(Irish Protestant)
Christians are afraid that the Church will come about their ears. May it
stand, and better than that of Samarkand has done!

There is a story somewhat like this in D'Herbelot, about the Karmathian
Heretics carrying off the Black Stone from Mecca, and being obliged years
after to bring it back across the breadth of Arabia; on which occasion the
stone conducted itself in a miraculous manner.

There _is_ a remarkable Stone at Samarkand, the _Kok-Tash_ or Green Stone,
on which Timur's throne was set. Tradition says that, big as it is, it was
brought by him from Brusa;--but tradition may be wrong. (See _Vambery's
Travels_, p. 206.) [Also _H. Moser, A travers l'Asie centrale_, 114-115.
--H. C.]

[The Archimandrite Palladius (_Chinese Recorder_, VI. p. 108) quotes from
the _Chi shun Chin-kiang chi_ (Description of Chin-Kiang), 14th century,
the following passage regarding the pillar: "There is a temple (in
Samarcand) supported by four enormous wooden pillars, each of them 40 feet
high. One of these pillars is in a hanging position, and stands off from
the floor more than a foot."--H. C.]

CHAPTER XXXV.

OF THE PROVINCE OF YARCAN.

Yarcan is a province five days' journey in extent. The people follow the
Law of Mahommet, but there are also Nestorian and Jacobite Christians.
They are subject to the same Prince that I mentioned, the Great Kaan's
nephew. They have plenty of everything, [particularly of cotton. The
inhabitants are also great craftsmen, but a large proportion of them have
swoln legs, and great crops at the throat, which arises from some quality
in their drinking-water.] As there is nothing else worth telling we may
pass on.[NOTE 1]

NOTE 1.--Yarkan or Yarken seems to be the general pronunciation of the
name to this day, though we write YARKAND.

[A Chinese traveller, translated by M. Gueluy (_Desc. de la Chine
occidentales_, p. 41), says that the word _Yarkand_ is made of _Iar_,
earth, and _Kiang_ (_Kand?_), large, vast, but this derivation is
doubtful. The more probable one is that Yarkand is made up of _Yar_, new,
and _Kand, Kend_, or _Kent_, city.--H. C.]

Mir 'Izzat Ullah in modern days speaks of the prevalence of goitre at
Yarkand. And Mr. Shaw informs me that during his recent visit to Yarkand
(1869) he had numerous applications for iodine as a remedy for that
disease. The theory which connects it with the close atmosphere of valleys
will not hold at Yarkand. (_J. R. A. S