I went out there with my stronger glasses and a flashlight. and a chair to sit on. I don't think the markings on this tire are in English, or even in our alphabet.
But I found a marking on the rim that I could read. 559 x 19C. So I guess it *is* officially a 26 inch rim. 19, yeah, I guess it looks that narrow. The "C" is for "clincher", perhaps. I suppose the wheel looks weirdly small because I am used to seeing much larger mountain bike tires on 26" rims, and tires of this thickness on the 700c rims. Whew!
Onward..