ABSTRACT
The record of Hoei-shin he speaks particularly of the images of Buddha, in connection with the holy writings and religion of that great reformer, as having been taken to America in the year 458 by his five predecessors. This chapter argues that in case any other inquirer may investigate this subject, he may pay particular attention to the discovery of such images, or to possible imitations of them, in America, and among its monuments. The man who dug it up spoke of fragments of similar images having been found; but owing to his ignorance, nothing whatever can be inferred as to whether they were Buddhistic or not. When, in the year 955, the Emperor She-tsung placed severe restrictions on the Buddhist religion, more than 30,000 temples were destroyed, and a mint was established for the purpose of converting such of the images, &c., as were made of precious metals, copper or bronze, into money.
