The Mediterranean (part 3 of 5)

The Mediterranean (part 3 of 5)

The train passes the small bay of Trogilos, where the fleet of Marcellus once anchored (p. 163), and a tunny-fishery (tonnara), runs through a cutting, and skirts the limestone plateau near Cape Santa Panagia. To the left we have a fine view of the sea and the modern town, and at length reach the (115 M.) harbour-station of Syracuse (p. 162).

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FROM MESSINA TO (8 M.) REGGIO, a delightful trip, especially by morning light, either by one of the steamers mentioned at p. 154 or by one of the ferry-boats (comp. p. 156). To the left, nearly opposite Messina, is the little town of Villa San Giovanni (p. 155), now in ruins, as are also the villages of Catona, Gallico, Archi, and others farther to the S.

=Reggio= (Alb. Veneto-Trentino, a temporary hotel-restaurant), before the earthquake of 1908 a town of 35,000 inhab., called Reggio Calabria to distinguish it from Reggio in the Emilia, lies at the W. base of the Aspromonte (p. 155). The ancient Rhegium, originally a Eubœan colony, but occupied by new Messenian settlers in 723 B.C., has been destroyed eight times in war and twice by earthquakes (1783 and 1908). Its last disaster was most appalling in the upper quarters. Along the shore and in the piazzas the survivors are now living in huts. The Strada Reggio Campi above the town offers a beautiful view especially towards evening.

On the VOYAGE TO CATANIA we enjoy a splendid view of the whole of the straits as far as the Punta del Faro (p. 158), and later of the coast of Calabria from the Punta di Pellaro (p. 155) to the Capo dell’ Armi. On the Sicilian coast rise the Monti Peloritani (p. 155) and the majestic Mt. Ætna (10,958 ft.; Ital. Etna), the highest volcano in Europe, with its countless minor craters and the great Valle del Bove, the remains of the enormous oldest crater, 3 M. broad, bounded by rocky slopes of 1900–3900 ft. in height. The view is specially striking beyond Taormina (p. 158), and we obtain also a good idea of the volume and the direction of the old lava-streams. After sixteen years’ quiescence fresh flows of lava were emitted in the Valle del Bove in 1908 and from the volcano’s S. slope in 1910.

Beyond Acireale (p. 158) and Cape Molini, the N. limit of the broad Bay of Catania, we sight the Scogli de’ Ciclopi (p. 159). As we enter the harbour of Catania we have a fine view of the S. side of Ætna.

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=Catania.=—ARRIVAL. The steamers anchor in the Nuovo Porto (Pl. F, G, 6), whence passengers are rowed (60 c.; with baggage 1 fr.) to the Dogana (Pl. F, G, 5) in the Porto Vecchio, a harbour very much contracted by the lava-stream of 1669 (see below).

HOTELS. *Grande Bretagne (Pl. a; F, 4), Via Lincoln, R. 3½–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 5½ fr.; *Bristol & du Globe (Pl. c; E, 4), Via Santa Maria del Rosario, R. 3½–6 B. 1½ déj. 3, D. 4½ fr.; Centrale Europa (Pl. d; E, 5), cor. of the Piazza del Duomo and Via Raddusa, R. 2½–4, omn. ¾ fr., well spoken of; and others.

RESTAURANTS. Marconi, Piazza Università 15, good; Savoia, Via Marletta 15, behind the Municipio.—Caffè Tricomi, Via Stesicoro Etnea 30; Caffè Amato, Via Stesicoro Etnea 151.—Birreria Svizzera, Via Stesicoro Etnea 139 (déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.), music in the evening, good.

STEAMBOAT AGENTS. Società Nazionale, Piazza Duca di Genova 18 (Pl. F, 5); North German Lloyd, Munzone, Mineo, & Co., same piazza, No. 3.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, W. A. Franck.—POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. E, 4), Via Manzoni.—ENGLISH CHURCH SERVICES.

TRAMWAYS. The chief line is from the railway-station (Stazione Sicula; Pl. H, 4) through Corso Vittorio Emanuele to the Piazza del Duomo (Pl. E, 5); then to the N. through Via Stesicoro Etnea to the ‘Ingresso’ of Villa Bellini (Pl. E, 2) and Piazza Gioeni.—CAB 40 (at night 50) c. per drive; first hour 1½ fr. (two-horse 2 fr. 30 c.).

Catania, a wealthy town of 162,000 inhab., the largest in Sicily after Palermo, the seat of a university, a bishop, and a natural science academy, has lately become the chief outlet for the products of the island, especially those of the extremely fertile environs. Katana, founded like Naxos by Eubœans, about 729 B. C., became famous as the home of Charondas, the framer of the earliest Greek code of law (about 640). In the Athenian and Syracusan war (p. 163) it formed the Athenian base of attack. Katana was one of the first places in Sicily occupied by the Romans, and under their sway became one of the most populous towns in the island. In the middle ages it vied for a time with Palermo and Messina as a favourite residence of the Aragon sovereigns. It has repeatedly suffered severely from the eruptions of Mt. Ætna (especially in 122 B. C. and in 1669) and from earthquakes (1169 and 1693), and the present town has been built almost entirely since 1693.

From the Porto Vecchio, into which falls the brook Amenana after passing through the lava under the town, we walk through the Peschería (fish and provision market) to the—

Cathedral (Pl. E, 5; visible from the sea), begun by the Norman Roger I. with materials from the ancient theatre (p. 161), but almost entirely destroyed by the earthquake of 1169. In the choir repose the Aragon sovereigns of the 14th cent.; in the right side-apse are treasured the remains of St. Agatha, who, like St. Rosalia (p. 152), was one of the most famous saints of Sicily, and whose veil is said to have diverted the lava-stream of 1669 (Pl. B, 1–3) from the city at a point near the Benedictine monastery (see below). Opposite, on the right, is the monument of the viceroy Acuña (d. 1494), quite Spanish in style. By the second pillar on the right is the tomb of Vinc. Bellini, the composer, a native of Catania (1802–35).

In the PIAZZA DEL DUOMO rises a fountain with an antique elephant in lava, bearing an Egyptian obelisk of granite. Past its N. side runs the CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE, with the Piazza dei Martiri and the statue of St. Agatha at its E. end (Pl. G, 5). We follow the Corso to the W. to the Via Sant’Agostino, by the church of that name (Pl. D, 5), and here turn to the N. past the entirely altered Roman Odeum (comp. p. 349) to the Via del Teatro Greco. Here, near the corner on the right, at No. 37, is the entrance to the—

Ancient Theatre (Pl. D, 4, 5; custodian at No. 33; fee 50 c.), once a fine structure, but now so buried in lava that some parts of it can be explored only by candle-light. The foundations alone date from the Greek period.—In the Piazza Dante, a little to the N.W., is the suppressed Benedictine monastery of—

San Nicolò (Pl. C, D, 4), or San Benedetto, dating in its present form from the early 18th cent., with an imposing baroque church. The extensive buildings now contain barracks, a school, the civic museum, the library, and the observatory. The church-tower (entr. through the portal to the S. of the façade; gratuity) commands a panoramic *View of the town, Mt. Ætna, and the Sicilian and Calabrian coasts, which is finest before 9 a.m.

At the Piazza Dante begins the VIA LINCOLN (Pl. D-F, 4), the second great thoroughfare of the town running W. to E., partly hewn through the lava-stream of 1669. This street is crossed by the—

VIA STESICORO ETNEA (Pl. E, 5–1), which intersects the whole town, from the Piazza del Duomo (see above) to the N. end. Here rise the chief public buildings of Catania, the Municipio (Pl. E, 5), the University, and the Prefettura (Pl. E, 4).

Farther to the N. is the Piazza Stesicoro; on its left side is the church of San Cárcere (Pl. E, 3), with an interesting Norman portal brought from the cathedral. Close by the N. part of a Roman Amphitheatre has been laid bare (greater diameter 138, smaller 116 yds.); the unusually large arena (77 by 55 yds.) is second only to that of the Colosseum (94 by 59 yds.).

Still farther to the N., on the left, is the entrance to the Villa Bellini (Pl. E, 2), a public park with fine views.

After returning to the Porto Vecchio we may follow the Via Scuto to the picturesque Castello Ursino (Pl. D, 6), dating from the time of Emp. Frederick II. (after 1239). The quarter to the E. of the castle is almost the only relic of the old town.

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On the VOYAGE TO SYRACUSE the steamer proceeds to the S.E. at some distance from the Piana di Catania (p. 159), affording a splendid view astern of Mt. Ætna, and passes Capo Campolato, Capo Santa Croce (p. 159), and the Bay of Megara.

As we enter the Bay of Syracuse, bounded on the N. by the plateau of Capo Santa Panagia (p. 159), and on the S.E. by the low Penisola della Maddalena (177 ft.), the ancient Plemmyrion, we obtain an excellent idea of the site of the present island-city, and of the vast extent of the ancient city on the mainland to the N.W., stretching up the hill to the village of Belvedere (p. 166).

The entrance to the inner bay of the Porto Grande, now much choked with sand, between the lighthouse at the end of the island and that of the peninsula, behind the cliff of La Galera, is only 1312 yds. across. In the swampy and in summer malarious plain on the W. bank of the harbour are the mouths of the rivers Anăpo and Ciani, the ancient Anapos and Kyane.

=Syracuse.=—ARRIVAL BY SEA. The steamers anchor near the landing-place at the Porta Marina (Scalo; comp. Map). Landing or embarkation 50 c., with baggage 1 fr.

RAILWAY STATIONS. The Central Station (Stazione, see Map) is on the Floridia road (p. 165), 1 M. to the N.W. of the town. The expresses run down to the Stazione Porto.

HOTELS (advisable to ask charges beforehand). *Grand-Hôt. Villa Politi (V. P. on the Map), on the mainland, near and in the Latomia dei Cappuccini (p. 165), with beautiful garden and fine views, R. 4–8, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 5, pens. 10–16, omn. 1½ fr; *Hôt. des Etrangers (formerly Casa Politi), near the Arethusa Fountain, similar charges; *Grand-Hôtel, Piazza Mazzini, close to the busy harbour, similar charges.—Second-class: Alb. Roma, Via Roma 64, R. 1¾–3 fr., well spoken of; Alb. Firenze, Via Roma 73, R. from 1½ fr; Alb. Cavour, Via Savoia, behind the Dogana, R. 1½–3 fr.; these three with restaurants (Ital. cuisine).

CAFÉ. Croce di Savoia, Piazza del Duomo.

CABS. (Night fares from ½ hr. after sunset till sunrise. Fares should be ascertained before starting.) Per drive in the town (incl. harbour-station) 40 c., with pair 1 fr., at night 70 c. or 1½ fr.; to or from chief station 65 c. or 1½ fr., at night 90 c. or 1 fr. 90 c. (luggage over 25 kilos or 55 lbs. 25, over 50 kilos or 1 cwt. 50 c.); first hour 1½ or 2½ fr., each addit. ½ hr. 60 c. or 1½ fr.—For a long drive it is best to choose one’s own vehicle in the Piazza del Duomo. For an afternoon (noon till ½ hr. after sundown) 5 or 10 fr., whole day 10 or 20 fr. Cheaper fares may generally be agreed upon out of the season.

STEAMBOAT AGENTS.—Società Nazionale, Via Ruggiero Settimo 38, close to the Dogana; Hungarian Adria Co., also Lloyd’s Agents, Gaet. Bozzanca & Figlio.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, Joseph Lobb.—POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE, Via Roma.

ENGLISH CHURCH SERVICE in winter.

ONE DAY. The chief sights in the modern town are the Cathedral, the Museum, and the Arethusa Fountain (p. 164). The greater part of the day should be devoted to the ancient town. The most interesting places there (the Euryelus excepted) may be visited by carriage in 3–4 hrs.: Latomia dei Cappuccini (p. 165), Catacombs of San Giovanni (p. 165), Amphitheatre (p. 166), Hiero’s Altar (p. 166), Greek Theatre (p. 166; best towards sunset for the sake of the view). Walkers should ferry direct from the Prigioni in the town to the N. bank of the Porto Piccolo (10 c.).

Syracuse, Ital. Siracusa, the most populous town in Sicily in ancient times, and indeed the most important of all the Hellenic cities, now a mere shadow of its glorious past, with 27,000 inhab. only, lies on an island separated from the mainland by a narrow strait. It was founded under the name of Syracusae by Corinthians, in 734 B. C., on the island then called Ortygia, where a Phœnician settlement had perhaps already existed. Endless party conflicts between the nobles and the townspeople led in 485 to the intervention of the tyrant Gelon of Gela, who made Syracuse his residence. In alliance with Theron of Acragas (Girgenti) he defeated the Carthaginians at the battle of Himera in 480, the same year in which the victory of Salamis (p. 506) saved the mother-country from destruction. The Syracusans thereafter gradually extended their sway over the greater part of Sicily till the year 415 when to their dismay the Athenians, instigated by Alcibiades, intervened in Sicilian politics, and with the aid of the neighbouring towns of Catana and Leontinoi (p. 159) proceeded to besiege the city. In 413 the might of Athens was for ever shattered before the walls of Syracuse, but the dread of being attacked anew by the Carthaginians induced the Syracusans to entrust their government to the tyrant Dionysius I. (406–367), next to the Persian monarchs the most powerful prince of his age, who refortified and embellished the city. The tyrant Agathocles (317–289) conducted a brilliant expedition against Carthage, but without permanent success. The last phase of the glory of Syracuse was witnessed in the long reign of Hiero II. (275–216). As the Syracusans, after his death, allied themselves with Hannibal, their city was besieged by Marcellus in 214–212, and after its capture was sacked and destroyed. Since then it has never again taken any part in political life, but in spite of its downfall it is still one of the most interesting places in the whole of Sicily, while the beauty of its environs is hardly less fascinating than the monuments of its glorious past.

a. The Modern Town.

From the harbour-station (p. 162) the broad Corso Umberto Primo (p. 165) crosses the strait to the island on which lies the MODERN TOWN, whose narrow winding streets are still of mediæval type. A pleasant walk, with a view of Mt. Ætna, is by the Foro Vittorio Emanuele Secondo and Passeggio Aretusa, leading from the Piazza Mazzini and the landing-place (p. 162) along the harbour.

In the grounds at the S. end of the promenade is a statue of the famous mathematician Archimedes, who defended his native city against Marcellus. Near it is the Fontana Aretusa, enclosed by papyrus-shrubs. From this point the Via Maniace leads to the S.E. to the Castello Maniace, a Hohenstaufen castle at the S. end of the island, completed under Emp. Frederick II. in 1239, but now modernized. To the N. of the Fontana lies the Piazza del Duomo.

The =Cathedral= is built into a Doric temple, probably of Minerva, the beauty of which was extolled by Cicero in his oration against Verres (p. 157). It stood on a basement of three steps, about 61 yds. long and 24 yds. broad. The ancient columns with their entablature still project on the N. side, and in the interior nineteen columns also are visible.

The =Archæological Museum=, opposite the cathedral, to the N.W., contains valuable antiquities, mostly Sicilian, from the earliest ages down to the Christian period. Adm. on week-days, Oct.–June 9–3, July-Sept. 8–2, 1 fr.; Sun. (not all rooms accessible) 10–2, free.

GROUND FLOOR. In Room I, Early-Christian inscriptions and the sarcophagus of Adelfia (5th cent.) from the catacombs of San Giovanni (p. 165). In Rooms III-V, Greek inscriptions, sarcophagi, cinerary urns, and architectural fragments. Room VI. Earthenware sarcophagi from Gela (6–5th cent. B. C.), Hellenistic and Roman sculptures. Room VII. Chiefly Greek sculptures. In Room VIII, a fine Venus Anadyomene (Hellenistic).

The STAIRCASE and FIRST FLOOR (Rooms XI and XVII-XIX) contain the ancient historical collection, showing the progress of Sicilian culture from the pre-Greek period (from the 15th cent.) down to the 5th cent. B. C.—Rooms XII, XIII. Greek vases from Sicily and Lower Italy, archaic bronzes and coins from ancient Sicily. Rooms XIV-XVI. Terracottas.

The mediæval and modern collections of the Museum are to be transferred to the Palazzo Bellomo, a building of the 15th cent., in the Via Capodieci running to the E. from the Fontana Aretusa.

The Via Cavour leads to the N. from the Piazza del Duomo to the Via Diana, where on the left are the ruins of the so-called Temple of Diana (keys at the barber’s opposite; fee 30 c.), but now believed to have been dedicated to Apollo. This is one of the most curious of Greek temples. In front stood two rows of six columns each. The side-walls were of unusual length and were each probably flanked by nineteen columns.

b. The Ancient City.

Long before the Athenian campaign (p. 163) ANCIENT SYRACUSE had extended her boundaries far beyond her island of Ortygia and across the high plateau to the N. to the bay of Trogilos and the present tonnara near Cape Santa Panagia (p. 159). The earliest extension consisted in the Achradina, the smaller half of which lay between the great harbour and the plateau, while the larger half occupied the E. margin of the latter, and was enclosed by a wall whose ruins still exist. Adjoining the Achradina on the W. were the Neapolis, or new city, on a terrace above the great harbour, and the quarter named Tyche after a temple of the goddess of Fortune. The Epipolae, the fifth and highest quarter, on the W. side of the plateau, was the chief base of the Athenian besiegers; but it was only completed after Dionysius I. had (about 402–385) enclosed the entire half of the plateau stretching from the Achradina wall westwards, with a huge city-wall, and had built the fortress of Euryelus at its W. end. The circumference of the city, which however embraced a good deal of unoccupied land, was thus no less than 17 M. Of the enclosing wall 10½ M. still exist.

We begin with the ACHRADINA. The Corso Umberto Primo (p. 163), the main street of the new suburb on the mainland, leads in 10 min. to a round piazza whence radiate the Floridia road, passing the central station, and the Catania and Noto roads. The remains of columns on the drilling-ground between this piazza and the small harbour probably belonged to a superb Agora or market-place.

From this point we follow the Catania road to the N., whence an avenue soon diverges to the right to the Porto Piccolo (ferry, see p. 163), now choked with sand, and leads along the shore, below the suburb of Santa Lucia, and across a railway cutting, to (25 min.) the Capuchin Monastery (now a poor-house). Close by, on the right, is the entrance to the—

*=Latomía dei Cappuccino= (adm. 30 c.), one of the wildest and grandest of the old quarries of Syracuse, now clothed with rich vegetation. It was here probably that the 7000 Athenian prisoners of war languished in 413 B. C.

Following the road to the W. we skirt the plateau and pass the Cimitero to (10 min.) the road coming from the upper Achradina, and go on by a cart-road, whence, by the Latomia del Casale, we see the Catania road before us and the church of San Giovanni below, on the left.

San Giovanni occupies the W. part of an old Norman basilica; steps in the N.E. corner lead to the crypt of St. Marcian (4th cent.). A monk, who shows the church also if desired (fee ½–l fr.; ring, on the S. side, door to the E. of the vestibule), conducts us to the—

*=Catacombs of San Giovanni=, which like most of the catacombs of Syracuse and its environs, far surpass those of Rome in extent. The main passage of this great burial-place (4–7th cent. A. D.), 10 ft. high and 6 ft. wide, runs through the rock from W. to E. for 116 yds., and from it diverge short lateral passages ending in circular chambers. Of the mural decoration little is now left.

A little farther to the W. we cross the Catania road to the region of NEAPOLIS, and follow the road leading to the Greek theatre. To the left, in 5 min., we reach the house of the custodian (½ fr.) of the Roman—

=Amphitheatre=, constructed in the time of Augustus, 153 by 130 yds. in area. In the arena lie many blocks of the marble parapet belonging to a restoration of the 3rd century.

About 120 yds. farther to the W. is the entrance, also on the left, to the great Altar of Hiero II. (30–50 c.). On this vast altar, 219 yds. long and 25 yds. broad and originally rising in two huge steps to a height of 34½ ft., were probably sacrificed the annual hecatombs of 450 bulls in memory of the expulsion of the tyrant Thrasybulus (466).

Opposite we see the =Latomia del Paradiso=, an ancient quarry 95–130 ft. deep, so-named from the most luxuriant vegetation which now clothes it (entrance through the gateway on the left). In its W. slope is the so-called Ear of Dionysius (entrance below, on the left), an S-shaped cavern, 71 yds. deep, 6–12 yds. wide, and 76 ft. high, tapering at the top, with remarkable acoustic properties. As the tyrant is said to have had prisons where from a certain spot he could hear every whisper, the tradition has been arbitrarily associated with this cavern.

The road next passes under the modern arches of the aqueduct and reaches, on the right, the *=Greek Theatre= (5th cent. B. C.), one of the largest in the Hellenic world. It is hewn in the rock, forming more than a semicircle. Its diameter is 147 yds.; 46 tiers of seats are still preserved; the eleven lower rows were covered with marble. Towards sunset we have a delightful *VIEW of the town, the Porto Grande, the headland of Plemmyrion, and the sea.

Above the theatre is the so-called Nymphaeum, a grotto into which the aqueduct (see below) was led. On its left side the Via delle Tombe, hewn in the rock, ascends in a curve for 165 yds., with many lateral cuttings and tomb-chambers of the late-Roman age.

From the Catania road, ¼ M. to the N. of the branch-road to the Greek theatre, diverges to the left the NEW EURYELUS ROAD, 3 M. long. It leads to the W., soon passing the Casa dei Gesuiti, to which walkers may ascend direct from the Nymphæum. It runs parallel with an Ancient Aqueduct (‘Acquedotto Galermi’), crosses the desolate plateau, very hot in summer, once the site of the Greek Neapolis and of Epipolae (p. 165), and joins the old Euryelus road beyond the S. wall of Dionysius I. A little farther, where the road diverges to the left to the village of Belvedere and the Posto Semafórico or Telégrafo (617 ft.; fine view), is the Casa dei Viaggiatori (rfmts.; open from 15th Jan. to 15th May). Our road ends on the W. side of Euryelus, 130 yds. from the custodian’s house.

