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I Foë Koué Ki, p. 21 and 25.

2 Op. cit., p. 31.

3 Ladåk — physical, statistical, and historical . .. London 1854, p. i et seq. — »The Kåråkoram Pass was traversed by the Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hian, in A. D. 399. He calls the range Tsung-Ling, or ,Onion Mountains', a name which they must receive from the number of wild leeks that grow upon them , and scent the air in all directions.» Op. cit., p. 47. »From Tsu-ho the pilgrims proceeded to the south and over the Tsung-Ling, or Onion Mountains. From Kukeyar to Ladik the road lies to the south over the Kirä-koram mountains, which,

even as high as 17000 feet, are covered with wild leeks, thus justifying the Chinese name of Tsung-Ling or Onion Mountains.» Op. cit., p. 2.

Cunningham adds that he owes to Dr. Th. Thomson the information regarding the leeks on the Karakorum. — Op. cit., p. 2.

4 China I, Berlin 1877, p. 516.

5 »There is great uncertainty about the position of this place. It was the first station Fa-heen stopped at after leaving Khotan, on his way to Ujjana, but the time he took (twenty five days) to reach it, throws a difficulty in the way, as it appears to have been just to the north of the Karakorum range. Otherwise we might suggest somewhere about Shahidula at the Sokhbulak Pass ...»

6 LEGGE, op. cit., p. 21, notes. — Notes on the Western Regions. Translated from the Tsëen Han Shoo, Book 96, Part 1; Journal Anthrop. Inst. of Great Brit. and Irel., Vol. X, London 1881, p. 32.

7 A History of Western Tibet, London 1907, p. 39.

26

55 jours à le traverser; sur ce nombre, il y eut trente journées de marche vers l'ouest, et au milieu même de ces montagnes se trouve .... un royaume appelé Kie tchha.

The Snow mountains he identifies with Himalaya: »On reconnait dans cette dénomination celle des montagnes du grand Caucase indien, couvertes de neiges perpétuelles, en

sanscrit Himâlaya. » 2

Nearly the same opinion is expressed by ALEX. CUNNINGHAM in the following words:

... Fa-Hian travelled by Tzú-ho and Yü-hui, and over the Tsung-Ling mountains southward to Kie-chha .... From Kie-chha the pilgrims proceeded westward to Tho-ly, which they reached in one month. From this account, it appears to me that there can be no doubt of the identity of the

ancient Kie-chha with the modern Ladak.

According to Cunningham there were only two roads from Kuolan to Ladak, either by Kök yar or Rudok, both crossing the Kara-korum. He regards the western route as the more likely one. As Klaproth, he identifies Tzú-ho with Kök yar. One month's journey westwards from Chieh-cli a was To-li or Darel, and as Darel »is just one month's journey from Lé, the district of Ladak corresponds exactly in geographical position with the ancient kingdom of Kie-chha.» Cunningham enumerates other details from Fa-hien's record placing this identification beyond all doubt».3

RICHTHOFEN accepts the interpretations of Klaproth and Cunningham , and believes

that Fa-hien on his way from Tzii-ho to Yü-hui travelled over the pass of Yenb i-davan.4 LEGGE relates the attempts of identification made by different authors. He regards the situation of Tzu-h0 as uncertain. SAMUEL BEAL identifies it with Yarkand, WATTERS

with Tash-kurgan and WYLIE looks for it in the surroundings of Shauidullau.5 Yü-hui was identified with Ak-tash by Watters , who approves of Klaproth's determination of Chieh-ch` a to be Skardo. Legge finds a very great advantage of this view as it brings the pilgrims across the Indus, as the passage here is so easy as not to demand a special mention.6 Rev. A. H. FRANCKE says that Fa-hien's description of Chieh-ch`a »might actually pass for a description of Ladakh».7

This view is not accepted by Beal:

I am unable .... to trace Fa-hian's route to Kie-cha or Ladak, as stated by Yule ...., and Cunningham .... for if Kie-cha be Ladak, how can the pilgrim describe it as in the middle of the

FA-HIEN.