(N. et E. XIV. 477; H. de la Ville de Khotan, 63-66; Klap.  Tabl.  Historiques, p. 182; Proc.  R. G. S. XVI. 243.)

[Dutreuil de Rhins and Grenard took the road from Khotan to Charchan; they left Khotan on the 4th May, 1893, passed Kiria, Nia, and instead of going direct to Charchan through the desert, they passed Kara Say at the foot of the Altyn tagh, a route three days longer than the other, but one which was less warm, and where water, meat, milk, and barley could be found.  Having passed Kapa, they crossed the Karamuren, and went up from Achan due north to Charchan, where they stayed three months.  Nowhere do they mention Pein, or Pima, for it appears to be Kiria itself, which is the only real town between Khotan and the Lobnor.  Grenard says in a note (p. 54, vol. ii.):  “Pi-mo (Keria) recalls the Tibetan bye-ma, which is pronounced Pema, or Tchema, and which means sand.  Such is perhaps also the origin of Pialma, a village near Khotan, and of the old name of Charchan, Tche-mo-to-na, of which the two last syllables would represent grong (pronounce tong = town), or kr’om (t’om = bazaar).  Now, not only would this etymology be justified because these three places are indeed surrounded with sand remarkably deep, but as they were the first three important places with which the Tibetans met coming into the desert of Gobi, either by the route of Gurgutluk and of Polor, or by Karakoram and Sandju, or by Tsadam, and they had thus as good a pretext to call them ‘towns of sand’ as the Chinese had to give to T’un-hwang the name of Shachau, viz.  City of Sand.  Kiria is called Ou-mi, under the Han, and the name of Pi-mo is found for the first time in Hiuen Tsang, that is to say, before the Tibetan invasions of the 8th century.  It is not possible to admit that the incursion of the Tu-ku-hun in the 5th century could be the cause of this change of name.  The hypothesis remains that Pi-mo was really the ancient name forced by the first Tibetan invaders spoken of by legend, that Ou-mi was either another name of the town, or a fancy name invented by the Chinese, like Yu-t’ien for Khotan, Su-lo for Kashgar....”  Sir T. D. Forsyth (J.  R. G. S., XLVII., 1877, p. 3) writes:  “I should say that Peim or Pima must be identical with Kiria.”—­H.  C.]

NOTE 2.—­The Jasper and Chalcedony of our author are probably only varieties of the semi-precious mineral called by us popularly Jade, by the Chinese Yue, by the Eastern Turks Kash, by the Persians Yashm, which last is no doubt the same word with [Greek:  iaspis], and therefore with Jasper.  The Greek Jaspis was in reality, according to Mr. King, a green Chalcedony.