covered with spotless drapery, etc.[1] The King with all his ministers make their offerings according to rite. It may last for one,[2] two, or three months, and is generally in the spring. The King, when the assembly is over, further bids all his ministers arrange offerings for presentation,[3] which may last one, two, three, or five days. When all the offerings have been made, the King takes his own horse, saddle, and bridle, with those ridden by his prime minister and high officials;[4] also much white cloth and all kinds of jewels, such as the Shamans require, and together with his ministers vows to give these things as alms (to the Shamans.) When they have been given as alms, they are redeemed from the priests with money. This country is mountainous and cold. With the exception of wheat no grain will grow and ripen. When the priests have “gathered in their harvest[5] (or,
- ↑ Mr. Beal's translation of the last two sentences is :-" They then proceed to decorate the priests' session-place with silken flags and canopies. (In the midst) they erect a draped throne adorned with gold and silver lotus flowers, and behind it they arrange the seats for the priests.” The text runs thus: 處懸繪掩蓋作金銀蓮華著繪座後鋪爭坐具, It is a very difficult passage.
- ↑ Mr. Beal follows Klaproth and makes - the first mouth of the year. This translation is unquestionably wrong.
- ↑ A second ceremony in which the King takes no part.
- ↑ A most unsatisfactory passage, of which we do not profess to have found the translation, but only a guess at the meaning. Mr. Beal, however, trips lightly through it as usual, without hinting at its obscurity. We gladly transfer it to the ingenious reader :- 王以所乘馬鞍自副使國中貴重臣勝之 × × × × 發願布施,
- ↑ We quote Mr. Beal's translation, which is based on Rémusat's. having nothing better to offer ; but we only accept it under protest, The text reads are the one. Now is often means harvest, but ä does not mean to collect it. iu the is to gather in (a harvest).
