KHOJEND, or Hodjent, chief town of the Khojend and Jizak district in the province of Sir Daria, in Russian Turkestan, is situated on the left bank of the Sir Daria or Jaxartes, 96 miles south-east from Tashkend, and on the direct road from Bokhara to Khokand. The Russian quarter lies between the river and the native town. Near the river is the old citadel, built on the top of an artificial square mound, about 100 feet high, which Mr Schuyler suspected to be a mere hollow wooden framework, only half filled in with earth. The bazaar of Khojend is very large in proportion to the size of the town. There is a wooden bridge over the Jaxartes, whose banks at this point are so high as to make the river useless to the town in the absence of pumping gear; so that when the little stream Khoja Bakargan dries up in summer, there is much suffering from want of water. The great heat intensifies the distress. There is now no very great trade in Khojend. Formerly the entire commerce between the khanates of Bokhara and Khokand passed through it, but since the Russian occupation much of that has been diverted. Silk worms are reared, and silk goods are manufactured in the town. A coarse sort of ware is made in imitation of the Chinese porcelain. Lignite is carried to Tashkend from the neighbourhood of Khojend. The surrounding district is tolerably well cultivated; immediately about the town the ground is taken up with cotton plantations and vineyards. The majority of the inhabitants are Tajiks. They are sociable and pleasure-loving, and the whole air of the town is agreeable. The population for 1873 is put down by Mr Schuyler at 30,000....