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about the vicissitudes which the text of Hui-li's biography had undergone before it was published.⁶
This text is manifestly imperfect in places and awaits future critical treatment. But a variety of
details and personal touches seem to me to support the impression that Hui-li gathered this graphic
account of the desert adventures direct from the Master himself and has reproduced it with faithful-
ness. We know too much of Hsüan-tsang's pious ardour and naïve credulity to discredit the few
references to supernatural incidents : they obviously reflect genuine subjective illusions such as con-
ditions of intense strain and real peril were most likely to produce in a mind so devout and fervid.
Adventures
of Hsüan-
tsang at
watch-
towers. The main facts about the journey to be gathered from Hui-li's narrative are as follows : For-
saken by the ' young barbarian ' who was to act as his guide, soon after the start from the Su-lo Ho
bank, the pilgrim moves ahead alone, guiding himself along the track by the bones of dead animals
and the droppings of horses.⁷ Visions of armed hosts in the distance cause him alarm, only to dis-
appear on closer approach, ' vain images created by demons '. Obviously mirages are meant here,
such as I frequently observed on my first few marches beyond An-hsi in spite of the autumnal cool-
ness which had set in by that time in the desert. After covering 80 li, Hsüan-tsang arrives at the
first signal-tower. In order to pass it unobserved he hides himself until nightfall. On trying then
to replenish his water-bottle from the water near the tower, he is shot at with arrows by the men on
guard. On declaring himself a monk come from the capital, he is taken before the commandant of
the post. This man, a native of Tun-huang, called Wang-hsiang, receives him kindly and, having
failed to persuade him to return, directs him in the morning to proceed to the fourth tower, com-
manded by a relative of Wang-hsiang. Arriving there the same night he goes through a similar
experience. After having been first shot at by the guards, he is taken before the commandant, who
on learning of Wang-hsiang's message offers hospitable welcome, but warns him not to approach the
fifth and last watch-tower as it is held by men of violent disposition. Instead, he is advised to
go to a spring a hundred li off, called Yeh-ma-ch'üan, ' the Spring of the Wild Horses ',⁸ and to
replenish there his water-supply.
Hsüan-
tsang loses
himself in
Mo-ho-yen
desert. 'A short distance from there he entered the desert called Mo-ho-yen 莫 賀 延, which has
a length of 800 li and which in ancient times was called Sha-ho, or the " River of Sand ". One sees
there neither birds nor quadrupeds nor water nor pasture.' In this desert he loses his way, after
having been troubled again by demonic visions, i.e. mirages, and fails to find the ' Spring of the
Wild Horses '. To add to his distress he drops the big water-skin he had been given at the fourth
tower and loses its contents.¹⁰ ' Besides, as the route made long detours, he no longer knew which
direction to follow. He then meant to turn back to the east, towards the fourth signal tower.'¹¹
But after having thus proceeded for 10 li he thinks of his oath not to take his way eastwards again
until he had reached India. He thereupon, ' fervently praying to Kuan-yin, directed himself to the
north-west '. All round he sees only limitless plains without a trace of men or horses. Troubled
at night by lights lit by wicked spirits and in day-time by terrible sand-storms, he suffers cruel
torments from thirst. After having travelled thus for four nights and five days without water,
he lay down exhausted. In the middle of the fifth night, after fervent prayers to Kuan-yin,
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671
672
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