The *=Euryelus= (adm. 50 c.), the ‘outer fort’ of the Epipolæ, built about 400 B.C., at the junction of the N. and S. walls of Dionysius, is one of the best-preserved of ancient Greek fortifications. The five massive towers on the W. side, whence we survey the whole site of ancient Syracuse and enjoy a fine view ranging from Mt. Ætna to Calabria, are flanked with two deep moats hewn in the rock. In the first of these are subterranean apertures for sallying purposes.

We may return to Syracuse by the OLD EURYELUS ROAD. On the S. side of the plateau it joins the Floridia road, 1¼ M. from the station.

VI. ALGERIA.

Route Page Geographical and Historical Sketch. Preliminary Information 168 28. Oran 175 a. The Harbour and the Old Town, 178.—b. The New Town, 180.—c. Environs (Fort Santa Cruz, Belvédère, Mers el-Kébir, Promenade des Falaises), 182.—From Oran to Hammam Bou-Hadjar, 184. 29. From Oran to Tlemcen 185 From Oran to Aïn-Temouchent. From Aïn-Temouchent to Tlemcen viâ Pont-de-l’Isser or Beni-Saf, 185. 30. Tlemcen 187 Mansura, 193.—Sidi Bou-Médine, 194.—Agâdir, 196. 31. From Tlemcen to Nemours viâ Lalla-Marnia 197 Oudjda, 197. 32. From Oran to Beni-Ounif de Figuig (Colomb-Béchar) viâ Damesme and Perrégaux 199 From Damesme to Arzew, 199.—From Tizi to Mascara, 200.—From Aïn-Sefra to Tiout, 202. 33. From Oran to Algiers 206 Kalàa. From Relizane to Mostaganem; to Tiaret, 207.—Mazouna, 208.—From Orléansville to Ténès, 209.—From Affreville to the Cedar Forest of Teniet el-Haâd, 210.—From Miliana to Margueritte. From Bou-Medfa to Hammam Rhira, 212.—From Blida to Berrouaghia. From Boghari to Ghardaïa viâ Djelfa and Laghouat, 215. 34. Algiers 217 a. Lower Quarter of the Old Town (Harbour, Mosquée de la Pêcherie, Great Mosque, Jardin Marengo, Archevêché, Cathedral, National Library), 222.—b. The Kasba, 226.—c. Mustapha-Supérieur and Environs (Museum, Chemin du Télemly, Birmandreis), 228.—d. The S.E. Suburbs (Jardin d’Essai, Hussein-Dey, Kouba), 232.—e. El-Biar and Bouzaréah (Forêt de Baïnem), 233.—f. Notre-Dame d’Afrique and St. Eugène, 235. 35. From Algiers to Tipaza and Cherchell 236 a. Viâ Castiglione 236 Jebel Chenoua, 242. b. Viâ El-Affroun and Marengo 243 36. From Algiers to Cape Matifou and to Aïn-Taya viâ Maison-Carrée 247 L’Arba, 247.—Rovigo, 248. 37. From Algiers to Bougie viâ Beni-Mansour 249 Aumale, 250.—Thubusuctu, 252. 38. From Algiers to Tizi-Ouzou. From Camp-du-Maréchal to Tigzirt 252 Port-aux-Poules. From Mirabeau to Boghni, 253.—From Mirabeau to Dra el-Mizan, 254.—Taksept, 256. 39. From Tizi-Ouzou viâ Fort-National to Maillot or Tazmalt 256 From Fort-National through the Djemâa Valley to Michelet; to Boghni, 257.—The Jurjura Mts. Icherridène, 258.—The Lalla Khedidja, 259. 40. From Fort-National viâ Azazga to Bougie 260 Toudja, 262. 41. Bougie 262 Cape Carbon, 264.—Anse des Aiguades. Jebel Gouraya, 265. 42. From Bougie through the Chabet el-Akra to Sétif 265 From Souk et-Tenine to Djidjelli. Mila, 267.—From Kerrata viâ Aïn-Abessa to Sétif, 268.—Périgotville, 269. 43. From Algiers to Constantine viâ Beni-Mansour, Sétif, and El-Guerrah 269 From Bordj-Bou-Arréridj to Bou-Saâda, 270.—Djemila. From Ouled-Rahmoun to Aïn-Beïda and Khenchela, 272.—Aïn-el-Hammam, 273. 44. From Constantine to Biskra viâ El-Guerrah and Batna 274 The Medracen, 274.—Zana. Jebel Touggour, 275.—Jebel Metlili. Gorges de Tilatou, 277.—The Aurès Mts., 278.—Environs of Biskra, 281.—From Biskra to Sidi-Okba, 283.—From Biskra to M’chounech; to Touggourt, 284.—The Oued Rhir. From Touggourt to Nefta viâ El-Oued. The Souf, 285. 45. From Batna viâ Lambèse to Timgad 286 Ichoukkân, 296. 46. Constantine 297 47. From Constantine to Philippeville 303 From St. Charles to Bona, 303. 48. From Constantine to Bona viâ Duvivier 306 Announa (Thibilis), 307.—Bugeaud, 311. 49. From Constantine or Bona viâ Duvivier to Souk-Ahras (Tebessa, Tunis) 312 From Souk-Ahras to Khamissa, 313. 50. From Souk-Ahras to Tebessa 313 Madaura. Vasampus, 314.

Algeria, the central part of Barbary (Arab. Jezirat el-Maghreb) and since 1830 a French colony, covers an area of about 77,500 sq. M., or, including the S. territories (p. 170), about 342,500 sq. M., and contains 5,232,000 inhab. (4½ million Mohammedans and 730,000 Europeans, mostly of French, Spanish, and Italian origin). It extends from Oued Kiss, which was substituted for the Mulûya (p. 93) by the Morocco treaty of 1845, to Cape Roux (p. 131), the boundary of Tunisia, and from the Mediterranean to the Highlands of Ahaggar in the interior of the Sahara. The arbitrary division of N. Algeria into the three départements of Oran, Alger, and Constantine is a survival of the Turkish administration. The orographical regions, sharply defined except towards the E., are the Tell Atlas (p. xxx), the E. prolongation of the Rîf Mts. (p. 93), the Great Steppe, and the Sahara Atlas.

The TELL ATLAS (Atlas Tellien), the most important part of this vast territory, consists of two parallel ranges of folded hills of recent origin, which intersect a great basin stretching from the Atlantic to the bay of Tunis. The highest points of the range next the coast are the Traras (3727 ft.), the Dahra (5181 ft.), the Atlas of Blida (5345 ft.), the Jurjura Chain (7572 ft.) in Great Kabylia, and the Babor Range (6575 ft.) in Little Kabylia. In the interior rise the Tlemcen Group (6047 ft.), the Ouarsenis (6512 ft.), the Jebel Dira (5938 ft.), and the Hodna Mts. (6112 ft.), which last form the only considerable link between the Tell and the Sahara Atlas. The Littoral, 842 M. in length, with long, precipitous, and almost inaccessible stretches, has ever been dreaded on account of its storms; it is broken by the bays of Oran, Arzew, Algiers, Bougie, Philippeville, and Bona, but does not possess a single good natural harbour. Flanking the coast, in front of the Tell Atlas, are several ranges of lower hills (Sahel), as the Sahel of Oran, between Lourmel and the mouth of the Chélif, the Sahel of Algiers, and the Sahel of Collo, while the Edough Group (3307 ft.), composed of crystalline rock, forms an independent mountain. The extensive plains behind the Sahels, which at Oran are marshy (Marais de la Macta) and have besides the remains of great salt lagoons (Sebkha d’Oran and Salines d’Arzew), and especially the Mitidja near Algiers, once a bay of the sea, and the Plaine de Bône, are the most fertile and richly cultivated parts of Algeria.

The HAUTS-PLATEAUX or Great Steppe, an almost unwatered region, was originally a deep depression between the Tell and the Sahara Atlas, which in the course of thousands of years was gradually filled up with the alluvial deposits of mountain-torrents, and thus converted into a great and monotonous undulating plain, 2300–3300 ft. above the sea-level. The saline and gipseous soil is very sterile and is only at a few places adapted for the culture of grain, but has proved suitable for sheep-grazing. In the depressions of the steppe lie a number of extensive shotts or salt-lakes, which in summer are dry and recognizable only by their dazzling snow-white incrustation. Among these are the Chott Gharbi (Rharbi) and the Chott ech-Chergui in Oran, the Zahrès Gharbi and Zahrès Chergui in Algiers, and the Chott el-Hodna at Constantine.

The SAHARA ATLAS (Atlas Saharien) forms the great barrier between Algeria and the desert. It is ‘a region of grand and wildly fissured gorges, partly caused by erosion in the pluvial period, of valleys worn by torrents, of lofty plains converted into mountains, and of marine basins now filled up’ (Theob. Fischer). The chief heights are the Montagnes des Ksour (7004 ft.), a prolongation of the much higher Morocco Atlas (p. 93), Jebel Amour (6467 ft.), the Monts des Ouled-Naïl (5295 ft.), and, beyond the depression of the Monts du Zab (4304 ft.), the Aurès Mts. (7634 ft.), which are wooded in their N. half, and next to Great Kabylia have the finest hill-scenery in Algeria.

The SAHARA, which belongs to the Territoires du Sud or de Commandement, governed by the military ‘Bureaux Arabes’, consists of the Bassin du Gourara or Bassin de l’Oued Saoura on the W., a plateau 330–2600 ft. above the sea, and of the Bassin du Melrir, named after the Chott Melrir, on the E., lying partly below the sea-level. Within this desert region, which is divided by the limestone plateau of the Mzab, are distinguished the Hammadas, or lofty plateaux, with rocky or hard clay-soil, entirely waterless and sterile, and the Areg (sing. Erg), the extensive sand-hills rising a few hundred feet above the plains. From the Sahara Atlas and from the hills of the S. Sahara descend numerous water-courses, mostly subterranean, towards the plains, enabling the natives by means of irrigation to form a girdle of oases, which like the coast-plains are apt to be malarious in summer.

Climatically also Algeria is a land of striking contrasts. The rainfall in the provinces of Algiers and Constantine, on the coast, and especially in the higher parts of the Tell Atlas, is abundant (thus at Algiers 25 inches, at Blida 37, Bougie 41½, Fort-National 45 inches). Being partly sheltered from the rainy N.W. winds by the Tell Atlas, the Hauts-Plateaux have a lower rainfall (16–20 inches), which as in the Tell often takes the form of snowstorms. In the Sahara Atlas and the Sahara itself, where the dry trade-winds prevail during the greater part of the year, the rainfall diminishes considerably as we go southwards (thus at Biskra 7, at Goléa 2¾ inches). Even in the coast-lands, however, the prolonged drought of summer necessitates the use of artificial irrigation by means of barrages across the valleys. The temperature on the coast varies comparatively little (thus at Algiers 54½° Fahr. in winter, 74° in summer), but the moisture of the air renders it almost unbearably hot in summer. On the Hauts-Plateaux, on the other hand, in the Sahara Atlas, and notably in the Sahara, there are great extremes of heat and cold, the variations not only between summer and winter, but also between day and night (in consequence of the great evaporation after hot, cloudless days) being very marked (thus, minimum at Constantine 16° Fahr., at Aïn-Sefra 17½° at Géryville 8½° Touggourt 19½°; maximum at Géryville 109°, at Biskra 118°, at Touggourt 122°).

The fauna of Algeria is comparatively poor. The Barbary lion and the ostrich have been exterminated, and the panther is now rare; but we occasionally see camels, hyænas, jackals, maned sheep (p. 277), one species of ape (Magot, Macacus ecaudatus), a few poisonous snakes, and the unduly dreaded scorpion. The flora on the other hand is strikingly rich and varied. In the coast-zone occur all the usual Mediterranean plants. In the Tell Atlas there still exist, in spite of the wanton destruction of trees by the natives, remains of ancient forests of cork-trees (Quercus suber), evergreen oaks (Quercus Ilex and Quercus cenis), Aleppo pines, and occasionally of cedars (p. 210). In marked contrast to this vegetation is that of the great steppes, where the saline plants, the meagre dwarf-palms (Chamærops humilis), and particularly the alfa (halfa) or esparto grass (Macrochloa tenacissima), of which immense quantities are exported chiefly from the province of Oran, proclaim the proximity of the sterile and dreary desert. At Bou-Saâda (p. 270), in the hottest S. valleys of the Sahara Atlas, and in the oases of the Sahara we find the home of the date-palm (Phœnix dactylifera, Arabic nakhl), whose fruit is the chief food of the poorer classes and also an important article of commerce, whose sap yields palmwine, whose trunks afford building material, and with whose leaves are made the mats and bedding of the natives.

The majority of the native inhabitants, who in the S. regions, away from the oases, are chiefly nomadic, are Berbers (p. 94). These, however, since the immigration of the Beni Hilal and Beni Soleïm (p. 323), have mingled with Arabs much more than in Morocco, and outside of their mountain fastnesses have completely exchanged their own individuality for that of the Arab. The town populations, especially in the province of Algiers, are composed of a motley assemblage of Moors, descended from Spanish Moriscoes or from pirates (largely Christian apostates), of Kabyles (p. 252), Mozabites (p. 216), Biskris (p. 280), and lastly of Kuluglis, descended from Turks and Moorish women. The Jews, partly settled in Barbary since ancient times, partly immigrants from Spain, have enjoyed, unlike the Mohammedans, the full rights of citizenship since 1870, but, though thriving materially, they are hardly superior in culture to the less favoured inhabitants.

Down to the end of the middle ages Algeria was historically inseparable from Tunisia and Morocco (see pp. 95, 187, 188, 322). After the whole coast as far as the Atlantic had been colonized by the Carthaginians, and the whole of S. Algeria by the Romans, but with diminishing energy as they proceeded from E. to W., a period of decadence set in. Troubles began with the revolt of the Circumcelliones, and were succeeded by the party strife between Catholics and Donatists, by the religious persecutions under the Arian Vandal kings (p. 322), by the misgovernment of the Byzantines (534–698), and by the irruption of the Arabs (p. 322). During the Moorish period, as Algeria only formed an independent state for a time under the Ibadites (p. 323) and the Hammadites (p. 263), while in the W. regions the kingdom of Tlemcen (p. 188) was afterwards founded, it proved a constant apple of discord between the powerful dynasties of Morocco and Tunisia. The intrusion of the Spaniards (p. 178) next led to the intervention of the Turks and to the establishment of a piratical state by Horuk Barbarossa (comp. p. 221). Under the sway of France great improvements have been introduced; many of the most fertile regions on the coast and in the Tell Atlas have become state property and that of French companies or of industrious colonists (mostly Spaniards, S. French, Alsatians, and Lorrainers), and the long neglected seaports have awoke to new life. The whole country has been opened up by a network of excellent roads, and railways have been carried to the confines of the Sahara. In the towns, with the exception of Tlemcen and Constantine, most of the old Moorish and Turkish buildings have been superseded by French. While but few specimens of Moorish architecture have been spared by enthusiasts for improvement, there still survive in the Hauts-Plateaux some interesting relics of Roman buildings, recently unearthed from the oblivion of centuries, and now carefully preserved from further destruction.

For much fatigue and privation the traveller in Algeria will be compensated by many a glimpse of picturesque Oriental manners and costumes and by the varied scenery of the peaceful and luxuriantly fertile plains, the wild mountains, and the stony and sandy wastes of steppe and desert. Most striking of all are the wonderful effects of light and shade on land, sea, and sky, under the glorious African sunshine. Amid the manifold green hues of the rich subtropical vegetation, enlivened by a wealth of flowers and blossom, gleam the dazzling white Moorish country-houses and Mohammedan shrines (kubbas or marabouts) and the red-tiled roofs of the mountain villages and the European settlements. Travellers penetrating from the coast to the Sahara will marvel, especially in winter, at the extraordinary clearness of the atmosphere and the gorgeous sunsets, such as neither Italy nor Greece can boast of, awakening in every beholder an enthusiastic admiration for the desert.

Notwithstanding the considerable rainfall (p. 170) and the occasional gales to which it is exposed, the town of Algiers is a favourite winter resort. The best months for travelling on the seaboard and the Hauts-Plateaux are April, May, and November, and for the Sahara February and March. The favourite goals are, in the province of Oran: Oran, Tlemcen, and Figuig; in the province of Algiers: Teniet el-Haâd, Miliana, Hammam Rhira, Blida, Fort-National, and Michelet; and in the province of Constantine: Bougie, the Chabet el-Akra, Constantine, Timgad, El-Kantara, Biskra, and Tebessa.

The RAILWAYS, with the exception of the Chemins de Fer Algériens de l’Etat, belong to three private companies, the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée Algérien, the Ouest Algérien, and the Bône-Guelma (et prolongements). They are all single lines. The express on the chief line, that from Algiers to Oran, travels 26¾ M. an hour only; the speed of the ordinary trains is 12–19 M. per hour. On all the main lines dining and sleeping cars are provided. On the branch-lines the trains often have one first-class carriage only. For night journeys in the Hauts-Plateaux the heating by means of foot-warmers is inadequate. In E. Algeria the traffic is sometimes stopped for several days in winter by snow-drifts and cloud-bursts.

The time-tables are to be found in the Livret A. Jourdan (Indicateur des Chemins de Fer, de la Navigation, etc.; 50 c.), in the Livret-Chaix (Guide pour les Chemins de Fer de l’Algérie, de la Tunisie et de la Corse; 50 c.), or in the Indicateur Officiel (Guide-poche Algérien par L. Chappuis; 60 c.). Greenwich time (ca. 59 min. behind mid-European time), which has been recently introduced in France, is observed everywhere. Travellers should go to the ticket-office early, as the officials have much writing to do and their proceedings are slow. In the larger towns tickets may usually be taken and luggage booked beforehand at the town-office of the railway company. As in France each passenger is allowed 30 kilos (about 66 lbs.) of luggage. Return-tickets (billets d’aller et retour) for a distance of 50 kilomètres (31 M.) are valid for two days, for distances over 400 kilom. (248 M.) for at least seven days. The Indicateurs above named contain further information as to return-tickets ‘collectifs pour families’, ‘collectifs d’excursion’, and ‘demi-places’, which last only benefit those who make a stay of several months in the colony.

As the roads are good and the trains slow, those who can bear the expense will often find a MOTOR CAR the swiftest and pleasantest kind of conveyance. Among fine motoring trips may specially be noted those from Oran to Tlemcen (comp. p. 184); from Algiers to Castiglione, Tipaza, Hammam Rhira, Affreville, and Teniet el-Haâd, returning viâ Blida and Boufarik; from Algiers to Cape Matifou, Ménerville, Tizi-Ouzou, Fort-National, and Michelet (Tazmalt); from Bougie through the Chabet el-Akra to Kerrata, or viâ Djidjelli and Mila to Constantine; also from Algiers or Constantine to Biskra. The maximum speed allowed in towns and villages is 15 kilomètres (9½ M.) an hour, on highroads 30 kilom. (19 M.) per hour. The cars offered for hire in the larger towns are generally good machines of 15–60 horse-power.

Where neither railways nor motor-omnibuses are available persons of limited means travel by DILIGENCE (see time-tables in Jourdan’s Indicateur, mentioned above). Besides the ‘Courrier’, or postal diligence, there is sometimes a ‘Concurrence’, an inferior and cheaper vehicle. Careful inquiry as to time-table and fares should be made, and front seats secured beforehand. The officials sometimes charge strangers more than the legitimate fare. If the passenger prefers to walk or ride part of the way, he may arrange with the driver as to the carriage of his luggage.

Off the highroads and for mountain excursions RIDING is often preferable to walking. A mule (mulet) or a donkey (bourricot) is more commonly used than a horse. The Arabian saddle with its high cantle and pommel gives a certain sense of security to the novice, but the experienced rider will prefer an English saddle, which may be obtained in the larger towns. The animals are badly kept by the natives, but are quiet and sure-footed. Instead of a saddle, mules and donkeys often have a kind of sack thrown over their backs, into which the rider thrusts his feet. The attendant has to provide food for himself and his beast, and he is always expected to walk except on very long excursions.

For excursions of any length in the Sahara the traveller must have recourse to the camel, the ‘ship of the desert’. The superior trotting camel (mehara) must be distinguished from the ordinary beast of burden, which only walks about 2½ M. per hour, but has wonderful powers of endurance, even in the most trying weather. In the case of the trotting camel the rider sits on a narrow saddle and crosses his feet (with shoes removed) on the animal’s neck. On the broad pack-saddle of the camel of burden is a seat for men, and right and left are others for ladies, for whom a kind of litter (attatouch) also is provided. While the rider mounts the kneeling animal the attendant usually puts his foot on one of its fore-legs to prevent it from rising too suddenly, as it is very apt to do. As the camel rises on its hind-legs first, tilting the rider forwards, it is advisable to lean well back at first, and then forwards, and to keep firm hold of the saddle. Practice alone will enable the rider to get used to the peculiar gait of the animal. The rider’s head should be well protected by a pith-helmet or other efficient covering. Luggage is best carried in two saddle-bags (gibera) of leather or carpet, for which the natives ask 20 fr., or even in ordinary sacks. As to provisions, see p. 97. Intending travellers are expected to present themselves at the Bureau Arabe before starting, where they may apply for a Saharien or Cavalier du Maghzen (p. 390) to accompany them. In some cases an escort is considered indispensable.

The MONEY for a tour in Algeria had better be taken in the form of notes of the Banque de France or the Banque de l’Algérie (for Algeria and Tunisia only) or in gold of the Latin monetary union. Bank of England notes and sovereigns are always readily exchanged in the larger towns and tourist-resorts. Circular notes are less convenient, but have the merit of being safer. Letters of credit addressed to the Compagnie Algérienne or the Crédit Lyonnais also form a safe vehicle for large sums, but the branch-offices sometimes require a week’s notice before paying. The banks and public offices are mostly open at 9–11 and 2–5 only, but the cashier’s office usually closes at 3.

