In the following pages I submit a translation of the Chinese inscriptions engraved on the noble bronze image or statue of the Amida Buddha, which is the glory of the Musée Cernuschi, together with some particulars descriptive and historical. I have, however, paid little attention to Buddhism, and the few explanations of Buddhist terms I offer must be regarded as merely tentative. One object of the present paper is to elicit information on the many points of interest suggested by the inscriptions from members of the Society who are versed in things Buddhist.

Much, of what I shall say to-day will be familiar to those members of the Society who have lived in Northern India. A good deal has been written about Tulasī Dāsa, but it has always been addressed to a comparatively small audience—those directly interested in the details of modern Indian folk-religion. I therefore gladly take this opportunity of repeating on a larger stage what has been said before. Tulasī Dāsa is surely deserving of more notice than is usually bestowed upon him in histories of the development of the religious idea in India. He was not merely a reformer who stirred the emotions of his contemporaries and then went his way. He wields greater influence at the present day than when he died two centuries ago. Modern Hinduism has many forms and many beliefs, and yet the character of every Hindu of Upper India has been moulded in part by his teaching.

Although the religion founded by Mohammed is called by strangers after his name, its followers designate it differently. There is indeed a name which rarely occurs, ḥammādūna, which is applied to them, and which indirectly, at least, is connected with the name of the Prophet. That word signifies “Those who utter the formula ‘Praise be to God,’” and this formula (al-ḥamdu lillāhi) has some connection with the Prophet's name, which was interpreted by his contemporaries as ‘the greatly to be praised.’

(1) Hence backward (or ‘after’) away from here they fly:— hence the daēva Demons and the daēva's friend, [and the daēva-worshipper]!

(2); and he who is the good Srōš makes (here) his dwelling; [that is to say, for him there becomes a lodging here].

The Chinese pilgrims tell us that a stūpa was erected over the “relics of the entire body” of Kāśyapa Buddha at a place which Fa-hian names To-wai, and locates 50 li to the west, or according to Yuan Chwang, who does not name the town, at a distance of 16 li (the Life gives 60 li) to the north-west, of SravastI city. Both pilgrims, therefore, agree in placing the stūpa of Kāśyapa Buddha to the westward of Śrāvastī city.

Many years ago, in a paper read before the Asiatic Society of Bengal, attention was drawn by me to the resemblance borne by the ‘cup-marks’ found in India to the archaic sculpturings of Europe, described by the late Sir James Simpson and other writers on the subject, and certain theories were advanced regarding the possible significance of these markings.

It has long been a puzzle to me that no coins of the two great emperors Vikramāditya and Harsha Vardhana should have survived, when we have, in comparatively large numbers, coins of most minor kings before and after them. I believe, however, that coins of these two emperors do exist, though they have not been recognized hitherto. My attention was drawn to them recently, while writing a sketch of the ancient history of India.