Indian Antiquary Vol 31

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 69

FABUART, 1902.)
A PANDIT'S VISIT TO GAYA, 1820.
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[f. 185v] The custom of the country is for them to call their country the country of God, and every other people outside the country they call savages who know neither God nor country, and that every ambassador that comes to their country comes to yield obedience to the son of God , 41 and other absurdities, Sir, that would take a long time to read. I, Sir, as I have said, am much afflicted" in body with twinges and pains; and I am not afforded the opportunity of writing with one of our pens, but with a Chinese pen, not being able to write a more detailed letter, Christovio Vieyra has written with one of our pens, because he is in good health.
Done within this city of Cantko in the infernal prisons the tenth day of November in the year 1536. Commending you to our Lord to carry you from this China, as your honors wish.
While, Sir, these were being written I was constantly on tbe watch lest some Chinaman should come and find us writing, for we are on our guard, Sir, even against our servants, because they are inclined more to the Chinese than to us.
With all the letters, Sir, that come to be written, there are so many letters, that no more space is spent on this, as you have much more, Sir, that is written, than man can ask for.
Let all the letters large and small be preserved without any being torn or lost of those that sball go for that purpose.
VASCO CALVO.
EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF COLONEL 'COLIN MACKENZIE'S PANDIT
OF HIS ROUTE FROM CALCUTTA TO GAYA IN 1820. COLONEL COLIN MACKENZIE, whose antiquarian labours and researches in the Madras Presidency in the early years of the 19th century are so well known, was transferred to Bengal in 1819 as Surveyor-General, and took with him his Pandit, a Jaims of Southern India. In 1820i this Pandit performed a pilgrimage to Gaya and Parswanaths, and kept a Journal of his route which was, partly at least, translated into English and published in the Oriental Magasine and Caloutta Review for 1823. As this work is nowrrare, and the notices of the Jains monuments, written eighty years ago, by a member of the sect are of considerable interest, it may not be out of place to reproduce it entire, with the omission only of some of the translator's footnotes, which are hardly required now-days.
J. BURGE88. November 23rd, 1880. - On the 12th day of my departure from Calcutta, in which time I had travelled by computation above 70 kos, I arrived at Madhuvanam, place of great sanctity in the estimation of the Jains sect. It is said that in former times this place was called Madhurs Tanano, *the elegant grove, where various kinds of fruit and flower trees were preserved. South of Madhuvanam is a lofty hill, called Sumedhaparvattam, upon which are sculptured about twenty impressions of the feet of the Jaina Tirthakaras, or divine sages of the Jaidas, who obtained Moksham or salvation upon this hill. In consequence, great numbers of Jainas used to come to this hill, from distant countries, and paid their worship at the shrines of their saints.
In the course of time the hill was overgrown with wood, and the residences of the Tirthakaras being no longer distinguishable, the pilgrimage was discontinued -- at last Jain king, named Srenika Mabaraja, cleared away the jangal, and discovered the places where the Tirtha karas had resided, st
41 Tien tax', "Son of Heaven," is one of the titles commonly applied to and used by the emperor of China. The term "Celestial Empire" commonly upplied to China by westerns is derived from tien chau, "heavenly dynasty." (See Mid. King. I. p. 5; Mendoza, Hak. Soo, ed. p. 76.)
* The orig. has" cibado," which seems to be an error for crivado.
+ The Chinese prisons are still called "hells." (900 Mid. King. I. p. 514; Mor., Eng-Chin. Dist., 1. . Prison.'') * I am doubtful of the correctness of this rendering. 1 Between Pachit and Pflaganj. --T.