Comfortable first-class HOTELS, owned chiefly by French, Swiss, or German proprietors, are to be found at Algiers, Oran, Hammam Rhira, and Biskra. Those of the second class usually make a fixed charge (5 to 12 fr. per day) for room, déjeuner, and dinner. Charges vary greatly, however, according to the season and to the traveller’s nationality. The beds are very good as a rule, and the rooms fairly clean, but the sanitation is often defective and the servants inefficient. Under these circumstances the scale of gratuities is lower than in Europe.

As for food, the staple of almost every repast in Algeria is mutton. The wheaten bread is generally excellent. Among the best wines are the white of Médéa and Mascara, the red and the white of Tlemcen and Staouéli, and the red of Miliana, Margueritte, and Hammam Rhira. At the CAFÉS, which are often beset by shoe-blacks (cireurs; 10 c.), we may try a cup of ‘Nossi-Bey’ (50 c.), considered a specially good coffee. A cup of coffee or tea at the Moorish cafés costs one sou, but strangers are often charged two (no gratuities). A few good RESTAURANTS are to be found in the larger towns, and food also is provided by the better brasseries. Tobacco and cigars are much cheaper than in France, there being no government monopoly here, but there is a duty of 36 fr. per kilogramme (2⅕ lbs.) on imported cigars.

The POST OFFICE arrangements are the same as in France. A favourite way of sending small parcels is by sample-post (‘échantillons sans valeur’; 12–15 days from Algiers to England), up to 350 grammes (about 12¼ oz.). Inland postage for letters of 20 grammes (not quite ¾ oz.) or post-cards 10 c., foreign 25 c. (for 20 gr.) or 10 c.—Senders of registered letters and telegrams must fill up a form giving their name and address. Postal orders and parcel-post are not recommended.

DRAWING or PHOTOGRAPHING in fortified places, if not expressly forbidden, is at least inadvisable, nor should maps or plans be too closely studied in public places. With regard to intercourse with the natives, see p. xxv. The police arrangements are generally as good as in Europe.

The MOSQUES (p. xxv) in Algeria are all state property and may therefore be visited at any time except during prayer. A fee (20–50 c.) need only be given to the custodian for providing slippers or rendering special services. Smoking is forbidden in the forecourts, and of course in the buildings themselves.

The MOORISH BATHS (ladies’ hours 12–6) may be glanced at in passing.

BOOKS (comp. also pp. vi, 325). Sir R. L. Playfair’s Bibliography of Algeria (London, 2 vols.) goes no further than 1895. Among works on the history of Algeria and its development may be mentioned: M. Wahl, L’Algérie (5th ed., Paris, 1908; 5 fr.); Hanoteau et Letourneux, La Kabylie (2nd ed., 3 vols., Paris, 1893; 25 fr.); R. L. Playfair, The Scourge of Christendom (London, 1884); Graham, Roman Africa, History of the Roman Occupation (London, 1902); Randall Maciver and Wilkin, Libyan Notes (London, 1901). For the history of art: Stéphane Gsell, Les Monuments antiques de l’Algérie (2 vols., Paris, 1901; 20 fr.); W. et G. Marçais, Les Monuments Arabes de Tlemcen (Paris, 1903; out of print). Delightful descriptions of the country and its inhabitants are contained in R. S. Hichens’s The Garden of Allah (London, 1904); Frances E. Nesbitt’s Algeria and Tunis (London, 1906; 20s.); Irene Osgood’s novel ‘Servitude’; Guy de Maupassant’s novel Au Soleil (nouv. éd., Paris, 1894; 3½ fr.); E. Fromentin’s Un été dans le Sahara (Paris, 1857) and Une Année dans le Sahel (Paris, 1859); Col. Pein’s Lettres familières sur l’Algérie (Châlons-sur-Marne, 1871; 3 fr.).

The French Carte de l’Algérie (of the ‘Service Géographique de l’Armée’) is completed for the N. districts only. Each sheet on the scale of 1:50,000 costs 1½ fr.; sheets on the scale of 1:200,000 cost 90 c. each. Since 1908 M. Jourdan, of Algiers, has been bringing out a new official map for the north (1:200,000) and the south (1:400,000) at 1 fr. per sheet.

28. Oran.

ARRIVAL BY SEA. The steamers of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (RR. 19, 18) are berthed at the Quai Bougainville (Pl. C, 1), those of the Transport Maritimes (R. 19) at the Quai de la Gare (Pl. C, D, 2), those of the Navigation Mixte (RR. 19, 18) at the Quai Lamoune (Pl. B, 1). Baggage is conveyed to the custom-house (Douane; Pl. B, 2), and thence to the cabs or hotel-omnibuses. The porters (portefaix), mostly natives, are notorious for their extortionate demands. Charges should be agreed upon beforehand.

=Railway Stations.= =1.= Gare Centrale or du P. L. M. et de l’Ouest Algérien (Pl. E, 4; p. 173), Boul. Marceau (p. 181), for Perrégaux and Algiers (R. 33), Tlemcen (R. 29), and Aïn-Témouchent (p. 185).—=2.= Gare d’Arzew (Pl. F, 5), 1 M. from the hotels, for the line viâ Damesme (Arzew) and Perrégaux to Beni-Ounif de Figuig (R. 32).—The Gare de la Marine (Pl. C, 2) is the terminus of the harbour goods-line.—TOWN OFFICE of the P. L. M. and Ouest Algérien railways, Boul. du Lycée 5.

=Hotels.= *HÔT. CONTINENTAL (Pl. a; D, 3), Boul. Séguin 1, corner of Place des Armes, fine open site, with restaurant, R. 4–6, B. 1½, déj. 4, D. 5, pens. 11–15, omn. 1 fr.—HÔT. VICTOR (Pl. b; D, 3), Rue d’Arzew 5 and Rue de la Bastille 8, R. 2½–5, B. ½¾, D. 3, pens. 7½–8½, omn. ½–1 fr., plain but good; HÔT. DU THÉÂTRE, Rue Bosquet, next the theatre (Pl. C, 3), new; HÔT. D’EUROPE (Pl. d; D, 3), Boul. Charlemagne 16, HÔT. DU PROGRÈS (Pl. f; D, 3), Rue de Belleville 14, both with restaurants, very unpretending.—=Hôtels Garnis.= *ROYAL (Pl. g; D, 3), Boul. du Lycée 3, with restaurant, R. 3–8, omn. 1 fr.; CENTRAL (Pl. h; D, 3), Rue de Belleville 13, R. 2½–4 fr.

=Cafés.= Continental (at the hotel), Riche, and de la Mosquée, all in Boul. Séguin (Nos. 1, 22, 19); du Théâtre, Place d’Armes 11; Nouvel Aquarium (p. 182), Promenade de Létang; Glacier, Place Kléber 3.

=Restaurants= at the hotels; also Nouvel Aquarium (p. 182); Brasserie Guill. Tell, in the Hôt. Royal, Boul. du Lycée 3, good; Brasserie de l’Etoile, Rue de Belleville 11; Brasserie Alsacienne, Boul. Séguin 18.

=Cabs= (voitures de place): │ By day│At night │ │ Drive within the town-walls │ 1.—│ 1.50 „ to the suburbs (banlieue) │ 1.50│ 2.— Course double (there and back, with stay of ¼ hr.)│ 1.50│ 2.— Same to the suburbs │ 2.—│ 2.50 Per hour, in the town │ 2.—│ 3.— „ „ within 8 kilomètres (5 M.) around │ 2.50│ 3.50 Excursion of a whole day (50 kilom. or 31 M.) │ 16.—│ — To Mers el-Kébir and back │ 4.—│ — Same drive, with stay of ½ hr. │ 5.—│ —

Night is reckoned from 11 to 6 (in summer to 5). Fares raised on Easter Monday and on race-days (see tariff). Luggage under 15 kilos (ca. 33 lbs.) free; trunk 25 c., over 40 kilos (ca. 88 lbs.) 50 c.

=Motor Cars= and =Bicycles=. Serviès, Boul. Magenta 28; L’Universelle (Schmitt & Co.), Rue d’Arzew 60; Palace Auto, Rue d’Alsace-Lorraine.

=Tramways= (from 6, in winter 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; 1st cl. 15, 2nd cl. 10 c.; transfer 20 or 15 c.). =1.= From Quai de la Douane (Pl. B, 1) to Rue d’Orléans, Place Kléber (Pl. C, 3), Boul. Malakoff, Rue des Jardins, and Place d’Armes (Pl. C, D, 3).—=2.= From Quai Ste. Thérèse (Pl. D, 1, 2) to Rue Charles-Quint, Place Kléber, Rue de Turin, Rue Philippe, and Place d’Armes.—From PLACE D’ARMES: =3.= to Boul. Séguin, Rue d’Arzew (Pl. D-F, 3), and Gambetta (Pl. H, 2); =4.= to Boul. Séguin, Rue de Mostaganem (Pl. D-G, 4), and St. Eugène (Pl. H, 4); =5.= to Boul. National, Boul. Magenta (Pl. D, 4), Boul. Marceau (Pl. E, F, 4, 5); =6.= to Boul. National, Boul. Sébastopol (Pl. C, D, 4), Rue Dutertre (Pl. D, 5), and Cimetière Tamazhouet (Pl. E, F, 5); =7.= to Boul. National, Porte de Tlemcen (Pl. C, 5), and Eckmühl (Pl. B, 5).

=Steam Tramway= to Hammam Bou-Hadjar, see p. 184.

=Omnibuses.= Motor-omnibus from the Place Kléber (Pl. C, 3) every ½ hr. to Mers el-Kébir (p. 183); ordinary omnibus twice daily to Aïn-et-Turk, Bou-Sfer (p. 184), and El-Ançor (p. 185); etc.

=Post & Telegraph Office= (Pl. 9; D, 3), Rue d’Alsace-Lorraine 7; branches in the Dock No. 4, Quai du Sénégal, at No. 17 Boul. Malakoff, etc.

=Steamboat Offices.= Générale Transatlantique, Boul. Malakoff 28; Transports Maritimes, Place de la République 9; Navigation Mixte (Touache Co.), Rue Séguin 1.

=Boats.= For a row in the harbour (as far as the lighthouse), 1 pers. 50, 2–3 pers. 25 c. each, 4 pers. 20 c. each (there and back with stay of ¼ hr., 70, 35, or 30 c.); one hour for 1 or more pers. 1½, each addit. hour 1 fr.—SAILING BOAT to Kristel (p. 184) about 6–8 fr. (according to bargain; should be ordered at the harbour in good time).

=Baths.= Beth, Boul. Séguin 1 (seaside of Hôt. Continental) and Rue d’Arzew 48; Dussap, Boul. Oudinot 22.—MOORISH (p. 175): Bains Maures, Rue de la Mosquée 5, etc.—SEA BATHS. Bains de la Plage Ste. Thérèse; Bains Flottants, Grande Jetée (Pl. D, 1), opposite the Quai Ste. Thérèse (ferry); Bains de la Reine (p. 183); also at Roseville (p. 183), St. André de Mers el-Kébir (p. 183), and Aïn-et-Turk (p. 184).

=Banks= (comp. p. 174). Banque de l’Algérie (Pl. 1; D, 3), Boul. Séguin; Comp. Algérienne, Rue d’Alsace-Lorraine; Crédit Lyonnais, Boul. Séguin 3; Crédit Agricole et Commercial Algérien (J. Thibaud), same street, No. 7.

=Booksellers.= Heintz, Boul. Séguin 4; Perrier, Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville 10; Fouque, Boul. Séguin 26.—=Newspapers= (5 c.). L’Echo d’Oran, Le Libéral, El Correo Español.

=Shops.= Maison Universelle, Boul. Séguin 27; Gradvohl, same boulevard, No. 20bis (Oriental goods).—PHOTOGRAPHIC REQUISITES. Luck, Rue de Belleville 9; Schnell, Boul. Séguin 14.—PICTURE POST CARDS. Caspari, Rue d’Arzew 24; Craveya, same street, No. 20.

=Tourist Offices.= Lubin, Galerie Perez, Boul. Séguin; Syndicat d’Initiative, Hôt. de Ville (p. 180); R. Heckmann, Place de la République 7.

=Consuls.= British Vice-Consul, Thos. A. Barber, Quai Ste. Marie 4 (Pl. B, 2).—U. S. Consular Agent, A. H. Elford, Rue Charles Quint 14.

=French Prot. Church= (Temple; Pl. 13, C, 3), Rue de la Révolution; service on Sun. at 9.30 a.m.

=Theatres.= Grand Théâtre Municipal (Pl. C, 3), Place d’Armes; Théâtre-Casino (Pl. 14; C, 2), Rue Philippe; Cirque-Théâtre des Nouveautés (Pl. C, 4), Boul. National; Alhambra (Pl. D, E, 3), Rue d’Arzew 38bis.

=Music= (in winter, 4–5 p.m.). Sun., Promenade de Létang (p. 181), near the Restaur. Aquarium; Tues., at the Cercle Militaire (p. 180); Thurs. (fortnightly in both), Place de la République and Square du Palais de Justice; Sat., at the Hôpital Militaire (Pl. C, 2).—CONCERTS in the Salle Musicale (Pl. D, 3), Rue de Paixhans.

TWO DAYS. 1st. In the forenoon, Place d’Armes (p. 180), Grande Mosquée (p. 180), Promenade de Létang (p. 181), Old Town (p. 179); afternoon, Belvédère (p. 182) or Plateau du Marabout (p. 183).—2nd. Forenoon, Mers el-Kébir (p. 183); afternoon, Promenade des Falaises (p. 184).—As to visiting the mosques, see p. 174.

Oran, Arabic Warân, the capital of the province of that name, with 110,000 inhab. (29,700 being foreigners, mostly Spaniards, 16,000 Mohammedans, and 13,200 Jews), is a strongly fortified place, the headquarters of an army corps and a torpedo-boat station, and has been an episcopal see since 1867. Next to Algiers it is now the greatest seaport and commercial place in Barbary. The town lies in 35° 44′ N. lat. and 0° 58′ W. long., on a bay of the spacious Gulf of Oran (p. 126), between Jebel Santon (1043 ft.; p. 183) on the W. and the Pointe Canastel (784 ft.; p. 184) on the E. side. At the W. end the quiet streets of the old town, overlooked by the bare limestone rocks of the Pic d’Aidour or Montagne de Santa Cruz (1221 ft.), ascend the ravine of the small brook Raz el-Aïn or Oued Rehhi to the hill of the Kasba, the ancient Moorish castle. The modern industrial quarters lie to the E. of the hill of Château-Neuf and beyond the ravine of the Aïn Rouina, extending far over the plateau of Karguentah (about 250–390 ft.), a tableland which descends abruptly to the sea and slopes gradually to the S. E. down to the plain of the Daya Morselli and the Plaine du Figuier (p. 185). The town is defended by several old forts of the Spanish period and by a number of modern coast-batteries, and, like most of the Algerian towns, is enclosed by a wall for protection against the natives. The chief suburbs outside the gates are Gambetta, St. Eugène, Lamur, and Eckmühl-Noiseux.

Oran is essentially a modern town, which is being extended and embellished with feverish zeal, but notwithstanding its French veneer it derives a certain individuality from the preponderating Spanish element in its population. The Mohammedan element is diminishing here even more rapidly than in Algiers. Owing to the scantiness of the rainfall the environs and their vegetation are quite African in character, and the neighbouring shotts, or salt-lakes, resemble those of the Hauts-Plateaux (p. 169).

The Gulf of Oran, where the Portus Divinus (Mers el-Kébir, p. 183) was the only Roman settlement, was unimportant in ancient times. Native tradition ascribes the foundation of the town of Oran to Moorish merchants of Andalusia in 902, but it was not till the late middle ages that the town began to thrive. After the rise of the kingdom of Tlemcen (p. 188) Oran superseded the neighbouring ports of Rachgoun (p. 185), Honeïn (p. 125), and Arzew (p. 199) as the chief staple of the W. Algerian coast, its trade being chiefly carried on by Italians.

Jealous of the successes of Portugal in Morocco (p. 96), and eager, after the capture of Granada (p. 75), to carry their crusade against Islam into African territory, the Spaniards sent an expedition against Melilla (p. 124) in 1496, while the all-powerful Card. Ximenez, archbishop of Toledo, proceeded to attack the Ziyanides (p. 188). In 1505 Mers el-Kébir, which had been twice occupied by the Portuguese in the 15th cent., was attacked and after a brave defence captured, and in 1509, on a second expedition, Oran fell into the hands of the cardinal. Thenceforth Oran formed the base of the further campaigns of the Spaniards, who in their victorious career soon captured all the important towns on the seaboard as far as Tripoli, and penetrated inland to Tlemcen. The Spanish governors succeeded in defending Oran against all the attacks of the barbarescos down to 1708, when the Bey Bu-Chlar’em bombarded the Spanish forts from Jebel Murjajo, captured them, and slew the entire garrison. A Spanish army under the Count of Montemar gained a brilliant victory over the Moors at Aïn et-Turk (p. 184) and recaptured the town in 1732, but the Spaniards soon found themselves again overmatched by their enemies. In 1790 the town was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake, and in 1792 the Spaniards at length withdrew their garrison.

Under the bey Mohammed el-Kebîr the town was erected into the capital of the province of W. Algeria; but in consequence of the earthquake, the interminable wars, and its entire separation from the inland regions during the centuries of the Spanish occupation, Oran had declined so lamentably that when it was occupied by French troops in 1831 it scarcely numbered 4000 inhabitants. Its rapid recovery since that period has been due to its favourable situation, its proximity to the Spanish coast and to the rich inland district of Tlemcen, and particularly to the extension of the Algerian railway system as far as the Sahara and to the promotion of trade with Morocco by the opening of free marts at Lalla-Marnia (p. 197), Aïn-Sefra (p. 202), and Beni-Ounif de Figuig (p. 203).

a. The Harbour and the Old Town.

The =Harbour= (Pl. B-D, 1, 2), 72 acres in area, is bounded on the E. side by the Quai Ste. Thérèse, 330 yds. long, and is sheltered on the N. by the Grande Jetée or Jetée du Large, a pier 1200 yds. in length, with a lighthouse at the end (Phare; Pl. D, 1). The shallow Vieux Port (Pl. B, C, 1, 2), now the S.W. bay of the new harbour bounded on the N. by the Quai Bougainville, was the harbour of the Moorish and Spanish periods. The rapid increase of the shipping trade (now exceeding 4 million tons annually) is being met by the construction of an outer harbour (Pl. D-G, 1, 2). The chief imports are sugar, coffee, rice, English coal, timber, petroleum, candles, and paper; the chief exports wine, grain, flour, fruit, early vegetables, alfa, ‘crin végétal’ (dwarf-palm fibre), tobacco, cattle, hides, wool, marble, and onyx.

From the Douane (Pl. B, 2) the RUE D’ORLÉANS (Pl. B, C, 2; tramway No. 1, see p. 176) ascends in a curve, skirting the Quartier de la Marine and the Quartier de la Calère, the Spanish quarters, to the upper part of the town. Halfway up, to the right, on the parapet of the small Place d’Orléans (Pl. B, 2) are seen the Spanish Armorial Bearings (1789).

Beyond the Palais Consulaire (Pl. 8, C 2; Chamber of Commerce and Commercial Court) the street reaches the two chief squares of the old French part of the town, the PLACE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE, with the Fontaine Aucour (Pl. C, 2; concerts, see p. 177), and the PLACE KLÉBER (Pl. C, 3). Adjoining the latter is the BOULEVARD MALAKOFF (Pl. C, 3), constructed over the vaulted channel of the Raz el-Aïn (p. 177), with a fine avenue of planes.

On the S.W. side of the Place Kléber, between Boul. Malakoff and Boul. Oudinot, rises the Préfecture (Pl. C, 3), the seat of the provincial government.

The Boul. Oudinot leads to the Magasin du Campement (Pl. C, 3; military stores; adm. by leave of the military authorities), in the garden of which we perceive the minaret of a Mosque (about 1800) dedicated to Sidi el-Hawâri, the chief saint of Oran.

The Rue Larrey leads past the E. side of the military stores to a terrace above the harbour-quarter, on which rises the—

Church of St. Louis (Pl. 12; C, 2), an unimportant edifice of 1839, whose choir-niche is a relic of the Spanish church of the time of the Count of Montemar (p. 178). The Wall of the Rue de Berlin (Pl. C, B, 2), which leads hence to the Porte du Santon (p. 182), is of Spanish origin.

We return to the Boul. Oudinot and glance at the Quartier de la Kasba, the oldest quarter of Oran, lying on the hill-side below the =Kasba= (Pl. B, C, 3; adm. on application at the guard-house), the old citadel. The old Moorish castle on this site was succeeded in the 16th cent. by the Spanish Castillo Viejo, the nucleus of the Spanish fortifications, and now occupied by French barracks. Above the Porte d’Espagne, a side-entrance at the end of the narrow Rue du Vieux-Château (Pl. C, 3), are still seen the arms of Spain.

The Rue de Madrid (Pl. C, 3, 2), a side-street of the Rue Larrey (see above), and the steps in the Rue d’Orléans near the S.W. angle of the Place de la République lead to the small public—

=Musée Demaeght= (Pl. 7; C, 2), Rue Montebello 9, founded in 1886 and named after its founder. Admittance, except on great festivals, daily 1–5, free. Catalogues of the antiquities and the ancient coins, 1¾ fr. each. Curator, Prof. A. Mouliéras.

In the vestibule are Roman mosaics from a dwelling-house at Portus Magnus (Saint-Leu, p. 199), freely restored in parts; Roman stelæ, milestones, inscriptions, etc. from the province of Oran.

