So much, then, as to the general in?uence of this religion in explanation of the statement often made, that the Chinese are Buddhists. Independently of this general conformity, however, there is a large proportion of the population professedly Buddhist. What this number may be we have no means of a'scertaining, but in every town and village, so far as we know, there are to be found some; and, in many cases, a Buddhist temple or temples may be seen, with numerous worshippers, so that China undoubtedly contributes to the' total of Buddhists throughout the world a large proportion.