Chapter 20 - Country of Kie-sha (Kashgar)

Note: Anciently called Su-li: this also is the name of its chief city; the full name is Shi-li-ki-li-to-ti (śrikrītati). The sound Su-li is corrupt.—Ch. Ed.

The country of Kie-sha is about 5000 li in circuit. It has much sandy and stony soil, and very little loam. It is regularly cultivated and is productive. Flowers and fruits are abundant. Its manufactures are a fine kind of twilled haircloth, and carpets of a fine texture and skilfully woven. The climate is soft and agreeable; the winds and rain regularly succeed each other. The disposition of the men is fierce and impetuous, and they are mostly false and deceitful. They make light of decorum and politeness, and esteem learning but little. Their custom is when a child is born to compress his head with a board of wood.^[1] Their appearance is common and ignoble. They paint (mark) their bodies and around their eyelids.^[2] For their writing (written characters) they take their model from India, and although they (i.e., the forms of the letters) are somewhat mutilated, yet they are essentially the same in form.^[3] Their language and pronunciation are different from that of other countries. They have a sincere faith in the religion of Buddha, and give themselves earnestly to the practice of it. There are several hundreds of saṅghārāmas, with some 10,000 followers; they study the Little Vehicle and belong to the Sarvāstivāda school. Without understanding the principles, they recite many religious chants; therefore there are many who can say throughout the three Piṭakas and the Vibhāṣā (Pi-p'o-sha).

Going from this south-east 500 li or so, passing the river śītā and crossing a great stony precipice, we come to the kingdom of Cho-kiu-kia.^[4]