FIRST FLOOR. On the left, in Room C, natural history collections, including specimens of marble and onyx from the province of Oran.—On the right, in Room D, prehistoric relics from Barbary and ethnographical collections.

SECOND FLOOR. On the left, in Room E, casts from the antique; Moorish ornaments from Toledo and Granada; and a graphic collection.—On the right, in Room F, modern paintings.

THIRD FLOOR. On the left, in Room G, natural history collections.—On the right, in Room H, a fine collection of coins, Numidian, Mauretanian, Roman, Byzantine, Moorish, old Spanish, etc.; in the wall-cases small relics from Portus Magnus.

b. The New Town.

The loftily situated NEW TOWN is reached from the Place Kléber (Pl. C, 3; p. 179) by several steep lanes in steps (Rue de Gênes, etc.), but more easily by the Boulevard Malakoff (p. 179) and the Rue des Jardins (Pl. C, 3; tramway No. 1, see p. 176), or by the Rue de Turin (Pl. C, 3, 2) and Rue Philippe (tramway No. 2).

The Rue de Turin leads in a bend past the Marché Bastrana (Pl. 5; C, 3) and the Promenade de Létang (p. 181).

The Rue Philippe, which ascends direct, passes on the right the elegant =Demeure de Hassan= (Pl. 2; C, 3), which, apart from the fortifications, is the sole relic of old Oran. According to the inscription, it was built in 1700 and restored in 1900, and is named after one of its later owners, a tobacco-merchant who became Bey of Oran in 1812.

The adjacent =Grande Mosquée=, or Mosquée du Pacha (Pl. 4, C, 3; Arabic Jâma el-Pasha), erected by order of the Dey of Algiers after the withdrawal of the Spaniards in 1792, is now the only mosque in the town used for divine service.

The front building, erected in the form of a kubba, or saint’s shrine, at the sharp bend of the Rue Philippe, dates only from the French period (1864). The pretty Sahn, or court of the mosque, enclosed by a pinnacled wall, is planted with palms and bananas.

In the mosque itself, whose vaulting rests alternately on short pillars and clustered columns, is the Sedda or stage, under the great central dome, where at the Friday service the Mosammi, or leader of prayer, repeats the words of the priest (Imâm) for the benefit of worshippers at a distance. On the right, by the plain mihrâb or prayer-niche, is the mimbar, the pulpit for the Friday sermon.

At the back of the mosque, in the Rue de la Mosquée, rises the octagonal Minaret (Sauma), the tower from which the muezzin summons the faithful to prayer five times daily.

The pretty =Place d’Armes= (Pl. C, D, 3; 233 ft.), where the Rue des Jardins and the Rue Philippe end, is the business centre of the town and the chief tramway station (p. 176). A Monument here recalls the battle near the Kubba Sidi-Brahim (p. 198).

On the S. side of the square rises the HÔTEL DE VILLE, or Mairie (Pl. C, 3), a building in the French Renaissance style, approached by a high flight of steps. On the W. side is the Grand Théâtre Municipal (p. 177), opened in 1908. The grounds of the Cercle Militaire (Pl. C, D, 3; concerts, see p. 177), on the N. side of the square, extend to the S. bastions of the Château-Neuf (p. 182).

On the margin of the plateau, to the S.W. of the Place d’Armes and W. of the Rue de la Révolution, lies the poor Jewish Quarter, with its dirty streets, of which the chief is the Rue d’Austerlitz (Pl. C, 3, 4). Here an interesting fruit and vegetable market takes place daily (Sat. excepted). The best time for a glance at the Jewish quarter is a Saturday morning, between 8.30 and 9, when the women in all their finery go to the synagogues (in the Rue de Ratisbonne, etc.).

At the N.E. angle of the Place d’Armes begins the BOULEVARD SÉGUIN (Pl. D, 3, 4), now the main street, with the chief banks, shops, and cafés, a favourite evening resort.—In a side-street, the Boul. du Deuxième-Zouaves, rises the new Cathedral (Pl. D, 3, 4), begun in 1905 and now nearly completed. To the S. of it is the Palais de Justice (Pl. D, 4) in the pleasant square named after it (music, see p. 177).—From the S. end of the Boul. Séguin the Rue de Mostaganem and Boul. Marceau (Pl. D-F, 4, 5) lead to the new Gare Centrale (Pl. E, 4; p. 175), in the modern Moorish style (1907–9).

The S. quarter of the town, between the Barracks (Pl. C, D, 4, 5), built in the charming neo-Moorish style, and the town-walls, is the so-called =Village-Nègre= (Pl. C, D, 5), a growth of the French period. It consists chiefly of small one-storied houses, occupied by the natives, the working classes, and the poorer Mohammedans, with the Marché Arabe as its nucleus. A visit may be paid to it in the morning, or better on a Friday or Sunday afternoon. In an open site on the E. side of this quarter, near the Rue Dutertre (tramway No. 6, see p. 176), is the picturesque Marabout Sidi el-Bachir (Pl. D, 5; p. 172).

Near this is the Porte du Cimetière, leading to the Jewish Burial Ground (Pl. D, 5), to the Christian Cimetière Tamazhouet (Pl. E, F, 5), and to the suburb of Lamur occupied by natives.

The E. part of the new town is intersected by the Rue d’Arzew, passing the new Gallerie Audéoud with its row of shops, a little beyond which the Boul. de Tivoli diverges to the N. (left). In an open site at the end of this street rises the Vieille Mosquée (Pl. F, 3), built at the end of the 18th cent. (now being restored), with a minaret resembling that of the El-Hawâri mosque (p. 179).

The chief boast of Oran is the *=Promenade de Létang= (Pl. C, D, 2), the delightful grounds, shaded with palms, which flank the N. and W. sides of the Château-Neuf. They are reached from the Place d’Armes, either to the N.W. by the Rue Philippe, or to the N.E. by a road beginning between the Cercle Militaire and the Hôtel Continental. (To the E. of this road lies the Lycée, Pl. D, 3, a road to which crosses the ravine of the Aïn Rouina.) The two N.E. platforms, above the Fort Ste. Thérèse (Pl. D, 2), command a glorious view, especially towards evening, of the bold coast as far as the Pointe Canastel (p. 184) and of the double-peaked Jebel Kahar (p. 184). The terrace on the N.W. side, near the Nouvel Aquarium (music, see p. 177), affords a good view of the harbour, of Jebel Murjajo with the Plateau du Marabout and Fort Santa Cruz (see below), and of the bay of Mers el-Kébir (p. 183).

The CHÂTEAU-NEUF (Pl. C, D, 2; now military headquarters and barracks) was the Bordj el-Ahmar (red castle) of Moorish times, the chief fort of the town next to the Kasba, the Rosalcázar of the Spanish period, seat of the governor, and in 1792–1831 the residence of the Bey of the province of Oran. Admittance on application at the guard-house. The inconsiderable buildings date partly from the Spanish occupation; on the outer walls and the entrance gateway are an Arabic and several Spanish inscriptions.

c. Environs.

(1). The old =Fort Santa Cruz= (Pl. A, 2; 1221 ft.; now an observatory), on the Pic d’Aidour, the E. spur of the Jebel Murjajo, is reached by the Rue de Berlin (p. 179) and the Porte de Santa Cruz or du Santon (1¼ hr.). A very rough, shadeless path ascends to it, beginning on a stony slope to the right above the drilling-ground, crossing the road to Fort St. Grégoire, and passing the chapel of the Vierge de Santa Cruz (Pl. A, 1; 1024 ft.; view). It may be reached also by a bridle-path through the Ravin des Planteurs (Pl. A, B, 2, 3), the gorge at the beginning of the Bois des Planteurs. The fort was built in 1700, nearly destroyed by the barbarescos in 1708 and 1792, and restored in 1856. It has always been connected with the Château-Neuf (see above) by an underground passage, 3 M. long. The platform commands a fine view of Oran and the bay of Mers el-Kébir (custodian 30–50 c.).

The BELVÉDÈRE is a more interesting point. We follow the road from the Porte du Santon (see above), passing the drilling-ground, and crossing the (8 min.) Ravin des Planteurs. Now called the Chemin des Planteurs (Pl. B, A, 3), the road ascends in windings through the Bois des Planteurs, a pleasant pine-grove on the S. slope of Jebel Murjajo, where jackals are sometimes seen. To the right, halfway up, a path (finger-post) diverges to the (10 min.) *=Belvédère= (Pl. A, 3; rfmts.), a kind of temple where we enjoy a superb view of Oran. We may now either go on to the Plateau du Marabout, or else return to the town by the very attractive S. branch of the Chemin des Planteurs (Pl. A, B, 4), which descends to the valley of Raz el-Aïn (p. 177) and leads along its left bank to the Porte du Ravin (Pl. B, C, 3).

The road to the =Plateau du Marabout= (about 1360 ft.; carr. in about 1¾ hr., 6–8 fr., according to bargain) ascends through the Bois des Planteurs (p. 182). From the end of the road a walk of 10 min. to the N.E. along the crest of the hill, through meagre brushwood, and offering a glimpse of the bay of Mers el-Kébir to the left, brings us to the Marabout Sidi Abd el-Kâder el-Djilâni, the chapel of a Persian saint much revered throughout Barbary as the founder of the Kadria brotherhood (p. 361). From this point, especially towards evening, we obtain a splendid *View of Oran, of Jebel Kahar and Jebel Orouze (p. 184) to the N.E., of the salt-lake and the bay of Arzew (p. 199). To the S. we see part of the Sebkha d’Oran (p. 185), backed by Jebel Tessala (p. 186).

From the plateau we may either descend, a few minutes’ walk beyond the Marabout, to the left to Ste. Clotilde (see below), or we may go straight on, across the saddle between the Jebel Murjajo and the Pic d’Aidour, to the (40 min.) Chapelle de la Vierge and the Fort Santa Cruz (p. 182).

(2). The excursion to MERS EL-KÉBIR (motor-omnibus and carr., see p. 176; tramway to Aïn-et-Turk projected) is specially attractive in the morning. We leave Oran near the Douane (Pl. B, 2) and above Fort Lamoune (Pl. B, 1) skirt the bold E. slope of the Pic d’Aidour (p. 182). On the wooded N. slope of the hill we reach (2 M.) the Bains de la Reine, which have been in use since the time of the Ziyanides (p. 188), but owe their name to a visit paid them by Juana the Insane (p. 76). The plain bath-hotel lies on the road above; the saline spring (130° Fahr.) and the bath-house lie behind the rocks lower down. The baths are frequented, chiefly in spring, both by Europeans and natives.

The road next passes below (2½ M. from Oran) the villa-suburb of Ste. Clotilde (197 ft.; Hôt. Ste. Clotilde), with its charming gardens in the shade of the hill (path to the Plateau du Marabout, see above). Just beyond Ste. Clotilde, in the ravine of Salto del Cavallo, is the spot where Tâkhfîn ben-Ali (p. 188) is said to have been slain when attempting to escape.

3¾ M. Roseville (99 ft.; not visible from the road) has a good bathing-beach. 4½ M. St. André de Mers el-Kébir (55 ft.; Hôt. National, on the shore), a poor village, inhabited almost entirely by Spaniards and Italians, lies at the S. base of the fortified Jebel Santon (1043 ft.), the N. spur of Jebel Murjajo.

The open roads of =Mers el-Kébir= (Arabic Mersa el-Kebîr, the great harbour), famed in Spanish military annals as Mazalquivir, now the naval harbour of Oran, are admirably sheltered from the W. and N. winds by Jebel Santon and by a rocky headland (lighthouse). Beyond the (5 M.) little fishing-village (Hôt. de l’Escadre, humble) rises a huge Fort, the outer walls of which date partly from the Spanish period.

TO AÏN-ET-TURK AND BOU-SFER (a day’s excursion from Oran; omn. and carr., see p. 176; provisions should be taken), an interesting drive, especially in spring, affording a good idea of the progress of agriculture in this coast-region. Beyond the headland of Mers el-Kébir the road is carried round the Jebel Santon, high above the sea, by means of cuttings, and then descends to the fertile Plaine des Andalouses, which is now inhabited chiefly by S. Spanish peasants. Its name recalls the landing here of the Moors expelled from Andalusia.

9½ M. (from Oran) Aïn-et-Turk (65 ft.; ‘Turkish well’), a little village, to which sea-bathers resort in summer, with a church on the hill (177 ft.), 2½ M. to the S.E. of Cape Falcon (p. 125), from which it is separated by a chain of sand-hills rising to a height of 397 ft.

The road, now perfectly straight, ascends to the S.W., through vineyards and corn-fields, to (13 M.) the large village of Bou-Sfer (486 ft.), on the well-watered N. slope of Jebel Murjajo, with its thriving farms where vegetables are largely grown. To Bou-Tlélis, see p. 185.

From Bou-Sfer a road, with fine views, leads along the hill-side, and then across the saddle (768 ft.) between Jebel Murjajo and Jebel Santon, back to (22 M.) St. André de Mers el-Kébir.

(3). A splendid walk, especially by evening light, is offered by the *=Promenade des Falaises= (Pl. G, H, 1), to the N.E. of Oran. Tramway No. 3 (p. 176) should be taken to the station outside the Porte d’Arzew (Pl. F, G, 3). Here we go to the left, skirting the town-walls, then to the N.E. across the harbour goods-line (p. 175), through the Ravin Blanc at a distance from the battery of that name, and up the fields to the (20 min.) highly picturesque margin of the plateau, whence we survey the whole coast from Mers el-Kébir on the W. to the Pointe de l’Aiguille and Jebel Orouze to the N.E. A little farther on we reach an avenue of palms which leads in a curve to the (¼ hr.) tramway-terminus in the suburb of Gambetta (Pl. H, 2).

Good walkers, starting very early, may extend their excursion from the Promenade des Falaises to the Pointe Canastel (784 ft.), near which ends the road coming from Gambetta (4 M.), and thence along the slope of Jebel Kahar or Montagne des Lions (2008 ft.), in 4–4½ hrs., to the Moorish village of =Kristel= (poor cafés), finely situated amid rich orange groves. Or, in calm weather, we may take a sailing-boat (see p. 176) from Oran to Kristel. We may now walk or ride (donkey 2½–3 fr.) up the steep hill to the saddle between Jebel Kahar and Jebel Kristel (1970 ft.); then past the Ferme Tazout (1105 ft.; to the left the iron and lead mines on Jebel Borosse, a spur of Jebel Orouze; p. 199) to the S.E., partly through underwood, and down to the (2½ hrs.) railway-station of Saint-Cloud (p. 199). We may there take the train viâ Damesme to Arzew (p. 199) and return to Oran in the evening.

FROM ORAN TO HAMMAM BOU-HADJAR, 45 M., steam-tramway twice daily (thrice on Sun., Mon., and Tues.) in 3¾–4¾ hrs. (fares 5 fr. 40, 3 fr. 95 c.). The line starts from the N. end of the Boul. Mascara (Pl. C, 4) and proceeds to the S.E. viâ (4 M.) La Sénia (p. 185) to (7½ M.) Valmy (p. 185), some distance beyond which it turns to the S.W. and runs parallel to the S. shore of the Sebkha d’Oran (p. 185). 12 M. Arbal, on the N. spurs of Jebel Tessala (p. 186); 25 M. St. Maur; 39 M. Aïn el-Arba. 45 M. Hammam Bou-Hadjar (574 ft.), near which are the baths of that name (Hôt. des Bains, plain but good). The hot mineral water (135–167° Fahr.), resembling that of Ems, rises among the calc-sinter terraces of the Fer à Cheval. A cool spring (64° Fahr.), strongly impregnated with iron, is used for drinking.

Excursion to Misserghin, see p. 185.

29. From Oran to Tlemcen.

102½ M. RAILWAY Train, with one 1st and 2nd cl. through-carriage, in 5¼–5¾ hrs.; (fares 18 fr. 55, 13 fr. 35 c., 10 fr.). Dep. from chief station (p. 175). As far as Aïn-Fezza (p. 186) finest views to the left. Railway Restaurant (D. 2 fr.) at Sidi Bel-Abbès only.

MOTOR TRIP (p. 173) from Oran viâ Misserghin, Aïn-Temouchent, and Pont-de-l’Isser to (82½ M.) Tlemcen, returning viâ Sidi Bel-Abbès (128 M.), interesting; good road.

Between Lamur (p. 181) and Victor-Hugo, suburbs of Oran, the train crosses the Damesme and Perrégaux line (R. 32). Beyond the small salt-lake Daya Morselli, on the left, we enter the Plaine du Figuier, on the N. side of the Sebkha d’Oran, one of the largest salt-lakes in the Tell Atlas, 26 M. long and 6 M. broad.

3 M. La Sénia (325 ft.), a Spanish village, with productive vegetable-gardens and vineyards; also a station on the steam-tramway from Oran to Hammam Bou-Hadjar (p. 184).

To the S.W. from La Sénia diverges the ORAN AND AÏN-TEMOUCHENT LINE (from Oran 47½ M., in 2¼–3 hrs.; fares 8 fr. 60, 6 fr. 15, 4 fr. 60 c.). The train skirts the S. base of Jebel Murjajo (p. 182), near the Sebkha d’Oran. 12½ M. Misserghin (360 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs, Hôt. de la Paix, both poor; pop. 4400), situated 9½ M. to the S.W. of Oran by the Tlemcen road, a spot much visited from Oran, possessing a large pépinière or nursery, and several monastic foundations; charming walk to the (2½ M.) Ravin de la Vierge through luxuriant orange, lemon, mandarin, and banana groves.—22½ M. Bou-Tlélis (295 ft.), whence a road leads viâ the Forêt M’Sila and El-Ançor to Bou-Sfer (p. 184). 29½ M. Lourmel (300 ft.), near the W. end of the salt-lake. 35 M. Er-Rahel (450 ft.), connected by road (6¼ M.) with Hammam Bou-Hadjar (p. 184). We cross the Rio Salado (Arabic Oued Malah) to (40 M.) Rio Salado (279 ft.), famed for its wine.—47½ M. =Aïn-Temouchent= (847 ft.; Royal Hotel; Hôt. de Londres; Hôt. de la Poste; pop. 7500), founded in 1851 on the site of the Roman Albulae, chiefly inhabited by Spaniards, lies amidst vineyards and orchards in the narrow valley of the Oued Senane, into which the Oued Temouchent falls here. The Thurs. market is worth seeing.

The ROAD TO TLEMCEN, 41 M. (diligence at 7 p.m. in 9 hrs., returning from Tlemcen at 9 p.m.; coupé 6 fr.) leads to the S.W. from Aïn-Temouchent through a hill-region, composed mainly of eruptive rock, and well-watered, to the thriving village of Aïn-Kial (1477 ft.; noted for its cattle), crosses the pass (1998 ft.; fine views) of Jebel Sebaa-Chioukh, and then descends past the onyx-quarries of the hill-village of Tekbalet to the Isser Valley. 20½ M. Pont-de-l’Isser (807 ft.; Hôt. Pomarès, humble), a village amid orange-gardens and olive-groves, is almost purely Mohammedan. The road, now shadeless, affording fine glimpses of Tlemcen, ascends for a long time in the valley of the Oued el-Guettara, and reaches (37½ M.) Safsaf (2493 ft.) and (41 M.) Tlemcen (2658 ft.; p. 187).

Another road (23 M.; omn. at 9 a.m.) leads to the W. from Aïn-Temouchent to the little seaport of Beni-Saf, the outlet for the iron-ores of the Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid (p. 303). From Beni-Saf a road (omn. at 6.45 a.m., in 9 hrs.; 5 fr.) leads viâ (5½ M.) Rachgoun (opposite the island mentioned at p. 125) into the fertile valley of the Tafna, the ancient Siga, and to (8¾ M.) Takembrit, the modern name for the ruins of the once important Roman town of Siga. Then, beyond the confluence of the Isser with the Tafna, the road reaches (27½ M.) Montagnac (735 ft.) and (36 M.) Hennaya (1346 ft.), whence it ascends to (42½ M.) Tlemcen (2658 ft.).

The TLEMCEN RAILWAY, beyond La Sénia, crosses the Plaine du Figuier, and beyond (6 M.) Valmy (p. 184) nears the salt-works on the Sebkha d’Oran (p. 185). 16 M. Ste. Barbe-du-Tlélat (492 ft.) is noted for its table grapes.

Our train here diverges to the S.E. from the line to Perrégaux and Algiers (R. 33), and follows the vine-clad valley of the Oued Tlélat. Beyond (20 M.) St. Lucien we pass a barrage or reservoir. 26 M. Les Lauriers-Roses lies on the N.E. spurs of Jebel Tessala (3481 ft.), the mountain which separates the great and fertile tableland of Sidi Bel-Abbès, one of the granaries of the province, from the basin of the Sebkha d’Oran.

The train crosses the Col des Ouled-Ali and the Oued Imbert (1578 ft.) in the fertile valley of that name, and reaches the top of the tableland. 38½ M. Les Trembles (1375 ft.); the village lies on a height to the left, between the Oued Mekerra (Sig, p. 206) and its affluent Oued Sarno. We then ascend the Mekerra valley to (42½ M.) Prudon (1477 ft.), where many of the wine-growers are Germans, old soldiers of the French foreign legion.

48½ M. =Sidi Bel-Abbès= (1542 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient & Continental; Hôt. des Voyageurs; pop. 29,080), a prosperous agricultural town, was founded in 1849 on the plan of a Roman camp, with streets at right angles, and is surrounded by suburbs occupied mainly by Spanish immigrants. This is the headquarters of the Légion Etrangère, composed mainly of adventurers and deserters from Germany and other countries, the first regiment of whom is located here and the second at Saïda (p. 201). The legion is for the most part stationed on the Sahara railway (p. 199), in Morocco, or in the colonies. Great market on Thursdays. Outside the S. gate, the Porte de Tlemcen, are pleasant public grounds (concerts).

