Page:The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous substances 2.djvu/100

 Notwithstanding the striking similarity of names, we think it more likely that Serinda was adopted by Procopius as another name for Khotan in Little Bucharia. The ancients included Khotan among the Indian nations : and that they were right in so doing is established from the facts, that Sanscrit was the ancient language of the inhabitants of Khotan; that their alphabetical characters, their laws, and their literature resembled those of the Hindoos; and that they had a tradition of being Indian in their origin. Since, therefore, Khotan was also included in the ancient Serica, a term probably of wide and rather indefinite extent ; the name Serinda would exactly denote the origin and connexions of the race which occupied Khotan.

On the other hand, although Sir-hind is termed "an ancient city" by Major Rennell, we cannot find any evidence that the