ; his fame extended from 

 the Ganges to China, and from the extreme north to the ocean (gulf of 

 Siam). He had heard of this famous image in Ceylon, and wished to 

 sacrifice to it : and to effect this he employed the rajah of Ligore to 

 send an embassy and beg it of the Ceylonese king. That king being 

 reminded of the ancient prophecy consented. On the passage back, 

 the ship was sunk, and all the seamen perished? but the image, pos- 

 sessed of innate glory (which is proved at large in the Buddhist books), 

 floated towards the country of Ligore, seated on the back of the great 

 Ocean (bay of Bengal). The rajah, admonished of the fact by a 

 taywadah, w 7 ho appeared to him in a dream, sent vessels to receive it, 

 and prepared a great abundance of offerings (which, after being pre- 

 sented, he w r as careful to take away). The image being so graciously 

 received, made a display of its wonderful power, by rising of itself, 

 and floating about in the air. Astonished at this, the rajah hastened 

 to inform the monarch of Siam, who after innumerable offerings con- 

 veyed it to his capital." It may be remarked that the idol was re- 

 ceived at Ligore, where mention is made by Leyden, of a very ancient 

 temple alluded to in the early part of this note. 



The Siamese, according to Leyden, have also traditions that their 

 religion was introduced from Laos; but until the ancient records of 

 this nation and of the T'hay J'hay tribe can be examined, we must be 

 content with the inference that they were indebted for their religion 

 to Ceylon, about the 2d century of the Christian era. 



Laos, Cambodia, Cochin China, and Tonquin. Regarding its intro- 

 duction into the countries lying between Siam and China, viz. Laos, 

 Cambodia, Cochin China and Tonquin, little is known. The records 

 and sacred languages of these singular countries, are yet desiderata. 

 Leyden* states, that it is in the country of Lan or Laos, that all the 

 celebrated founders of the religion of Buddha are represented to 

 have left their most remarkable vestiges. Ceylon boasts of the sacied 

 traces of the left foot of Buddha, on the top of the mountain Amdla- 



* Dissertation on the Languages and Literature of the Indo Chinese nations, p. 104, 