A. E. W. Mason’s novel ‘The Truants’ (London, 1904) deals with the Foreign Legion.

62½ M. Tabia (2035 ft.), the next important station, is the junction for a line to (48 M.) Crampel (Ras el-Ma), used chiefly for the esparto traffic (p. 171).

We now near the main chain of the Tell Atlas of Oran. 77½ M. Aïn-Tellout, with the spring of that name and a waterfall. 83 M. Lamoricière (2349 ft.), in a fertile tract, on the Isser. Near Hadjar-Roum, to the E. of the station, lay the Roman Altava.

89½ M. Oued-Chouly, on the brook of that name, which bursts forth in cascades from a ravine to join the Isser. Near this, at Sidi-Hamza, are considerable onyx-quarries. The train now ascends rapidly to (97 M.) Aïn-Fezza (2855 ft.).

We next enter the upper *Safsaf Valley, enclosed by the high limestone slopes of Jebel Hanif (3928 ft.) and Jebel Chouka (3786 ft.), and in a sharp bend, passing through several tunnels, sweep round the gorge of El-Ourit (p. 196), with its waterfalls. We skirt the foot of Sidi Bou-Médine (p. 194), obtaining a beautiful view of the fertile hill-country to the right, and run through olive-groves to (102½ M.) Tlemcen (see p. 187).

30. Tlemcen.

The STATION lies to the E., 6 min. beyond the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine (Pl. D, 2, 3).

HOTELS. Hôtel de France (Pl. b; C, 3), Rue de Fez, R. 2½–4, B. 1¼, déj. 3. D. 4, pens. 9–12, omn. 1 fr.; Hôtel Charles (Pl. a; C, 2), Place des Victoires, R. 3, B. ¾, déj. or D. 3, pens. 7½, omn. 1 fr., good, though plain, with restaurant.—CAFÉS in the Place de la Mairie, Place des Victoires, etc.

CARRIAGES (mostly with three horses, poor but not dear; fares according to bargain) in the Place des Victoires and Esplanade du Méchouar.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. B, 2), Boulevard National.

ONE DAY AND A HALF. 1st. Forenoon, *Great Mosque (p. 189), Museum (p. 190), *Sidi el-Haloui Mosque (p. 191), Agâdir (p. 196); afternoon, *Mansura (p. 193).—2nd. *Sidi Bou-Médine (p. 194). Mosques open daily 8–11 a.m.; at other times a permit of the sub-prefect (see Pl. B, 2) is required (comp. also p. 174).

Tlemcen (2658 ft.), the old capital of the central Maghreb (Maghreb el-Oust), was in the middle ages, along with Fez, one of the great trading stations between the W. Sahara and the Mediterranean, and had a factory of the Genoese and the Venetians. It is now, after Oran, the most important town in the province, with 37,300 inhab. (including 25,500 Mohammedans, chiefly Berbers and Moors, and 5000 Jews); it possesses the only Medersa (p. 228) in the province of Oran, founded in 1904, and is the chief military post on the W. frontier of Algeria. The town is very charmingly situated on a flat hill at the base of a ridge crowned with the Kubba Lalla-Setti (3363 ft.), a spur of the Jebel Terni or Massif de Tlemcen. Beyond the extensive hilly region to the N., sloping steeply down to the valleys of the Isser and the Tafna (p. 185), we descry the bold mountains of the Traras group (p. 198) and of Jebel Sebaa-Chioukh (p. 185). The nearer environs of the town, on the upper margin of the plateau, are exuberantly fertile. Luxuriant fruit-bearing hedges are interspersed with groves of gigantic olive, carob, and pistachio trees, from whose shade peep forth the white domes of numerous tombs of saints (p. 172).

Tlemcen still contains historic memorials of its mediæval prime and a number of Moorish works of art, mostly of the Abdelwadite and Merinide periods (p. 188). These last, like the buildings of Fez and Kairwan (p. 372), are among the most interesting in Barbary. Their great charm consists in the fact that their native characteristics have been preserved in a picturesque environment where customs and dress differ but slightly from those of the ancient East.

Pomaria, the earliest settlement in this region, was once, like Altava (p. 186) and Numerus Syrorum (p. 197), a Roman camp for the defence of the most important military road in Mauretania Cæsariensis (p. 244), but in Roman times, notwithstanding its favourable position, it was outstripped by Siga (p. 185). On its site, by the time of Sidi Okba (p. 322), there had already sprung up the Berber settlement of Agâdir, which, under Idris I. (p. 95) in 790, became the fortified capital of the E. province of Morocco for defence against the Kharijite kingdom in Tiaret (p. 208). For seven centuries from that time onwards it was involved in all the party struggles for the possession of Barbary. During the conflicts of Omaiyades (p. 69) and Fatimites (p. 323), the governors of Agâdir, descendants of Solaïmân ben-Abdallah, brother of Idris I., maintained their position as vassals of one or other of these dynasties, but in 973 the town was sacked by Bologgîn ez-Ziri (p. 323) in the course of a war against the Omaiyades.

In 1081 the Almoravide Yûsuf ibn Têshufîn (p. 95) appeared before the gates of Agâdir, and on the site of his camp (Berber ‘tagrârt’) founded the new town of Tagrârt, afterwards the Telensîn or Tlimsân of the Moors, and united W. Algeria with Morocco. In 1145 the vicinity of Tagrârt witnessed the decisive battle between Tâkhfîn ben-Ali (p. 183) and Abd el-Mûmen (p. 95) which sealed the fate of the Almoravide kingdom. Since then Tagrârt appears in history as the seat of Almohade governors of the family of Abd el-Wâd, settled near Tlemcen, a branch of the powerful Berber tribe of the Zenata, and also as a military camp, while the lower classes only inhabited Agâdir.

The fall of the Almohades (p. 95) gave rise to the kingdom of Tlemcen, which was soon extended to the W. to the Mulûya (p. 124) and to the E. to Bougie (p. 262). The first independent monarch was Yarmorâsen ben-Zeiyân (1239–82), of the Abdelwadites, who, with the aid of Moorish artists from Andalusia, transformed Tlemcen, his capital, into a rival of Fez as one of the most brilliant art-centres in Barbary.

Embellished in legend and in poetry, and most famous among episodes in the annals or the Maghreb were the two sieges of Tlemcen by the Merinides (p. 95). The first siege by Abû Yakûb and his grandson Abû-Tsâbit Omar (1299–1307) commenced with the foundation of the fortified town of El-Mahalla el-Mansura, which, saving the mosque, was razed to the ground by the Abdelwadites after the withdrawal of the Moroccan army, but was rebuilt by Abû’l-Hasen Ali (1335–7) on the occasion of the second, and this time successful, siege of Tlemcen.

To the brief sway of the Merinides (1337–59) Tlemcen is indebted for almost all the important buildings outside of its walls. The chief residence of Abû’l-Hasen Ali (d. 1348), next to Fez, was Mansura, where he erected a new ‘palace of victory’ as his kasba; but the place was abandoned under Abû Inân Fâres (1348–58), and from that time down to the French period it merely served as a stone-quarry.

During the brilliant reign of Abû Hammu Mûsa II. (1359–89), the first of the Ziyanides (1359–1517), the younger Abdelwadite dynasty, his court vied with that of Granada as a resort of artists, poets, and scholars; but from that time onwards Tlemcen shared the general decadence of Barbary. It was not only the chief scene of all the conflicts between the Merinides and Hafsides (p. 323), but was grievously torn by internal dissensions also, so that it soon lost all importance. After the overthrow of the Ziyanides by Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221), and after a short occupation by the Spaniards (1518), Tlemcen became a poor provincial town in the beylic of Oran. The present town-walls (1855–6) and a whole new quarter are creations of the French régime, under which, in 1842, Tlemcen was incorporated with their new colony of Algeria.

Comp. Marçais’s book on Tlemcen mentioned at p. 175 and A. Bel’s ‘Tlemcen et ses Environs’ (Oran, 1909).

From the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine (Pl. D, 2, 3), the chief gate of the town, the Rue de Sidi Bel-Abbès leads in 2 min. to the ESPLANADE DU MÉCHOUAR (Pl. C, 3), planted with fine plane-trees. On the left rises the—

=Méchouar= (Arabic meshwâr, the king’s castle), the residence of the Abdelwadites and Ziyanides, erected by Yarmorâsen about 1255, a great quadrangular pile, forming like the Alhambra a complete quarter of the town. The building was largely destroyed during a revolt against Hassan, Bey of Mascara, in 1670, and in 1842 was replaced by French barracks. The only relics of the original edifice are the Castle Wall, built by Abû’l-Abbâs Ahmed, the thirteenth Ziyanide, with its modern clock-tower of 1843, and the Castle Mosque, founded in 1317, which was long used as a storehouse. The latter, having been converted into a chapel for the military hospital, has lost its original character in the interior (adm. on application).

From the E. end of the Esplanade the Rue du Théâtre leads to the PLACE DES VICTOIRES (Pl. C, D, 2), planted with trees, from the parapet of which we look down on the E. Mohammedan quarter (p. 191) and the hills of the Safsaf valley.

A little to the N.W. is the PLACE DE LA MAIRIE (Pl. C, 2), which, together with the Place d’Alger (p. 190) on its W. side, forms the business centre of the town. On its S. side rises the Mairie (Pl. C, 2), erected in 1843. In the court are two onyx columns from Mansura, bearing two huge stone balls which were thrown into the town during one of the Merinide sieges.

The *=Great Mosque= (Pl. C, 2; Arabic Jâma el-Kebîr), the back of which bounds the N. side of the square, now the only edifice of the Almoravide period at Tlemcen, is very important in art-history as one of the few Moorish buildings of the 12th cent. that have survived without alteration. The inscription on the frieze of the drum of the mihrâb dome records the name of the founder, the caliph Ali ibn Yûsuf, who with the aid of Andalusian artists erected the court and the house of prayer adjacent to the Kasr el-Kadîm, or royal castle, in 1135–8. The minaret was not added till the reign of Yarmorâsen (after 1250). The kubba at the S.W. angle, adjoining the Rue de France, once perhaps the tomb of Yarmorâsen and several of the Ziyanides, now contains the vault of Mohammed ben-Merzûg. On the E. side of the mosque, near the old vine in the side-street, is a second saint’s tomb, the kubba of Ahmed Bel-Hasen el-Ghomari (d. 1466). The library, a later addition next to the minaret, has been removed by the French.

The square court of the mosque, which we enter on the E. side, is flanked on three sides by triple or quadruple arcades; the two aisles of the N. arcade, which precede the minaret, are of later date. The irregular plan of the arcades and of the main portal leading into the nave of the mosque was probably due to the situation of the castle. The onyx pavement of the court is preserved in part only.

The INTERIOR, consisting of a central nave (15 by 10½ ft.) with twelve narrower aisles, is entered by five portals on the S. side of the court, whose arches are of round or pointed horseshoe form or multifoil, and also by two E. portals. The arcades, whose arches are mostly horseshoe-shaped, but in a few cases pointed, rest on short pillars. The open roof is well preserved. The nave is crowned with two domes, the nearer rising behind the sedda (p. 180), while the second, over the mihrâb chapel, shows beginnings of stalactite vaulting. The great candelabrum under the central dome is modern and is for the most part an imitation of the old one said to have been presented by Yarmorâsen and now in the Museum (see below). The mimbar and kursi (p. 451) are of no artistic value, and the maksûra (p. 71) has disappeared. The elegant stucco ornamentation of the *Mihrâb, which even extends to the exterior, where the stone slabs are framed with multifoil arches, recalls the mosque of Cordova. The prayer-niche is lighted by three perforated windows of plaster. Behind the mihrâb is the sacristy.

The MINARET, 115 ft. high, resembling the tower of Agâdir (p. 196), affords a beautiful view of the town and environs.

On the W. side of the PLACE D’ALGER (Pl. C, 2), where the ruins of the famous Medersa Jadîda or Tâkhfînîya, a school for the learned erected by the Abdelwadite Abû Tâkhfîn (1322–37), existed down to 1876, rises the—

*=Sidi Bel-Hassen Mosque=, now the Museum (Pl. 2, B, C, 2; custodian in the court of the Mairie; fee ½ fr.), erected in 1296 by the Abdelwadite Abû Saïd Otsmân. It consists of nave and two aisles, with a low minaret. Used by the French successively as a storehouse and a school, it was carefully restored in 1900, and is now a perfect gem in the interior. The stucco *Decoration of the walls, preserved in part only, with its rich and graceful arabesques (p. 445), and the geometrical ornamentation of the round-arched plaster windows, recall the sumptuous rooms of the Alcázar at Seville and the Alhambra of Granada. The half-dome of the **Mihrâb, whose horseshoe mural arch rests on two small columns of onyx, is borne by stalactite or honeycomb vaulting. The ancient roof of cedar is well preserved in the left aisle only.

Below the two friezes with Cufic inscriptions adjoining the Mihrâb are fragments, built into the wall, of fayence tiles from the old Medersa Tâkhfînîya and the Méchouar. The beautiful onyx basin once belonged to the latrine-court of the Great Mosque. Along the walls are several Roman and numerous Mohammedan tombstones, some of them belonging to kings of Tlemcen. Near the entrance is the so-called Coudée Royale, a marble slab from the Kessaria (comp. p. 191), bearing an ell-measure and regulations for the trade of Christian merchants with the natives (1328). In the second room are the old candelabrum and remains of the old maksûra of the Great Mosque (comp. above), Moorish and Turkish tiles, etc. On the first floor is the Geological Museum.

The dirty streets to the S. of the Place de la Mairie and the Place d’Alger, which have been laid out in straight lines under the French régime, belong to the Jewish Quarter, where, however, a few of the old one-storied houses with a kind of sunken flat, still survive.

A pleasanter walk may be taken through the =Mohammedan Quarters=, especially that to the E. of the Place de la Mairie, where we may witness, especially on market-day (Mon.), the most lively and picturesque scenes of native life. The busiest points are the Marché Couvert (Pl. C, 2) in the Place du Kessaria, where the Italian merchants had their offices in the middle ages, and also the Rue de Mascara (Pl. C, D, 2, 1) and the Rue Kaldoun (Pl. C, D, 1). Adjoining the Rue de Mascara, once the Sûk el-Berada’in (saddlers’ market), is an impasse called the Derb el-Msoufa, in which is situated the little Mosque of Sidi Senoussi (Pl. D, 2; his tomb is near Sidi Bou-Médine, p. 194), with a graceful minaret inlaid with tiles and a small house of prayer on the first floor.

In the street between the Rue de Mascara and the Rue Kaldoun are the so-called BAINS DES TEINTURIERS (Pl. D, 1; Hammâm es-Sebbâghîn), an ancient Moorish bath-house (12th cent.?), the plan of which seems to have been an exact copy of the Roman bath.

The ante-room, now much altered, was apparently the tepidarium. Straight on we come to the apodyterium, a domed room on twelve short mediæval columns, with a gallery running round it. To the left of this room is the caldarium in three sections, with the heating apparatus on the E. side. The S. side-room is the frigidarium.

At the end of the Rue Kaldoun we leave the town by the Porte de l’Abattoir (Pl. D, 1; road to Agâdir, see p. 196), and turn to the left, skirting the town-walls, above the dilapidated Sidi Lahsen Mosque, built by Abû’l-Abbâs Ahmed (p. 189), which has an elegant minaret and an interior restored in the Turkish period.

On a slope near the N.E. angle of the town-walls, below the railway, and formerly below the Bâb Sidi’l-Haloui, is the tomb of the saint of that name (d. 1307), adjoined by the—

*=Sidi el-Haloui Mosque=, a creation of the Merinide Abû Inân Fâres (p. 188). The pinnacled outer gateway leads to the now freely restored chief portal, with its fine inlaid mosaic tiles, two friezes with inscriptions, and a projecting timber roof.

The ground-plan of this mosque is similar to that of the slightly earlier mosque of Sidi Bou-Médine (p. 194). From the court, enclosed by a single arcade, we enter the house of prayer with its nave (11 ft. broad), double aisles (10 ft.), and transept. The square mihrâb chapel is covered by a slightly elevated tiled roof instead of a dome. The old timber ceiling of the interior has recently been much restored, and remains of the superb stucco decoration have lately been brought to light from under the whitewash. The mihrâb has lost all its rich ornamentation save the stalactite vaulting. The eight onyx *Columns, brought from Mansura, which support the pointed horseshoe arches of the arcades, are remarkable for their beautiful capitals in the Moorish style.

The minaret added at the W. angle of the court, with its multifoil arched niches in the two lower stories and reticulated work on the upper, resembles that of the mosque of Sidi Bou-Médine. A portal opposite with a projecting roof leads to the domed Latrines.

We now follow the path to the W., skirting the town-walls, and affording fine views, to the Porte du Nord (Pl. B, 1), through which we enter the Rue de France. From this street the Boulevard National soon diverges to the right to the large PLACE CAVAIGNAC (Pl. B, 1, 2), the chief square in the uniformly built French quarter. The font in the church of St. Michel (Pl. B, 2) came from the mosque of Mansura.

On the E. side of the church runs the Rue Ximénès, intersecting the whole town. This street, or the Rue de la Victoire (Pl. C, B, 2), which begins at the Place d’Algier, forms the chief approach to the S. W. Mohammedan Quarter, which was inhabited in the Turkish period mainly by Kuluglis (p. 171). At the S. end of the Rue Ximénès, on the left, is the interesting Ecole Professionnelle Indigène de Tapis (Pl. C, 4; adm. daily 8–11 and 2–5, except on Sun., Frid., and great festivals).

The busy Rue Haëdo, prolonging the Rue de la Victoire, leads to the S.W. to the Porte de Fez (Pl. A, 4). In the Rue Sidi-Brahim, the first side-street on the left, is the—

SIDI BRAHIM MOSQUE (Pl. B, 3), formerly belonging to the Medersa Yakûbîya. The Medersa was built in 1362 by Abû Hammu Mûsa II. (p. 188), and named after his father, but the last vestiges of it were removed in 1846. This small mosque, with nave and double aisles, received its present decoration in the Turkish period. The mihrâb, adorned with the Turkish crescent, has mural tiles with gold lustre in the Gubbio style. The present pulpit, from which the Friday prayer was recited for the Kuluglis, was executed by the Turkish artist Mohammed Ben-Hasen Ben-Ferfara (1831–2), and the door of the old sacristy was carved by Sâlim Bu-Jenân Ben-Ferfara. The Kubba of Sidi Brahim (d. 1401), adjoining the mosque, still contains its old geometric stucco decoration and mosaic tiles.

The Oulâd el-Imâm Mosque (Pl. B, 3), to the N. of the Rue Haëdo, was built about 1310 by the Abdelwadite Abû Hammu I. as a chapel for the Medersa el-Kadîma, the oldest school of the learned at Tlemcen, but is now in a sad state of ruin. The minaret still shows traces of fayence mosaics. The fine mihrâb was probably redecorated under the Ziyanides.

In the Rue d’Hennaya, near the Fez Gate, rises the modern Medersa (Pl. A, B, 3), a tasteful new-Moorish edifice (visitors admitted).

To the W. of the modern town-walls, between the Porte de Fez and the Porte d’Oran, lies the =Grand Bassin= (Pl. A, 3; Arabic Sahrîj el-Kebîr or ben-Bedda), a large reservoir, similar to the reservoirs of Kairwan and Marakesh, constructed of concrete, 220 yds. long, 110 yds. broad, and 10 ft. deep, now used as a drill-ground. It is said to have been made by Abû Tâkhfîn (p. 190). According to a tradition the last of the Ziyanide dynasty were drowned here by Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221) in 1517.

To the N.W. of the French town-walls, between the Porte d’Oran and the Porte du Nord (p. 192), rises the *=Bâb el-Kermâdîn= (Pl. A, 1; potters’ gate), which already existed in the time of Yarmorâsen (p. 188), so named from the potsherds contained in its concrete masonry. The gateway, with its four towers and quadrangle, resembles the propugnaculum of late-Roman town fortifications.

* * * * *

The *=Ruins of Mansura=, the old entrenched town of the Merinides (p. 188), are reached from the Porte de Fez (p. 192) by the road to Lalla-Marnia (p. 197), to the S.W., in 20–25 min. (carr. there and back 2½–3 fr.), The road passes (¼ hr.) the so-called Bâb el-Khemîs, a brick structure of unknown use, now much restored. A little above it are the ruins of a second building of uncertain origin (possibly the ancient Mosalla).

In 6 min. more we reach the old *Town Wall of Mansura, near the former E. gate of the town, within the precincts of which, to the left, above the road, is ensconced the modern agricultural village of Mansura amid luxuriant vegetation. The walls, 40 ft. high, constructed of concrete, enclose a great irregular quadrilateral space of about 4400 yds. in length, and are still largely preserved on the N.W. and S.W. sides. Of the towers, about 80 in number, connected by a crenellated passage, most are rectangular in form, but the four far-projecting corner-towers, like the eight gate-towers, are quadrangular.

Near the old E. gate, above the road, are a Bridge and remains of a rudely paved Street of the Merinide period. Of the old Palace of Victory, the Kasba of Abû’l-Hasen Ali (p. 188), once sumptuously fitted up, there are now, on the highest ground in the town precincts, at the S.E. angle of the present village, a few scanty relics only, the chief of which is the inner court, resembling the myrtle court of the Alhambra (p. 83).

Close to the old W. gate, on a plateau above the road, rises the **Mansura Tower (130 ft.), the minaret of the chief mosque, founded by Abû Yakûb (p. 188). The back-wall, the staircase, the upper platform, and the muezzin’s turret have fallen in, but the ruin, with its golden-toned masonry glowing in the sunshine, its peaceful surroundings, and the superb view from its base, has an indescribable charm. The ruin was restored in 1877.

The portal of the minaret formed the central entrance to the court of the mosque. Of the three concentric gateway arches the inmost horseshoe arch, resting on two onyx columns, has been entirely renewed. The first story here, as in no other Moorish minaret, is adorned with a balcony, borne by corner brackets and stalactite pendentives, now without columns. The second story, relieved by narrow window openings, has the usual reticulated ornamentation, while the upper story is adorned with multifoil arched niches. Remains of the fayence mosaics are still visible at places.

