13 and 44; also Sir H.
Rawlinson in XLII. p. 503: Erskine's Baber and Humayun, I. 42; Proc. R.
G. S. vol. xvi. pp. 244-249; J. A. S. B. IV. 656; H. de la V. de
Khotan, u.s.)
[The Charchan of Marco Polo seems to have been built to the west of the
present oasis, a little south of the road to Kiria, where ruined houses
have been found. It must have been destroyed before the 16th century,
since Mirza Haidar does not mention it. It was not anterior to the 7th
century, as it did not exist at the time of Hiuen Tsang. (Cf. Grenard,
III. p. 146.)
Grenard says (pp. 183-184) that he examined the remains of what is called
the old town of Charchan, traces of the ancient canal, ruins of dwellings
deep into the sand, of which the walls built of large and solid-baked
bricks, are pretty well preserved. Save these bricks, "I found hardly
anything, the inhabitants have pillaged everything long ago. I attempted
some excavating, which turned out to be without result, as far as I was
concerned; but the superstitious natives declared that they were the cause
of a violent storm which took place soon after. There are similar ruins in
the environs, at Yantak Koudouk, at Tatrang, one day's march to the north,
and at Ouadjchahari at five days to the north-east, which corresponds to
the position assigned to Lop by Marco Polo." (See Grenard's Haute Asie
on Nia.)
Palladius is quite mistaken (l.c. p. 3.) in saying that the "Charchan" of
Marco Polo is to be found in the present province of Karashar.
