but I could not hear of the existence of any cave in this hill. Fa-Hian calls it "Hill of the Vulture's Cave," and notes that there were also several hundreds of caves of the Arhans in which they sat to meditate. I presume that these were small rooms built against the cliff, and that the walls having fallen down, the names have been forgotten. The joint authority of the two pilgrims is too strong to be doubted; and future research will perhaps discover some remains of these once holy cave-dwellings.

Rájagriha.

The new town of Rajagriha is placed by Fa-Hian at 4 li, or two-thirds of a mile, to the north of the old town, which agrees exactly with the position of the ruined fortress now called Rajgir.

The new town of Râjagriha is said to have been built by King Srenika, otherwise called Bimbisára, the father of Ajátasatru, the contemporary of Buddha. Its foundation cannot therefore be placed later than 560 B.C. according to Buddhist chronology. In Hwen Thsang's time (A.D. 629-642), the outer walls had already become ruinous, but the inner walls were still standing and occupied a circuit of 20 li (3 miles). This statement corresponds tolerably well with the measurements of my survey, which make the circuit of the ramparts somewhat less than 3 miles. Buchanan calls new Râjagriha an irregular pentagon of 12,000 yards in diameter. This is clearly a misprint for 1200 yards, which would give a circuit of 11,300 feet, or 2 miles; but this was probably the interior measurement, which, according to my survey, is 13,000 feet. The plan of new Râjagriha I make out to be

an irregular pentagon of one long side and four nearly equal sides, the whole circuit being 14,260 feet outside the ditches, or rather less than 3 miles.

On the south side towards the hills a portion of the interior, 2000 feet long and 1500 feet broad, has been cut off to form a citadel. The stone walls retaining the earthen ramparts of this work are still in good order in many places. It is possible that this work may be of later date, as suggested by Buchanan, but I am of opinion that it was simply the citadel of the new town, and that its walls have suffered less from the effects of time, owing partly to their having been more carefully and more massively built than the less important ramparts of the town, and partly to their having been occasionally repaired as a military position by the authorities, while the repairs of the town walls were neglected as being either unnecessary or too costly.

Nálanda.

Due north from Râjgîr and 7 miles distant lies the village of Baragaon, which is quite surrounded by ancient tanks and ruined mounds, and which possesses finer and more numerous specimens of sculpture than any other place that I visited. The ruins of Baragaon are so immense, that Dr. Buchanan was convinced it must have been the usual residence of the king; and he was informed by a Jain priest at Bihâr, that it was the residence of Raja Srenika and his ancestors. By the Brahmans these ruins are said to be the remains of Kundilpur, a city famed as the birthplace of Rukmini, one of the wives of Krishna. But as Rukmini was the daughter of Raja Bhishma, of Vidar

bha, or Berâr, it seems probable that the Brahmans have mistaken Berâr for Bihâr, which is only 7 miles distant from Baragaon. I therefore doubt the truth of this Brahmanical tradition, more especially as I can show beyond all doubt that the remains at Baragaon are the ruins of Nâlanda, the most famous seat of Buddhist learning in all India.

Fa-Hian places the hamlet of Nalo at 1 yojana, or 7 miles, from the Hill of the Isolated Rock, that is from Giryek, and also the same distance from new Râjagriha. This account agrees exactly with the position. of Baragaon, with respect to Giryek and Râjgîr. In the Pali annals of Ceylon also, Nâlanda is stated to be 1 yojana distant fron Râjagriha. Again, Hwen Thsang describes Nâlanda as being 7 yojanas, or 49 miles, distant from the holy Pipal-tree at Buddha Gaya,† which is correct if measured by the road, the direct distance measured on the map being 40 miles. He also describes it as being about 30 li, or 5 miles, to the north of new Râjagriha. This distance and direction also correspond with the position of Baragaon, if the distance be measured from the most northerly point of the old ramparts. Lastly, in two inscriptions, which I discovered on the spot, the place itself is called Nâlanda.

Fa-Hian makes Nâlanda the birthplace of Sâriputra, who was the right-hand disciple of Buddha; but this statement is not quite correct, as we learn from the more detailed account of Hwen Thsang that Sâriputra was born at Kalapináka, about halfway between Nalanda and Indra-Sila-Guha, or about 4 miles to the southcast of the former place. Nâlanda has also been called

Beal's 'Fah-Hian,' c. xxviii. p. 111.

† Julien's Hiouen Thsang,' i. 143.

the birthplace of Mahâ Mogalâna, who was the lefthand disciple of Buddha; but this is not quite correct, as the great Mogalâna, according to Hwen Thsang, was born at Kulika, 8 or 9 li (less than 11⁄2 mile) to the south-west of Nâlanda. This place I was able to identify with a ruined mound near Jagdispur, at 14 mile to the south-west of the ruins of Baragaon.

The remains at Baragaon consist of numerous masses of brick ruins, amongst which the most conspicuous is a row of lofty conical mounds running north and south. These high mounds are the remains of gigantic temples attached to the famous monastery of Nâlanda. The great monastery itself can be readily traced by the square patches of cultivation, amongst a long mass of brick ruins, 1600 feet by 400 feet. These open spaces show the positions of the courtyards of the six smaller monasteries which are described by Hwen Thsang as being situated within one enclosure forming altogether eight courts. Five of the six monasteries were built by five consecutive princes of the same family, and the sixth by their successor, who is called king of Central India.

To the south of the monastery there was a tank in which the dragon or Nága, Nâlanda, was said to dwell, and the place was accordingly named after him, Nâlanda. There still exists to the south of the ruined monastery a small tank called Kargidya Pokhar, that answers exactly to the position of the Nalanda tank, and which is therefore, in all probability, the identical pool of the Nága.

I cannot close this account of the ancient Nálanda without mentioning the noble tanks which surrounded the ruins on all sides. To the north-east are the Gidi

Pokhar and the Pansokar Pokhar, cach nearly one mile in length; while to the south there is the Indra Pokhar, which is nearly half a mile in length. The remaining tanks are much smaller in size, and do not require any special notice.

Indra-Sila-Guha.

From the neighbourhood of Gaya two parallel ranges of hills stretch towards the north-east for about 36 miles to the bank of the Panchâna river, just opposite the village of Giryek. The eastern end of the southern range is much depressed, but the northern range maintains its height, and ends abruptly in two lofty peaks overhanging the Panchâna river. The lower peak on the east is crowned with a solid tower of brickwork, well known as Jarasandha-ka-baithak, or “Jarasandha's throne," while the higher peak on the west, to which the name of Giryek peculiarly belongs, bears an oblong terrace covered with the ruins of several buildings. The principal ruin would appear to have been a vilár, or temple, on the highest point of the terrace, which was approached by a steep flight of steps leading through pillared rooms.

The two peaks are connected by a steep pavement, which was formerly continued down to the foot of the hill opposite the village of Giryek. At all the commanding points and bends of this road are still to be seen the stone foundations of small brick stupas from 5 and 6 feet to upwards of 12 feet in diameter. At the foot of the upper slope, and within 50 feet of Jarasandha's Tower, a tank 100 feet square has been formed, partly by excavation, and partly by building up. There is a second tank, at a short distance to