The custodian, who has generally to be asked for in the village, shows the ruins of the court and of the mosque itself, which once had thirteen arcades.

* * * * *

The hill-village of =Sidi Bou-Médine= (2841 ft.), picturesquely situated amid olive-groves on the slopes of Jebel Mefroûch, 20 min. to the E. of Tlemcen, contains, like Mansura, some of the finest existing memorials of the Merinide period. It was once named Eubbâd el-Fûki (‘upper Eubbâd’), and at a very early period belonged to a monastery, the Ribât el-Eubbâd, but it derives its present name from Sidi Abû-Median, a scholar from Seville (about 1126–97), who was buried here by order of the Almohade Mohammed en-Nâsir (1198–1213). Around the kubba of that great scholar and saint, which for centuries attracted countless pilgrims, are grouped the buildings of the Merinide sovereigns.

The road to Sidi Bou-Médine, only the lower half of which is fit for driving, branches to the right from the Sidi Bel-Abbès and Aïn-Temouchent road, 2 min. from the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine, and passes below the Mohammedan Cemetery (makbara), with its wealth of cypresses. By the wayside are a number of saints’ tombs, mostly in ruins, among which is the kubba of Sidi Senoussi (d. 1490), with its green-tiled roof. We pass also the remains of mosque walls and a ruined minaret, which belonged to the village of Eubbâd es-Sefli (‘lower Eubbâd’) once situated here.

We ascend through a defile shaded with fine old fig and cherry trees, and soon reach the lower entrance of the village, whence we go straight on to the mosque, with its conspicuous minaret, and the kubba of the saint (guide quite needless). The outer gateway, decorated anew in the later Turkish period, with its clumsy wooden penthouse in front, is the entrance to a forecourt, within which are the two sacred edifices and the Maison de l’Oukil (now the works-office), a building of the time of Mohammed el-Kebîr (p. 178), on the site of the ancient Zaouïa or pilgrims’ hospice.

The Kubba of Sidi Bou-Médine, to which steps descend to the left under the penthouse, was restored by the Merinide Abû’l-Hasen Ali (p. 188), and towards the end of the 18th cent. was injured by a fire. It owes its present decoration, save the four onyx columns from Mansura and the sacred fountain in the vestibule, to Mohammed el-Kebîr, whose artist, named in the inscription on the frieze of the gateway, was El-Hâshmi ben-Sarmashîk (1793). The vault, richly garnished with flags, ostrich-eggs, votive offerings, etc., contains the coffins of Sidi Abû-Median and the Tunisian saint Sidi Abd es-Selâm side by side (custodian 20–30 c.).

The *=Mosque=, erected in 1339 by Abû’l-Hasen Ali, about the same date as the myrtle-court palace of the Alhambra (comp. p. 80), is one of the most brilliant creations of the exuberant Moorish art of the 14th cent.; and, thanks to the sanctity of its site, it has survived the wars of the Ziyanide age and resisted the decadence of the Turkish period without serious damage. The custodian is usually to be found in the vestibule of the gateway.

The **Chief Portal, now skilfully restored, is a masterpiece of artistic decoration. The superb outer gateway, whose lofty horseshoe arch opens into the vestibule, is lavishly enriched with fayence mosaics, which show beautiful arabesque patterns in the rectangular stonework of the doorway, and geometrical designs above the frieze with the inscriptions. The gateway is crowned by a tiled roof resting on narrow brackets.

Eleven steps ascend to the vestibule, where the stucco decoration of the upper wall-surfaces vies in beauty with the stalactites of the dome. At the inner gateway the lower part of the doors of cedar-wood has been skilfully encrusted anew with bronze. The door-knockers resemble those of the present Puerta del Perdón at Cordova (p. 70).

We now cross the simple Court of the Mosque, flanked with single arcades, to the Mosque itself, with its nave and double aisles. The somewhat broader nave and the transept by the wall of the mihrâb recall the ground-plan of Sidi Okba’s Mosque at Kairwan (p. 374). The arcades, whose horseshoe arches, like those in the court, rest on pillars of masonry, and all the wall-surfaces are encrusted with stucco. The richly coffered stucco ceiling of the aisles is well preserved, but the perforated dome of the mihrâb chapel was tastelessly restored in the later Turkish period. The *Mihrâb, with its stalactite half-dome, its friezes with Cufic inscriptions, and the three perforated plaster windows, deserves special attention. The capitals of the two onyx columns which support the horseshoe arch of the niche are the finest at Tlemcen. The pulpit is modern.

The *Minaret, like the Kutubia at Marakesh, which it resembles in its lowest story, still shows the three copper balls on its muezzin-turret. The rosette ornamentation under the platform is peculiar. The ascent is recommended for the sake of the fine survey we obtain of the village and the beautiful view of the hilly plain of Tlemcen with the minarets of Agâdir (p. 196) and Mansura.

A few paces above the outer gateway of the mosque court a flight of steps on the right ascends to the old =Medersa=, now a national school. This edifice, erected by Abû’l-Hasen Ali in 1347, is the only learned school of the kind still preserved in Barbary, besides that of Marakesh; but it has been almost entirely restored, first by Mohammed el-Kebîr about 1793, and lately by the French government. The building is usually shown by the teacher (50 c.).

The portal, ornamented with fayence mosaics and surmounted by a projecting roof like the chief door of the neighbouring mosque, opens into a court, adorned with a fountain and flanked with an arcade. On each side are six cells for the students (tholba, sing. thaleb); and there are four others in the small court adjoining the S.E. angle. The niches in the walls for the books and lamps of the students should be noticed. In the centre of the S. wall of the court is the entrance to the old room for study and prayer, with a mihrâb and a wooden dome which was probably restored in the time of Mohammed el-Kebîr. The stucco enrichment of the walls is best preserved on the entrance side. The old court of ablutions adjoins the N.W. angle of the main quadrangle.

The platform of the upper floor of the court, where there are twelve more cells, affords the best view of the minaret of the mosque.

At a small house near the Medersa we obtain the key (fee 30 c.) of the so-called Petit Palais d’el-Eubbâd, a ruin popularly called Dâr es-Soltân (palace of the sultan), situated below the Kubba of Sidi Bou-Médine. The building, which also dates from the Merinide period, was more probably a hospice for the richer pilgrims. It comprises three courts with small side-rooms or alcoves, like those of the Alhambra, and remains of baths and latrines. A visit to it hardly repays if time is limited.

On the way to the ‘Dâr es-Soltân’ we pass the Latrine Court of the mosque and the so-called Kubba of Sidi el-Eubbâd. From (2 min. farther) the E. end of the village we may descend, and cross the railway, to (6 min.) the Sidi Bel-Abbès road.

This road leads to the E. through olive-groves, and then, turning to the S., through the Safsaf Valley to (¾ hr., or from Tlemcen 1 hr.) the gorge of *=El-Ourit= (p. 186; carr. there and back 4–5 fr.). The bridge across it affords a fine view of the valley and the lower waterfalls. (Rfmts.)

* * * * *

The road to Aïn-Temouchent (p. 185) diverges to the left from the Sidi Bel-Abbès road, at a point 10 min. from the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine (p. 188), and about ½ M. farther passes near the gorge of the Oued Metchkâna, which lies a little to the left. Here, beneath superb old terebinths (p. 202), on the site of the old Cemetery of Agadîr (‘Cimetière de Sidi Yacoub’), are situated the pretty kubba of Sidi Wahhâb, the oldest saint of this region, said to have been a companion of the prophet, and the so-called Tombeau de la Sultane, a dilapidated octagonal domed building (12th cent.?), which served in 1412 as a tomb for a Ziyanide princess.

The ruins of =Agâdir= (p. 187) may be reached in about 10 min. from the Porte de l’Abattoir (Pl. D, 1; p. 191) by the old Safsaf road to the N.E. (p. 185). Of the chief mosque founded here by Idris I. (p. 95) the only relic is the elegant *Minaret, 105 ft. in height, erected by Yarmorâsen at the same time as the tower of the Great Mosque (p. 190). The substructures, 19 ft. high, composed of Roman blocks of stone from the ancient Pomaria, and with Roman inscriptions built into them outside and in the staircase, probably belonged to an earlier minaret.—A little to the E., beyond the ravine, are preserved a few fragments of the E. Wall of Agâdir built by the Berbers. A few paces to the N. of the road rises the handsome Kubba of Sidi’d-Dâoudi (d. 1011); the present building is probably of the Merinide period.

31. Prom Tlemcen to Nemours viâ Lalla-Marnia.

64 M. RAILWAY to (36½ M.) Lalla-Marnia (two trains daily in ca. 2¼ hrs.; fares 6 fr. 65, 4 fr. 75, 3 fr. 55 c.), going on thence to (43 M.) Zoudj-el-Beghal, the terminus on the Moroccan frontier.

The RAILWAY, admirably engineered, skirts the N. side of Tlemcen, and then, near the Bâb el-Kermâdîn (p. 193), turns to the S.E. to (3 M.) Mansura (p. 193) and crosses the Col du Juif (2664 ft.). Behind us there is a fine view of Tlemcen, while the distant view extends to the Plaine des Angad and Jebel Beni Snassen (see below). We next skirt the N. spurs of the Jebel Terni group (p. 187) and pass through superb valleys and ravines.

7½ M. Aïn-Douz. Beyond (9½ M.) Zelboun we are carried through the valley of the Oued Zitoun, one of the chief tributaries of the Tafna (p. 185).

18½ M. =Turenne= (1969 ft.; Hôt. Fournier and Hôt. Leclerc, poor), a thriving village in a well-watered region. Esparto is the chief export.

28½ M. Sidi-Medjahed, with a camp of wedded spahis (p. 390). 31 M. Tralimet.

36½ M. =Lalla-Marnia= (1197 ft.; Hôt. de France; Hôt. de la Renaissance), properly Lalla-Maghrnia, on the site of the Roman castle of Numerus Syrorum, was founded in 1844 on the occasion of the campaign against Morocco, and named after the tomb of a female saint. It is now the most important frontier-town of the province of Oran; it was made a free mart in 1895, and holds a great Sunday *Market, much frequented by Moroccans. Lalla-Marnia forms the portal of the Plaine des Angad or Plaine d’Oudjda. This great plateau is bounded on the N. by the Traras Group (p. 198) and the fertile Jebel Beni Snassen (4659 ft.), both inhabited by Berber tribes only, and on the S. by the main chain of the Tell Atlas. The old caravan route to Fez by Tâza, the key to N. Morocco, has been the scene of all the expeditions of the Arabs against Morocco ever since that of Sidi Okba in the 7th century.

From Lalla-Marnia a new road (motor-omnibus twice daily) leads to the S.W., crossing the frontier of Morocco halfway, to (ca. 15 M.) =Oudjda= or Ujda (2241 ft.; Hôt. Figari, good, quarters should be engaged by telegraph; pop. ca. 8000), the chief town of E. Morocco, which is said to have been founded by the governors of Tlemcen in the 10th cent., and was occupied by the French in 1814, 1859, and 1907. The picturesque town, the most fertile oasis in the Angad steppe, lies amidst orchards and olive-groves, not far from the Oued Isly, the battle-field of 1844 (p. 221). We enter the town, passing the kubba of Oudjda, by the N. gate (Bâb el-Khemis). Straight on is the French Consulate in a pretty garden, while to the left are the Custom House and Post Office. In the S. quarter of the town rises the Kasba or Dâr el-Makhzen, the seat of the Moroccan Amel or governor. At the N. angle of the Kasba is the Chief Mosque, dedicated to Sidi Okba, to the N.E. of which lies the Sûk (p. 335). Behind the mosque is the new Ecole Franco-Arabe. Outside the E. gate, the Bâb Sidi Abd el-Wahhâb, is the camping-ground of the caravans; and outside the S. gate (Bâb Oulad Amran), on a slight eminence 10 min. from the town, are the quarters of the French troops of occupation. The Thursday market is important. Famous horse-races in October, in connection with those of Lalla-Marnia.

For a visit to Oudjda travellers may use also the railway as far as Zoudj-el-Beghal (comp. p. 197) on the Moroccan frontier, whence Oudjda is about 8 M. distant.

The ROAD TO NEMOURS (diligence) leads to the N. from Lalla-Marnia through a hilly region, crosses the Oued Mouïlah, a tributary of the Tafna, near the Hammam Sidi-Cheikh, a small bath with saline springs (91° Fahr.), and then winds up, past the Kubba Sidi-Abdallah (on the left), towards the Traras Mts., which are famed for the beauty of their outlines. In the Jebel Masser, near the top of the pass, the Col de Bab-Taza (2664 ft.), is a cadmium mine, worked like the neighbouring mines of Jebel Maaziz by a Belgian company.—We now descend to the N.E. in many windings, passing not far from the onyx-quarries near the Kubba Sidi-Brahim, into the valley of the Oued Zebaïr.

53½ M. (from Tlemcen) =Nédroma= (1312 ft.; inn; pop. 4900), superbly situated in a fertile basin, is an antiquated little Berber town, with fine mediæval mosques. The *Market (Mon. and Thurs.) is worth seeing for the sake of the picturesque costumes of the peasants who flock to it from the mountains around. Home-industries are much in vogue in the environs.

The Jebel Fillaoussen (3727 ft.), the highest of the Traras group, to the E. of Nédroma, commands an extensive view, embracing in very clear weather the Sierra Nevada in the far N.

The road soon leaves the Oued Zebaïr and turns to the N.W. to the lower course of the brook, which takes the name of Oued Tléta farther on, and from the influx of the Oued Taïma to the sea that of Oued el-Mersa.

In the upper valley of the Taïma, on the slope of Jebel Kerkour (1884 ft.), are the Kubba Sidi-Brahim, where a small French force under Col. de Montagnac was almost entirely cut to pieces in 1845, and the Kubba Sidi-Tahar, where Abd el-Kâder (p. 221) surrendered in 1847. The former event is recalled by a monument in the Vallée des Jardins, ¾M. to the S. of Nemours.

64 M. (from Tlemcen) =Nemours= (Hôt. de France; pop. 3900), a pleasant little town, noted for its mild and healthy climate, was founded in 1844 on the site of the Roman Ad Fratres, a name derived from two rocks near the beach. The banana culture thrives in the environs. On the Plateau de Taount (407 ft.), to the N.E. of the town, are the ruins of Djemâa el-Ghazaouât (‘marauders’ community’), once a Berber village, but afterwards a notorious den of pirates (p. 221).—Nemours is a steamboat station (comp. R. 18).

32. From Oran to Beni-Ounif de Figuig (Colomb-Béchar) viâ Damesme and Perrégaux.

396 M. STATE RAILWAY. Direct communication with dining-car (déj. 3, D. 3½ fr.) and sleeping-car (12 fr. extra) three times a week only (Tues., Thurs., and Sat.; returning Sun., Wed., and Frid.); express viâ (129½ M.) Saïda to (305½ M.) Aïn-Sefra in 16 hrs.; thence by ordinary train to Beni-Ounif in 5¼ hrs.; trains start from the Gare d’Arzew at Oran (p. 175). As far as (55½ M.) Perrégaux we may travel by the Oran and Algiers train on the main-line (R. 33), noting that the stations there are 550 yds. apart (omn. 25 c.). Fares to Aïn-Sefra 39 fr. 35, 29 fr. 50 c. (sleeping-car, 1st cl. only, 12 fr. extra; 2nd cl. similar to Engl. 3rd); to Beni-Ounif 50 fr. 95, 38 fr. 20 c. (return-ticket, valid 16 days, 71 fr. 30 or 53 fr. 50 c.).—A good supply of copper coins will be found very useful.

The journey from Oran to the Sahara is most interesting, as it carries the traveller from the seaboard through a cultivated region, across the Tell Atlas to the Hauts-Plateaux, and then over the Sahara Atlas to the margin of the desert. The only good intermediate resting-place is Aïn-Sefra. A stay of several days at Beni-Ounif will be found pleasant, especially in spring. The oasis of Tiout is now eclipsed by that of Figuig, one of the most beautiful in the Sahara. The line goes on from Beni-Ounif to Colomb-Béchar, its present terminus.

Oran, see p. 175. Our train crosses the Algiers main-line (R. 33), passes the suburb of Victor-Hugo and the Daya Morselli (p. 185), and runs to the E. through vineyards, fields, and dwarf-palm underwood in succession, and then past the S. base of Jebel Kahar (p. 184) to (12½ M.) Fleurus.

17½ M. St. Cloud (502 ft.; hotel) lies pleasantly on the spurs of Jebel Kristel, 6¼ M. to the S.E. of Kristel (p. 184). 21 M. Renan-Kléber (433 ft.). The village of Kléber (505 ft.; Hôt. Voinson) lies 2 M. to the N.W., at the foot of Jebel Orouze (2070 ft.; semaphore), with its large quarries of white, yellow, and red marble (‘rosso antico’).

26 M. Damesme, on the Bay of Arzew, the ancient Laturus Sinus. The village lies above the station, to the S.

A BRANCH LINE (3 M., in 12–15 min.) connects Damesme with =Arzew= or Arzeu (7 ft.; Hôt. de la Nièvre; Hôt. des Bains; Brit. vice-consul, A. Gautray; pop. 6000), a small seaport at the foot of Jebel Sicioun (532 ft.), whence a goods-line runs to the S. to the (9 M.) salt-works on the Lac Salin d’Arzew, or El-Mellaha. The harbour, naturally one of the best and most sheltered in Algeria, but as yet little used, has been improved since 1906. From here chiefly alfa (p. 171) is exported to Great Britain and Germany.

From Damesme the train runs to the S.E., close to the shore. 28 M. St. Leu (177 ft.; Hôt. de l’Europe). To the S.E. of the village of St. Leu, and 1 M. from the station, is the Berber village of Bettioua, near which are the scanty ruins of Portus Magnus, the only Roman settlement on the bay of Arzew.

34½ M. Port-aux-Poules (Etablissement Thermal), with sulphur-baths, a sea-bathing place in summer. The train skirts the narrow strip of sand-hills and passes the mouth of the Macta.

37 M. =La Macta=, a village at the N. end of the Marais de la Macta, or swamps of the river-plain of the Sig (p. 206) and the Habra, very malarious in summer, is connected by a branch-line with (7½ M.) La Stidia, a village founded by German peasants in 1844, and with (18½ M.) Mostaganem (p. 207).

The train now runs inland, past the E. margin of the morasses, to (48½ M.) Debrousseville, in the broad Plaine de l’Habra. The village belongs to the Domaine de l’Habra et de la Macta, the largest estate in Algeria, watered by a network of cuttings (276 M. in length) from the reservoir of the Oued Fergoug (see below). Since the failure of two private companies the estate has been owned by the Crédit Foncier de France. Of its 70,000 acres 44,000 are pasture-land, and the rest is devoted to grain and fruit. Its headquarters are at La Ferme-Blanche, near the railway.

At (55½ M.) =Perrégaux= we cross the Oran-Algiers line (p. 206).

Ascending the valley of the Habra, here called Oued el-Hammam (‘bath-river’), we now penetrate the Beni Chougrane Mts., the N. marginal chain of the Tell Atlas. On the left, just before (61½ M.) Barrage, lies the *Barrage de Perrégaux or de l’Oued Fergoug, the largest reservoir in Algeria, which irrigates some 90,000 acres of land. The embankment, is 550 yds. long, 130 ft. high, and from 130 ft. thick at the bottom to 12½ ft. at the top. The reservoir once contained 33 million tons of water, but the quantity is constantly being diminished by the deposits of the stream.

67½ M. Dublineau (443 ft.). 78 M. Bou-Hanifia is the station for the small baths of Hammam Bou-Hanifia, on the right bank of the Habra, 2½ M. to the S.W. (Bath Hotel). The eight saline springs (136° Fahr.) are the Aquae Sirenses of antiquity.

86 M. Tizi or Thizi (1490 ft.; Rail. Restaur.) in the Plaine d’Eghris, a lofty and fertile tract between the N. lateral chain and the main range of the Tell Atlas.

BRANCH LINE (7½ M., in ca. ½ hr.) from Tizi to =Mascara= (1903 ft.; Hôt. Bourelly, Rue de Dalmatie, R. 2½, B. 1, déj. 2½ omn. ½ fr., quite good; Hôt. du Luxembourg, Rue Victor-Hugo; Café de la Brasserie, Place Gambetta; pop. 22,930), beautifully situated on a chain of hills on the N. margin of the Eghris plain. This was the capital of the beylic of Oran in 1701–92, and in 1832–41 was the residence and chief stronghold of Abd el-Kâder (p. 221). The chief quarter of the town, with the Place Gambetta as its centre, has a Mosque (18th cent.) in the Place Nationale, and a Beylic (now military offices), built by Mohammed el-Kebîr (p. 178), in the street of that name. This quarter is separated by the ravine of the Oued Toudman, now a public park, from the spacious Place de l’Argoub (market on Thurs. and Frid.) and from the barracks quarter. Outside the Porte d’Oran, the W. gate, we have a delightful view. Outside the Bâb-Ali, the N. gate, lies the Mohammedan quarter of that name (where burnouses are woven). Mascara is famed for its wine.

At (93½ M.) Thiersville (1601 ft.) the train crosses a range of hills to the stony tableland of Guerdjoum (much overgrown with dwarf-palms). Beyond (102½ M.) Oued-Taria (1618 ft.) it crosses the brook of that name, the chief feeder of the Habra, and at (110½ M.) Charrier (1792 ft.), in the fertile valley of the Oued Saïda, reaches the main chain of the Tell Atlas. 122 M. Les Eaux-Chaudes, Arabic Hammâm Ouled-Khaled, with saline springs (113° Fahr.); 126½ M. Nazereg (2625 ft.).

