76 CHEISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC. Ching-Sse (the City of Gold). When the earth had been dug to the depth of a few feet, a great stone was found. It was the inscription of the luminous doctrine which has spread through the Central Empire. " This stone, which had been buried in the earth for a thousand years, was then brought to light. The inscription may be seen in the collection entitled Lieou- yu-koa-Tsi. All the characters were perfect, and there was not one damaged. In the lower part, and at the extremity, are traced a multitude of strange characters, such as are seen in the books of Fo." * Here then is no European missionary, but a learned Chinese, an archaBologist, who gives all the details of the discovery. Some Chinese books go further, and tell us what has become of the inscription, f According to their testimony, it is to be found in the Buddhist temple, named of the City of Gold, in the vicinity of Si-ngan-Fou. The great Imperial Geo- graphy contains the following passage: — " King-ching-Sse (the monastery of the City of Gold). This monastery is situated outside the western suburb of Si-ngan-Fou. It was formerly the monastery of the Sublime Humanity Tsoung-Jin-Sse, and was founded under the Thang. This monastery possesses the in- scriptions of the Pagoda of the Master of the Law, of the epoch of Thang, engraved upon sandal wood. It possesses also the inscription on stone, entitled ' In- scription upon stone of the luminous religion propagated
- The Chinese author means the Syriae characters, which he
likens, by mistake, to the Sanscrit in the Buddhist books. t See the " Universal Geography of China," 1st and 2nd edition, and the " Geography of the Province of Chen-si."
