[Footnote 43: A curious description of Samarcand is inserted
in the Bibliotheca Arabico-Hispana, tom. i. p. 208, &c. The
librarian Casiri (tom. ii. 9) relates, from credible
testimony, that paper was first imported from China to
Samarcand, A. H. 30, and invented, or rather introduced, at
Mecca, A. H. 88. The Escurial library contains paper Mss.
as old as the ivth or vth century of the Hegira.]