129½ M. =Saïda= (2746 ft.; Hôt. Lugan or Riu, in the market-place, 10 min. from the station, R. 2, D. 3, pens. 7, omn. ½ fr.; Hôt. Vergnon; Hôt. de la Paix; pop. 8100), the southmost town in the Tell Atlas of Oran, founded in 1854, lies in an uninteresting region. In front of the Mairie rises an imposing Monument (1910) to the soldiers of the Foreign Legion who fell in S. Oran. From the Place du Marché Arabe (market on Mon.), where the Mosque is situated, the Rue Thiers and the Rue Nationale lead to the S.W. to the high-lying barracks of the Foreign Legion (p. 186). Above the market-place lies the Native Quarter.

The train next passes (on the left) the scanty ruins of the last Fortress built by Abd el-Kâder affording a view of Saïda as we look back, and ascends between barren hills to the tableland on the S. margin of the Tell Atlas. 136½ M. Aïn-el-Hadjar (3360 ft.; ‘rock-spring’), a village of 1500 inhab. in a fertile well-watered district, with a military prison.

On the bleak tableland, between the region of the Hassasna on the N.E. and the Maalif Plain on the S.W., we pass several small stations. 157 M. Kralfallah (3638 ft.), with great stacks of esparto grass, was the scene of the massacre of the Spaniards at the hands of Bou-Amama (p. 222) in 1881.

The train now descends to the Hauts-Plateaux (p. 169), where an occasional caravan or a few grazing camels only are seen, while the vegetation is limited to saline plants and patches of esparto grass (p. 171). 166 M. El-Beïda (3497 ft.), the first fortified station. 171 M. Modzbah (3471 ft.), with its great stacks of esparto grass and the goods-station of a branch-line to (22 M.) Marhoum, used solely for the esparto traffic.

192 M. =Le Kreider= (3241 ft.; Hôt. de Paris, R. 2, déj. 1½, D. 2 fr.), on the N. bank of the Chott ech-Chergui (p. 169). commanded by a small fort on the hill above it, was founded in 1881 as a military base of defence against the partisans of Bou-Amama. The barracks, in the neo-Moorish style, are surrounded with plantations which are watered by means of a wind-pump.

We at length reach the salt-marshes, pass between low sand-hills, and are carried through the masses of mud by means of a short embankment to (201 M.) Bou-Ktoub or Bou-Guetoub (3264 ft.), the starting-point of a road to Géryville (66 M.; diligence). We then mount gradually to the N. spurs of the Sahara Atlas (p. 170). Stations uninteresting.

242 M. Méchéria (3806 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs; pop. 700), at the foot of the Jebel Antar range, contains barracks for convicts of the foreign legion and a small mosque.—The train again traverses the Hauts-Plateaux. To the left rises the distant Jebel el-Malha. Near (262½ M.) Naâma (3825 ft.) is the salt-lake of that name, not visible from the train.

384 M. Mékalis (4311 ft.), the highest point on the line, with a few fruit-trees. The train now crosses the watershed between the Hauts-Plateaux and the Sahara, and descends into the Faïdjet el-Betoum, a broad valley so named after its terebinths (Pistacia Terebinthus L.; Arabic b’tom or betoum). The valley is flanked on the E. by Jebel Aïssa (7336 ft.), and on the W. by Jebel Morghad (7008 ft.), the two highest of the Montagnes des Ksour, as the Sahara Atlas is usually called here. Beyond (299 M.) Tirkount appear in the foreground Jebel Mekter (6762 ft.), with a Poste Optique or signal-station, used at the time of the conflicts with Bou-Amama, and the long chain of sand-hills near Aïn-Sefra.

305½ M. =Aïn-Sefra= (3577 ft.; Hôt. de France or Plasse, R. 3, déj. 3, D. 3½ fr.; 5 Hôt. des Voyageurs, both in the chief square, very plain; Café Bienvenu), not founded until 1881, with a strong garrison and about 1400 inhab., is grandly situated in a broad valley between Jebel Aïssa and Jebel Mekter. The village, lying on the left bank of the Oued Aïn-Sefra (‘yellow spring’), was devastated by an inundation in 1904. A market (Mon.) is held here for the Berbers of the environs, who still speak Tamâzirt (p. 94). An iron bridge crosses to the Barracks, a neo-Moorish building. Through the Berber Village (ksar, p. 281) behind the barracks we may climb in ¾ hr. to the top of the reddish-brown *Sand Hills, formed by disintegration of the rock, which give the landscape its very peculiar character, and whose shifting sands threaten to overwhelm Aïn-Sefra in spite of the sheltering plantations.

The famous oasis of =Tiout=, 10½ M. to the E. of Aïn-Sefra and 3 M. to the N. of the railway-station of Tiout (p. 203), is a favourite goal of tourists. A horse or mule should be ordered in good time, cheapest at the ‘Subdivision’ (2 fr.; attendant 1½–2 fr.); the traveller may shorten the long ride by returning from Tiout by train. The track leads through the broad, shadeless valley, some way from the brook Aïn-Sefra; we have a fine retrospect of Aïn-Sefra and its sand-hills. We pass several red-sandstone rocks. About halfway the rail. station of Tiout and the oasis beyond it come in sight.

In this little oasis (3445 ft.), one of the highest palm-oases in the Atlas, lies an interesting Berber Village (pop. 400). The low-lying gardens, protected by high mud-walls, yield fruit and vegetables under the shade of the well-kept date-palms. Their irrigation is provided by a small Reservoir to the N. of the village, a charming spot, where we may rest under the palms on the bank of the brook. A few minutes’ walk from this point, to the N.E. of the village, rises a reddish rock, on which, about 65 ft. above the valley, protected by a grating, are traced figures of animals and hunters (archers), a prehistoric curiosity, called the Hadjra Mektouba, with later Libyan-Berber and Arabic inscriptions.

About 8 M. to the W. of Aïn-Sefra, on the road to Aïn-Sfissifa (4176 ft.) and the Moroccan oasis of Ich (3724 ft.), is the copper-mine of Hasi-ben-Hedjir.

Beyond Aïn-Sefra the train (with the engine now at the other end) follows the valley of that name and rounds the Jebel Mekter group in a long curve to the E. Beyond (312½ M.) Tiout (oasis, p. 202, visible on the left) it descends to the S., lastly through masses of débris and rock-cuttings, to (321 M.) Aïn-el-Hadjadj. We then pass through a defile between Jebel Mekter and Jebel Djara. To the left, framed by rocks, lies a low reddish-brown sand-hill.

Farther on, to the left, between Jebel Djara and Jebel BouLeghfad (5545 ft.), opens the broad mountain-valley of the Rouïba, which at (328 M.) Rouïba joins the Aïn-Sefra to form the Oued en-Namous. The train turns to the S.W., at the S. base of Jebel Mekter, a little to the right of the palm-oasis of Moghrar-Tahtâni (2710 ft.; ‘lower Moghrar’), famed for its prehistoric rock-drawings. 340 M. Moghrar-Foukâni (‘upper Moghrar’), beyond which we pass its *Palm Oasis, overlooked by a kubba on a low hill.

We next pass through the Gorges de Moghrar, a sandstone ravine full of rocky débris, into El-Faïdja, a valley at the S. base of the Mir el-Jebel (6790 ft.) and Jebel Mezi (6988 ft.). 359 M Djenien-bou-Resg (3254 ft.) has a Redoute, or fortified camp (on the left), in the style of a Roman camp, a small palm-oasis, and a pretty military club in the Moorish style, shaded with palms.

The train enters the valley of the Oued Dermel, one of the sources of the Oued Zousfana. In the distance we sight Jebel Beni Smir and Jebel el-Maïz (p. 204). An iron bridge carries the train across the Dermel, usually dry, to the ruins of (379 M.) Duveyrier, at the mouth of the Oued Douis, which has been deserted since an inundation in 1904. We then descend between low ranges of hills, Jebel Tamednaïa (2953 ft.) on the left, on the margin of the desert, and Djermân-Tahtâni and Jebel el-Haïmer on the right, to the Zousfana (beyond rises the old fort of Campo), where the palms of Beni-Ounif become visible.

396 M. =Beni-Ounif de Figuig= (2707 ft.; Hôt. du Sahara, B. 1½, déj. 3, D. 3½, pens. 12 fr., plain but good; advisable to secure rooms beforehand by telegraph; 1300 inhab.), founded in 1903, as being then the terminus of the railway, adjacent to a ksar, or Berber village (ât ouinîfi), and a Camp Militaire, is now a free mart, rapidly growing in importance. Its total trade with Morocco and the Tuat oases amounts to about 4 million francs. The few and quiet streets, planted with palms, present a marked contrast to those of Biskra, which is now overrun with tourists. The white domed building near the railway-station serves at once as a church, a town-hall, and a law-court. Behind it is a fondouk (p. 281).

The only sights are the Zaouïa Sidi Slîmân ben-Bou-Smaha, the chief sanctuary of the Ouled Sidi-Cheikh, a Berber tribe of S. Oran, and the Ksar (p. 281), a poor village inhabited by Harrâtin (p. 94), at the back of the barracks quarter, where the mode of irrigating a palm-oasis may be observed.

Beni-Ounif, situated in a rocky wilderness, commanded on the N. and W. by jagged and fissured mountains, Jebel Beni Smir (6857 ft.), Jebel el-Maïz (6037 ft.), and Jebel Grouz (5328 ft.), and separated from Figuig by a chain of low barren hills, possesses to the full the fascination of a Sahara landscape (p. 172). The most striking view, especially towards evening, of Beni-Ounif, the palm-oasis, and the village of Figuig, as well as of the spurs of the Sahara Atlas, is obtained from Jebel Melias (3986 ft.), a spur of Jebel Grouz, 2 hrs. to the N. of the little town. For this ascent, and for all the longer excursions, travellers must procure an escort of Cavaliers du Maghzen (p. 390), who usually provide horses for the journey (horse for half-a-day 2½–3, whole day 5 fr.; fee to each ‘cavalier’ 2 fr.). Application for the escort has to be made at the Bureau Arabe (p. 174) in the Camp Militaire.

*=Figuig=, to the N. of Beni-Ounif, first visited by a European, Gerh. Rohlfs, in 1862, is the largest and most fertile oasis in the Sahara Atlas of Oran (containing about 400,000 date-palms). According to the treaty of 1845 it belongs to Morocco, but only nominally since its bombardment by French troops in 1903. From the earliest times the oasis has been in high repute. It embraces seven villages (ksûr), in three groups, the Feghiha castra tria of antiquity. In the early 16th cent. Leo Africanus extols the artistic skill of the inhabitants; their industries, however, are now limited to the weaving of burnouses and carpets (similar to the knot-worked carpets of Fez) and to the manufacture of small articles in leather. The place is inhabited by Berbers, besides a large number of Jews, the Harrâtin, and a few negro slaves. Tamâzirt (p. 94) is their chief language, but Arabic also is spoken at places.

The S. margin of the oasis, and its boundary towards Beni-Ounif, is formed by a range of hills running from Jebel Melias (see above), W. to E., to Jebel el-Haïmer (p. 203), and crossed by four passes, the Col des Moudjâhdine, the Col de la Juive (Arabic Teniet el-Ihûdia), the Col de Zenâga, and the Col de Taghla or Tarla. The shortest route is viâ the Col de Zenâga, commonly called El-Kheneg (‘the pass’). By this route the whole excursion, there and back, takes 5–6 hrs.; but, time permitting, it is preferable to go by the Col de Taghla, watered by the Zousfana, and bounded on the E. by the sombre rocks of Jebel Sidi-Youssef (3484 ft.), and to return by the Col de Zenâga or the Col de la Juive, a full day’s expedition. The ascent of one of the hills adjoining these passes (stout boots advisable) in the company of an escort is to be recommended on account of the fine view.

The route over a stony plain to the (½ hr.) Zenâga Pass crosses the Oued Melias, the bed of which is generally dry, near the frontier of Morocco, indicated by heaps of stones. The vegetation here is limited to a few thorn-bushes—jujubes (Zizyphus vulgaris; Arabic sedra; French jujubier) and the prickly Anabasis arietoïdes (Arabic ajerem), the ‘chou-fleur du Sahara’ of the soldiers, which is much used in this part of the Sahara as fuel. At the entrance to the pass, about 200 yds. in breadth, we may observe to the left, on the stony slope of Jebel Zenâga (3435 ft.), several graffiti, or rudely engraved sketches on the rock (comp. p. 202), but not very distinguishable under the black patina. Beyond the first palms of the oasis, at the exit of the pass, rise the Kubba Sidi-Fedel, surrounded with numerous votive stones (kerkours, rĕ-yems), and the Haouïta Sidi-Tifour, an open walled rectangle. We have here a good survey of the lower part of the oasis, with the village of Zenâga (p. 206) and numerous bordjs (round watch-towers), backed by the Jebel Grouz range, while on the edge of the plateau of the six upper villages gleams the conspicuous Kubba Sidi ben-Aïssa l’Aredj.

Our route now leads to the N.E. across the barren, dazzling white Plaine de Bagdbâd (2818 ft.). We may first visit El-Hammâmin, the two E. villages, Hammâm-Tahtâni, on the slope of the high plateau, and Hammâm-Foukâni (2950 ft.), where Bou-Amama was encamped in 1900–2 (p. 222); but it is more usual to go direct to the four W. villages, at first through small fields of barley and vegetable-gardens, and then between the high mud-walls of the palm-gardens.

We ascend through a picturesque defile on the rocky and fissured slope of the upper plateau, whence the water flows down in open cuttings (see p. 94) to the village of El-Maïz. We note here the quaint architecture and the lanes arched over with palm-wood beams, under which the natives take their siesta on stone benches in the hot season. Some of the little houses of the Mellah, or Jewish quarter, are owned by Morocco leather-workers.

Through the contiguous village of Ouled-Slîmân we pass to EL-OÛDÂGHÎR (Berber ât a’addi), the largest village in Figuig next to Zenâga. Since 1902 this has been the seat of a Moroccan Amel, or governor, who with his few soldiers occupies the dilapidated Dâr el-Beïda (‘white house’) on the barren H’sen, as the upper plateau is called (2940–3000 ft.). The mud-built houses of the village, mostly consisting of two or more stories, are overlooked by the new square minaret of the Chief Mosque, where the governor attends the Friday prayers. A second mosque has a very old and graceful octagonal minaret. The Prison (visitors admitted), the tents of the Amouriât, the girls of the nomad tribe of the Amour, whose habits resemble those of the Ouled Naïl (p. 215), and the Mellah, where the escort prepare tea in their own peculiar manner, also may be visited with interest.

To the W. of El-Oûdâghîr is the basin of the Aïn-Tzadert, a spring which supplies Zenâga also and has often given rise to bitter quarrels between the two villages. From the massive Bordj belonging to the villagers of El-Oûdâghîr, adjoining the basin, we obtain a splendid *Panorama of the oasis and the girdle of mountains around it. At our feet lies El-Abîd (ât enneï), with its many towers, the westmost village, now dilapidated and partly deserted.

On our way back, passing the underground Aïn-Meslout, with two vaulted baths (hammâm), we come suddenly to the precipitous brink of the plateau (here about 100 ft. high), where we enjoy a beautiful view of the forest of palms around Zenâga.

The village of ZENÂGA (Berber iznâïn), 1¼ M. to the S. of El-Oûdâghîr, and 4¼ M. to the N. of Beni-Ounif, with its one-storied mud-built houses, its massive towers, its mellah, and many vaulted lanes, has for its centre the chief mosque and the square in front of it. A smaller mosque lies outside the village. The large basin is fed by underground conduits (p. 94) from the Aïn-Tzadert.

33. From Oran to Algiers.

262½ M. RAILWAY. Day-train, with 1st and 2nd cl. saloon carriages and ‘wagon-restaurant’ (déj. 4, D. 4½ fr.), in 11½ hrs. (fares 35 fr. 5, 26 fr. 5 c., 19 fr.); night-express in 9¾ hrs. (‘lit-salon’ 12 fr. more than 1st cl. fare; sleeping-carriage 12 fr. extra). Scenery as far as Affreville uninteresting. The best places for breaking the journey are Miliana, Hammam Rhira, and Blida. At Perrégaux this line is crossed by the line from Oran to Damesme and Beni-Ounif de Figuig (R. 32).

From Oran to (16 M.) Ste. Barbe-du-Tlélat, see pp. 185, 186. Our train now crosses the Tlélat (p. 186) and the flat saddle between the Tell Atlas and (left) the chain of Jebel Djira (1083 ft.). On the S. slope of these hills lies the Forêt de Mouley-Ismael, an expanse of 11,000 acres of underwood, where Sultan Mulaï Ismail of Morocco (p. 96) was signally defeated by the Bey of Mascara (p. 200) in 1707.

32 M. St. Denis-du-Sig (177 ft.; Hôt. du Louvre; pop. 11,900) lies in the fruitful plain of the Sig (called Mekerra in its upper course, p. 186). The environs are watered by the great Barrage du Sig. Cattle-market on Sundays (‘marché arabe’).—38 M. Bou-Henni (Habra; 66 ft.), at the foot of the Beni Chougrane Mts. (p. 200), not far from the marshes of the Macta (p. 200). Melons are much cultivated here.—The train crosses the Habra (p. 200).

47½ M. =Perrégaux= (148 ft.; Hôt. des Colonies, Rue de Mostaganem, R. 2½, B. ½ fr., quite good; Hôt. des Voyageurs, near the station for Beni-Ounif; pop. 10,100, largely Spanish), is a pleasant town with a pretty Jardin Public and a detachment of the Foreign Legion (p. 186). Wednesday market.

Railway to Oran viâ Damesme (Arzew), and to Beni-Ounif, see R. 32.

To the left stretches the Plaine de l’Habra (p. 200); in the distance rise the hills near La Stidia (p. 200) and Mostaganem (see below). Beyond (55½ M.) Nouvion-Oued-Malah (420 ft.) the train crosses the hill-region between the main chain of the Tell Atlas and Jebel Bel-Hacel (see below), and at (65½ M.) L’Hillil (410 ft.) enters the Plaine de la Mina, adjoining the plain of the Chélif (p. 208), one of the hottest regions of Algeria in summer.

A ROAD (12½ M.; omn. in winter at 1.30, in summer at 8.30) leads to the S. from L’Hillil to the interesting and purely Mohammedan hill-town of =Kalàa= (pop. 4800; Sat. market), once famous for its carpet industry.

We cross the Mina, 2½ M. below the Barrage de la Mina, which waters some 25,000 acres of land.

77½ M. =Relizane= (289 ft.; Rail. Restaur.; Hôt. de la Paix; Hôt. de Paris, R. 2, B. ½, déj. 2, D. 2½, pens. 7 fr.; pop. 9000, half Mohammedan) is a small town amidst rich orchards. Our line is crossed here by the Mostaganem and Tiaret line.

FROM RELIZANE TO MOSTAGANEM, 47½ M., railway in 2¾–3 hrs. (fare 6 fr. 10 or 4 fr. 55 c.). The train crosses the Mina before (7½ M.) Bel-Hacel, and then in a long bend to the N.E. skirts Jebel Bel-Hacel (1694 ft.). It next turns sharply to the S.W. to (18 M.) Mekalia, crosses the hills of the Forêt de Laktoube (1552 ft.), affording fine views of the Chélif valley and of the Dahra range (p. 208), and then descends to (27½ M.) Oued-el-Kheir. From (34½ M.) Aïn-Tédelès (657 ft.; Hôt. Bellocq; pop. 2900, chiefly Mohammedan), surrounded with olive-groves and orchards, a road leads to (4½ M.) Pont du Chélif (66 ft.) which, situated near the ancient Roman town of Quiza, is named from the bridge built by Spanish prisoners from Mazagran (see below) and rebuilt in 1850. Beyond (45 M.) Pélissier we pass through the charming Vallée des Jardins.

47½ M. =Mostaganem= (341 ft.; Grand-Hôtel, near the Place de la République; Hôt. du Louvre; Hôt. de la Gare; pop. 22,000, incl. 10,900 Mohammedans and 1100 Jews), a seaport on the E. shore of the Bay of Arzew (p. 199), situated on an old coast-terrace rising abruptly from the sea (perhaps the site of the Roman Murustuga), owes its foundation, under the name of Bordj el-Mehal, to the Almoravide Yûsuf ibn Têshufîn (p. 95). It is the oldest garrison of the Tirailleurs Indigènes, a native regiment formed in 1847, and well known as Turcos in the Franco-German war (1870–1). The main quarter of the town, with the station, the fine Jardin Public, the Place de la République, a fine point of view, the Market, and the Chief Mosque, founded by the Merinide Abû’l-Hasen Ali (p. 188) in 1342, lies on the left bank of the Aïn-Sefra, fully ½ M. above the harbour quarter. On the lofty right bank of the ravine are a second European quarter and (outside the Porte des Medjes) the interesting Mohammedan suburb of Tidjit. The Harbour, now choked with sand and inadequately protected from N. and N.W. winds by two piers, lies between two small tongues of land, La Salamandre on the S.W., and Karouba (266 ft.), with its sacred grove, on the N.E.—The railway from Mostaganem to La Stidia and La Macta (p. 200) passes (2 M.) Mazagran (459 ft.; Hôt. Pujol), old-Berber Tamazaran, where the Spaniards sustained a severe defeat in 1558, and where a small French force in 1840 repelled the attacks of 15,000 adherents of Abd el-Kâder (p. 221; monument).

