belongs, as the same person may profess two or three. The emperor
himself, after sacrificing according to the ritual of Confucius, visits
a Tao-tse temple, and afterwards bows before an image of Fo in a
Buddhist chapel." ("Melanges Asiatiques de St. Petersbourg," vol. ii. p.
374.)

Both these estimates are exceeded by Dr. T.W. Rhys Davids (intimating
also the uncertainty of the statements, and that numbers are no evidence
of truth) in the introduction to his "Manual of Buddhism." The Buddhists
there appear as amounting in all to five hundred millions:--thirty
millions of Southern Buddhists, in Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Anam, and India
(Jains); and four hundred and seventy millions of Northern Buddhists, of
whom nearly thirty-three millions are assigned to Japan, and 414,686,974
to the eighteen provinces of China proper. According to him, Christians
amount to about 26 per cent, of mankind, Hindus to about 13, Mohammedans
to about 12-1/2, Buddhists to about 40, and Jews to about one-half of
one per cent.

In regard to all these estimates, it will be observed that the immense
numbers assigned to Buddhism are made out by the multitude of Chinese
with which it is credited. Subtract Cunningham's one hundred and seventy
millions of Chinese from his total of two hundred and twenty-two
millions, and there remain only fifty-two millions of Buddhists.
Subtract Davids's four hundred fourteen and one-half millions of Chinese
from his total of five hundred millions, and there remain only
eighty-five and one-half millions for Buddhism. Of the numbers assigned
to other countries, as well as of their whole populations, I am in
considerable doubt, excepting in the cases of Ceylon and India; but the
greatness of the estimates turns upon the immense multitudes said to be
in China. I do not know what total population Cunningham allowed for
that country, nor on what principle he allotted one hundred and seventy
millions of it to Buddhism; perhaps he halved his estimate of the whole,
whereas Berghaus and Davids allotted to it the highest estimates that
have been given of the people.

But we have no certain information of the population of China. At an
interview with the former Chinese ambassador, Kwo Sung-tao, in Paris, in
1878, I begged him to write out for me the amount, with the authority
for it, and he assured me that it could not be done. I have read
probably almost everything that has been published on the subject, and
endeavored by met