"The chief grains of the country are Indian corn, wheat,
barley of two kinds, _bajra, jowar_ (two kinds of _holcus_), buckwheat and
rice, all of which are superior to the Indian grains, and are of a very
fine quality.... The country is certainly superior to India, and in every
respect equal to Kashmir, over which it has the advantage of being less
humid, and consequently better suited to the growth of fruits. _Olives_
(?), pears, apples, peaches, apricots, mulberries, grapes, currants, and
melons, all exceedingly large in size and of a delicious flavour, are
produced in great variety and abundance.... Cotton of valuable quality,
and raw silk, are produced in very large quantities."

[Khotan is the chief place of Turkestan for cotton manufactures; its
_kham_ is to be found everywhere. This name, which means raw in Persian,
is given to a stuff made with cotton thread, which has not undergone any
preparation; they manufacture also two other cotton stuffs: _alatcha_ with
blue and red stripes, and _tchekmen_, very thick and coarse, used to make
dresses and sacks; if _kham_ is better at Khotan, _alatcha_ and _tchekmen_
are superior at Kashgar. (_Grenard_, II. pp. 191-192.)

Grenard (II. pp. 175-177), among the fruits, mentions apricots (_ourouk_),
ripe in June, and so plentiful that to keep them they are dried up to be
used like garlic against mountain sickness; melons (_koghoun_)
water-melons (_tarbouz_, the best are from Hami); vine (_tal_)--the best
grapes (_uzum_) come from Boghaz langar, near Keria; the best dried grapes
are those from Turfan; peaches (_shaptalou_); pomegranates (_anar_, best
from Kerghalyk), etc.; the best apples are those of Nia and Sadju; pears
are very bad; cherries and strawberries are unknown. Grenard (II. p. 106)
also says that grapes are very good, but that Khotan wine is detestable,
and tastes like vinegar.

The Chinese traveller, translated by M. Gueluy (_Desc. de la Chine
occidentale_, p. 45), says that all the inhabitants of Khotan are seeking
for precious stones, and that melons and fruits are more plentiful than at
Yarkand.--H. C.]

Mr. Johnson reports the whole country to be rich in soil and very much
under-peopled. Ilchi, the capital, has a population of about 40,000, and
is a great place for manufactures. The chief articles produced are silks,
felts, carpets (both silk and woollen), coarse cotton cloths, and paper
from the mulberry fibre. The people are strict Mahomedans, and speak a