FROM RELIZANE TO TIARET, 75 M., railway in 4¾ hrs. (fare 9 fr. 65 or 7 fr. 25 c.). Scenery unattractive. Beyond (5½ M.) Oued-Khelloug the train follows the course of the Mina (p. 207), which separates the Beni Chougrane (p. 200) from the Ouarsenis Mts. (p. 209). 12 M. Sidi-Mohammed-Benaouda (417 ft.), noted for the strange cult of the local saint of that name, in whose zaouïa sacred lions were once kept; the loftily situated kubba, a great resort of pilgrims, is guarded by negroes who are said to be descendants of a servant of the saint (popular festivals in Aug. and Oct.).—27 M. Uzès-le-Duc or Fortassa (840 ft.).—54 M. Méchéra-Sfa-Prévost-Paradol. Near Méchéra-Sfa, on the Mina, are two cemeteries, with several dolmens, of the 4th cent., the sole relics of an ancient Berber town.—69 M. Takdempt, with a ruined arsenal of Abd el-Kâder.

75 M. =Tiaret= (3577 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient or Lecat; Hôt. des Colonies, R. 1½–3, déj. or D. 1½–3, pens. 4–6 fr.; pop. 7200; Mon. market) lies on a mountain-pass not far from the fertile Plateaux du Sersou, on the S. margin of the Tell Atlas, a cold but healthy site, once occupied by Tingartia, the capital of W. Algeria in the Byzantine period. New Tiaret, the capital of the Kharijite sect of the Ibadites (p. 323), probably lay below the present town, in the direction of Takdempt.—About halfway on the road from Tiaret to (35 M.) Frenda, among the hills to the S. of Tiaret, are the *Djedar, step-pyramids in the style of the ‘Tombeau de la Chrétienne’ (p. 238), but on square foundations, tombs apparently of forgotten Christian Berber princes of the 6–7th cent., composed partly of materials from 5th cent. buildings. Three of these, all in a very ruinous condition, are on Jebel Hadjar; ten, including the largest (52 by 49 yds.), lie on the Colline de Ternaten, 3¾ M. farther to the S.

The ALGIERS RAILWAY, running to the N.E., at some distance from the Sebkha de Relizane or de Sidi Bou Chiane, enters the desolate lower plain of the Chélif (p. 215), the ancient Chylimath (Arabic Kelmitu). 98 M. St. Aimé or Djidiouïa (243 ft.), with a petroleum-refinery for the oil-springs of Aïn-Zeft (Taghia), lies on the Dahra, the coast-hills to the N. of the Chélif. The train crosses the Oued Djidiouïa.

104 M. Inkermann or Oued-Riou (263 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs; Hôt. d’Inkermann; pop. 5200, of whom 4200 are Mohammedans), with large quarries and a Wednesday market.

The little Berber town of =Mazouna=, 18 M. to the N. of Inkermann, on a branch of the road to Renault, superbly situated, the capital of the W. Algerian beylic before Mascara (p. 200), is one of the quaintest places in the Algerian Tell Atlas. Home industries (burnouses, haiks, etc.) are much in vogue. Interesting Thursday market.

The train crosses the Oued Riou. 110½ M. Le Merdja, the last station in the province of Oran.

117½ M. Charon or Bou-Kader, a little town of 5200 inhab., almost all Mohammedans, lies in the province of Algiers (Thurs. market). On a low hill, 2 M. to the N., are Roman ruins, called El-Aouna by the natives. At Touchaïd, 3 M. to the S.W., is a cavern in the rock, 330 ft. long, consisting of a number of low passages, and containing huge layers of bats’ guano. The Trou du Diable, 4 M. to the S. of Charon, is another object of interest.

We cross the Oued Sly, with its barrage, to (122 M.) Malakoff or Oued-Sly, and then pass through a wood of Aleppo pines and carob-trees.

131½ M. =Orléansville= (410 ft.; Hôt. du Palais, pens. 5 fr.; Hôt. des Voyageurs; pop. 4900, of whom 2300 are Mohammedans), founded in 1843 on the site of the Roman Castellum Tingitanum, is a smiling oasis, irrigated by a conduit from the Chélif, but one of the hottest places in Algeria (maximum 125½° Fahr.). The chief sight is the early-Christian Basilica in the Place de la Mosaique, discovered in 1843, and recently further excavated. It was built in 324, and is the oldest Christian church in Algeria. The foundation walls are alone preserved. It consisted of a nave and double aisles, without a transept, with two entrances from the outer aisles and a rounded W. apse, to which was added in 475 a second choir-recess at the E. end, containing the tomb of Bishop Reparatus. Considerable fragments of the mosaic pavement also have been preserved. The town has also a Mosque (1894) and a Carpet Making School. The Saturday market is important. From the N. ramparts we have a fine view of the Chélif ravine and the Dahra Mts.

A ROAD (railway in course of construction) leads from Orléansville to Ténès (33 M.; diligence in 6 hrs., at 2, from Ténès at 6 p.m.). It crosses the Chélif and beyond the suburb of La Ferme, hidden among trees, leads through a eucalyptus avenue, and then to the N.W. across a plain to (8½ M.) Warnier (394 ft.), at the mouth of the Oued Ouahran Valley. Then to the N., through the Dahra Mts., inhabited almost solely by Berbers, to (17 M.) Les Trois-Palmiers (525 ft.), with its gypsum quarries, and across the (19½ M.) Col de Kirba (1476 ft.) to the valley of the Oued Allala and (30 M.) Montenotte, with its orchards and iron-mines. 32½ M. Vieux-Ténès, picturesquely situated above the gorge of the Allala, said to have been founded by S. Spanish Moors in 875, was notorious as a den of pirates in the Turkish period. 33 M. =Ténès= (164 ft.; Hôt. des Arts; Hôt. de l’Univers, etc.; pop. 5000, Berbers 3300), founded in 1843, is perched like Mostaganem on the edge of a plateau rising above its little frequented harbour, which is fairly sheltered on the E. only by the huge rocky Cape Ténès (2093 ft.; lighthouse visible for 40 M.). Of Cartenna, the earliest settlement here, originally founded by Phœnicians, a few Roman cisterns only have been preserved. At the W. end of Ténès there are also some rock-tombs belonging to an early-Christian cemetery.

A second ROAD (36 M.; ‘courrier’ on Mon., Wed., and Frid. at 6 a.m., in 8 hrs.) leads from Orléansville to the S.E., through the Ouarsenis Mts., viâ (33 M.) Boucaïd, with the zinc and galena mines of the Belgian Vieille-Montagne Co., to (36 M.) Beni-Hindel (3825 ft.) at the S. base of the triple-peaked Ouarsenis (6512 ft.). To Teniet el-Haâd, see p. 211, 210.

Leaving Orléansville, the train runs to the N.E., near the Chélif, to (135 M.) Pontéba. Fine view, to the left, of the hill-region on the E. margin of the lower plain of the Chélif. 140 M. Le Barrage, near the largest reservoir of the Chélif. The train sweeps round to the S., away from the river, and traverses a fertile and well shaded plain to (146 M.) Oued-Fodda (522 ft.), a small town of 5300 inhab., near the left bank of the Oued Fodda, through whose valley peeps the three-peaked Ouarsenis (see above).

In the Plaine des Attafs, as the very monotonous central plain of the Chélif is called, we next come to (148 M.) Temoulga-Vauban, at the foot of the bare Jebel Temoulga (1749 ft.; with iron-mines), to (162 M.) Oued-Rouïna, and (166 M.) Kherba, the station for a village 3 M. to the N., on the margin of the Dahra Mts.—To the right, in the foreground, rises the range of Jebel Doui (3409 ft.), whose spurs bound the central Chélif plain. To the left, for a short time, we have a *View of Jebel Bou Maad (4643 ft.), generally snow-clad in winter, and of Jebel Zaccar Gharbi (p. 212). 171 M. Duperré (820 ft.), at the foot of Jebel Doui, near the ancient Roman Oppidum Novum.

The train crosses the Chélif above the influx of the Oued Ebda. To the left, in the river-bed, is the pier of a bridge on the old Roman military road. We now pass through a defile between barren hills; to the right we have a glimpse of the broad upper plain of the Chélif. 178½ M. Littré or Les Arib (853 ft.), in the Plaine des Aribs, at the foot of the Dahra. 184 M. Lavarande (945 ft.), on the spurs of the Zaccar range.

186½ M. =Affreville= (1020 ft.; Rail. Restaurant, with rooms, good; Hôt. de l’Univers, in the village, next to the diligence-office, R. 2, B. ½, D. 2 fr.; Hôt. du Haut-Chélif; Hôt. de Vaucluse, near the station, well spoken of; pop. 2000), at the foot of Jebel Zaccar Gharbi, is one of the stations (Miliana-Margueritte being the other, see p. 211) for Miliana (6¼ M.; diligence 3 times daily, 1 fr.; carr. 10–12 fr.), and the starting-point for Teniet el-Haâd.

The EXCURSION TO THE CEDAR FOREST OF TENIET EL-HAÂD takes a day-and-a-half (motor-omnibus, 5 or 6 fr., in ca. 3 hrs.; diligence, leaving at 11 a.m., returning at 9.40 a.m., in 8 hrs.; carriage 50 fr. or more, hardly recommended). To the E. of Affreville, beyond the market (Thurs.) and the Oued Souffay, our rather featureless road diverges to the S. from the Dolfusville road; it leads among eucalyptus trees to the (2¾ M.) Chélif, and then, beyond (7½ M.) Le Puits (971 ft.), ascends by the Oued Massin through an almost uninhabited part of the Tell Atlas, between hills thinly clad with pines. 10½ M. Pont-du-Caïd (1329 ft.); 16½ M. Caravansérail de l’Oued-Massin; 22 M. Marbot (2287 ft.). Beyond the 39th kilomètre-stone (24½ M.) we observe on the right the curiously shaped sandstone rock of Jebel Hadjra Touïla. We then cross a pass (2920 ft.), whence We have a pleasing view of the valley of the Massin behind us, to (27½ M.) Dutertre on the Oued Rouïna.

36 M. =Teniet el-Haâd= (3806 ft.; Hôt. du Commerce, R. 2, déj. 2, D. 2½ fr., tolerable; Hôt. de la Colonie, humble; pop. 2100), the starting-point of caravan-routes to Tiaret (p. 208) and to Chellala and Laghouat (p. 215), situated on one of the most important passes of the Tell Atlas, owes its name (‘Sunday Pass’) to its Sunday market, attended chiefly by the inhabitants of the Plateaux du Sersou (p. 208). On the E. side of the little town lies the poor ‘Village-Nègre’ (comp. p. 181).

The *Cedar Forest of Teniet el-Haâd, on the slopes of Jebel el-Meddad (5863 ft.; ‘cedar-mountain’), to the W. of the town, is still the finest in Algeria, although largely cut down of late and bereft of its primæval character. The Atlas cedar (Cedrus Atlantica Manetti), with its silvery and very short needles, and of gnarled and often fan-like growth, is smaller and less showy than the Himalaya cedar (Cedrus Deodora Roxburg) and the cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libani), but in a few cases attains a circumference of 30 ft. The cedars are mingled, particularly in the lower parts of the forest, with evergreen or holm oaks and cork-trees (Quercus ilex, cenis, and suber). The excursion to the forest, as far as the Rond-Point and back, takes 4½–5 hrs., or including Kef Siga 6–7 hrs. (Mule, obtained from the natives, or horse, from the Bureau des Messageries, 5 fr.; carr. from the latter, 20–25 fr., hardly advisable as the road is bad.) The road to the (8¾ M.) Rond-Point leaves the highroad to the S. of the town, but riders and walkers take a short-cut from the W. side of the town, thus saving about 1¼ M. In about 40 min. we come to the Parapluie, on the right side of the carriage-road, an umbrella-shaped cedar on a rocky height on the N. slope of the Kef Sachi (5134 ft.), and in 25 min. more to the forester’s hut (gourbi forestier) of Pré-Maigrat. The finest parts of the forest are near the forester’s house at the Rond-Point des Cèdres (4889 ft.; rfmts. if required), on the N. margin of the Jebel el-Meddad, where the Sultane, one of the grandest of the cedars is pointed out. From the Rond-Point a steep zigzag path ascends to a saddle with a pasture in a clearing (on the right), where we dismount, and whence we climb over the rocks to the top of the Kef Siga (5624 ft.), the N.W. peak of the ‘cedar-mountain’. The *View embraces the whole of the Ouarsenis group (p. 209); to the E. rise the mountains of Boghar; to the N. the Zaccar range with Miliana. To the S. we survey the Hauts-Plateaux, with the bare hills of Chellala, as far as the distant Jebel Amour (p. 170) in the Sahara Atlas.

From the Rond-Point we may ride on to the W. to (5–6 hrs.) Beni-Hindel (p. 209).

The train crosses the Oued Boutan. It then runs to the N.E., soon with a retrospect of the Ouarsenis Mts., and ascends the luxuriantly fertile valley of the Oued Souffay, between the Zaccar range and Jebel Gontas (2858 ft.), to (193½ M.) Miliana-Margueritte or Adélia (about 1700 ft.), the station for Miliana, 5½ M. to the W. (reached by steam-tramway, in connection with the trains, in ¾ hr.), and for Margueritte (p. 212; diligence).

* * * * *

=Miliana.=—HOTELS. *Hôtel du Commerce & d’Isly, Rue de Constantine, near Place Carnot; Hôt. Valentin, Place Carnot, next the diligence-office, with dépendance (Hôt. d’Europe) in Rue Fontenoy, R. 2 fr., B. 40 c., déj. or D. 2, pens. 6 fr., unpretending, attentive landlord.—DILIGENCE to Affreville (in the morning in connection with the motor-omnibus to Teniet el-Haâd), see p. 210.

Miliana (2428 ft.; pop. 8400, incl. 5300 Mohammedans), which is said to have been founded by Bologgîn ez-Ziri (comp. p. 221) on the site of the Roman Zucchabar, lies most romantically on a terrace on the S. slope of Jebel Zaccar Gharbi, amidst luxuriant gardens, and is particularly charming in April when the fruit-trees are in blossom.

The chief gate, the N. gate of the modern town-walls, is the Porte du Zaccar, near the tramway-terminus, a few paces from the small public Jardin Magenta.

Passing the covered Marché Arabe the Rue St. Paul, a beautiful avenue of planes, leads in 3 min. to the Place Carnot, in the centre of which rises an ivy-clad Minaret (now a clock-tower), a relic of the chief mosque, which was destroyed during the war with Abd el-Kâder (p. 221).

Near the S.W. angle of the Place Carnot passes the Rue St. Jean, also planted with plane-trees, leading to the S. to the Esplanade de la Casbah (nicknamed Pointe aux Blagueurs), which affords a delightful view of the Chélif plain and the Ouarsenis Mts. The orchards around and the cascades of the Oued Boutan (see above) are better seen from the rampart promenade on the E. side of the town.

The *Jebel Zaccar Gharbi (5181 ft.; ‘Western Zaccar’) is ascended by a good mule-path in 2½–3 hrs. (mule 4–5 fr.). The view of the wooded Dahra Mts., of the Chenoua (p. 242), of part of the Mitidja, and of the S. Tell Atlas, is one of the finest in Algeria.

A delightful *Excursion, by carriage or on foot, especially in spring, may be taken to (6¼ M.) Margueritte, the road to it being part of that from Affreville to Blida and Algiers (comp. p. 214). The road branches to the left, a few minutes to the N.E. of the Porte du Zaccar, from the Adélia road, and soon passes close below the iron and copper mines of the Société des Mines du Zaccar, which are connected by a line of rails with the road tramway. Farther on, ascending gradually through orchards, a perfect sea of blossom in spring, we reach the gorge of the Oued Righas or Rirhas, between Jebel Zaccar Gharbi and Jebel Zaccar Chergui (5027 ft.; ‘Eastern Zaccar’), which also is famed for its view.

=Margueritte= (2395 ft.; Hôt. du Zaccar, poor) lies picturesquely on the S.E. slope of the hill, 3 M. above the rail. station of Miliana-Margueritte (p. 211), with a fine view of the valley of the Oued Souffay, and yields one of the best red wines in Algeria.—Farther on the road skirts the E. slope of the Zaccar Chergui, rounds the gorge of the Oued Tizi-Ouchir, and then descends in windings across the Col des Oliviers (1834 ft.; beyond this a rough road to the left diverges to Hammam-Rhira, see below), aside from the village of Vesoul-Benian (1653 ft.; 4½ M. to the N. of the rail. station, see below), to (9 M.) the Pont de l’Oued el-Hammam (see below).

* * * * *

Just beyond Miliana-Margueritte the RAILWAY passes through a tunnel (2525 yds.) into the bleak valley of the Oued Zeboudj. 200½ M. Vesoul-Benian, station for the village (see above).

205 M. Bou-Medfa (797 ft.), about 1 M. to the W. of the village of that name, is the station for the baths of Hammam Rhira. (Hotel-omnibus meeting every train, up in 1, down in ¾ hr.; trunk ½–1½ fr.)

The road ascends to the W. from the station in the valley of the Oued el-Hammam, which at Bou-Medfa joins the Oued Zeboudj to form the Oued Djer (p. 213). 2 M. Pont de l’Oued el-Hammam (883 ft.), at the junction of our road with that leading from Affreville and Miliana to Bourkika (p. 243), Blida, and Algiers. We follow the latter into the side-valley of the Oued Djir, whence we ascend to the S.W. in windings to the (7 M.) village of Hammam Rhira (1542 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient, poor).

7½ M. =Hammam Rhira= (1706 ft.; *Grand-Hôt. des Bains, of the first class, with beautiful grounds shaded with palms, and baths including two hot swimming-baths, R. 4–8, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 5, pens. 10–18 fr., open 15th Dec.–15th May only; Hôt. Bellevue, dépendance of the former and below it, also with baths, plainer, pens. 7–9 fr., open May-Dec.), the Aquae Calidae of antiquity, Arabic Hammâm Sidi-Slîmân (Solomon’s Bath), is the most fashionable watering-place in Algeria. It lies on a barren terrace descending abruptly to the S.E. to the Oued el-Hammam, affording a fine view of Jebel Zaccar Chergui to the W., and of Jebel Gontas (p. 211), Jebel Louhe (4751 ft.), and Jebel Mouzaïa (p. 213) to the S. The hot springs (113–166° Fahr.), which are strongly impregnated with carbonate and hydrated sulphate of lime, are used as a cure for rheumatism, gout, etc., while the water of a cold chalybeate spring is drunk by anæmic and dyspeptic patients. The chief season for foreign visitors is from the middle of Feb. to the middle of April; in summer the military hospital, which contains three restored ancient piscinæ, and the Mohammedan and Jewish baths below the Hôt. Bellevue are much frequented by Algerians. The Allée des Ruines in the public grounds contains a few relics from the ancient Aquæ Calidæ. We may walk thence to the W., between vineyards which yield excellent red wine, in ¼ hr. to the Forêt de Chaïba, a pine-forest of 2000 acres, in which the ‘petit tour’ of 2½ or the ‘grand tour’ of 5 M. may be taken. The Samsam (2800 ft.) commands a fine view of the Mitidja and the Sahel (p. 221). Pleasant drives (carr. 15–40 fr. per day; driver and horses to be fed by the hirer) viâ (12½ M.) Margueritte to (18½ M.) Miliana (comp. p. 212); viâ Bourkika and Marengo to (23 M.) Tipaza or to Cherchell (see pp. 243, 244).

From Bou-Medfa the train descends to the N.E., skirting the Oued Djer, and through a defile, overgrown with underwood, at the foot of the Nador des Soumata (2507 ft.), to (214 M.) Oued-Djer, and then to the E. into the broad plain of the Mitidja (p. 221). To the left in the distance rises the Chenoua (p. 242), and on the Sahel range (p. 221) may be seen the ‘Tombeau de la Chrétienne’ (p. 238).

219½ M. El-Affroun, a village on the Affreville and Algiers road, is like Castiglione (p. 238) a starting-point for Tipaza and Cherchell (steam-tramway, see p. 243). To the right rise the hills of Blida, with the deep incision of the Chiffa ravine (p. 215).

222½ M. Mouzaïaville (368 ft.; pop. 5000) lies near the spurs of the wooded Jebel Mouzaïa, inhabited by the Berber tribe of that name. 225½ M. Chiffa (364 ft.), near the left bank of the Chiffa (see p. 238), and nearly 4 M. from the entrance to the ravine (by the Rocher Blanc, p. 215).—We cross the stony bed of the Chiffa, opposite the influx of the Oued el-Kébir (see below), and then ascend through fields, vineyards, and cactus-hedges to—

230 M. =Blida.=—The STATION (689 ft.) lies about ¾ M. below the town, to the N.W., 18–20 min. from the chief hotels. Omnibus to the Place d’Armes, with luggage, 10 (at night 20) c.; cab 50 c.

HOTELS. Hôt. d’Orient (Pl. a; C, 3), Rue d’Alger and Place d’Armes, R. 3–5, B. 1–12, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 12, omn. ½ fr. good; Hôt. Géronde (Pl. b; B, 2), Rue Lamy, plainer; Hôt. de la Mitidja (Pl. c; B, 2), Rue Flatters, corner of Rue Pélissier, R. 2, déj. or D. 2 fr., plain but good; Hôt. de la Gare, near the station, déj. 1½, D. 2 fr., humble.—Café d’Orient, in the hotel, and Brasserie Lyonnaise, both in the Place d’Armes.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 5; C, 3), Place d’Armes.

CABS (stand in the Rue de l’Hôpital, behind the Place d’Armes). In town ½, to Sid-el-Kébir 3–5, Chiffa Ravine 8–12 fr. (according to bargain).

SIGHTS. Forenoon, Jardin Bizot, Bois Sacré, cemetery of Sid-el-Kébir, and Stud Farm (‘la Remonte’); afternoon, trip to the Chiffa Ravine, either from Sidi-Madani or Camp-des-Chênes (p. 215). If desired Algiers may be reached by train the same evening. The attractive mountain tours (Les Glacières, etc.) are feasible in summer only.

Blida (886 ft.; pop. 18,400, incl. 10,700 Mohammedans), one of the pleasantest provincial towns in Algeria, with a strong garrison, is charmingly situated at the N. base of the Tell Atlas, on the right bank of the Oued el-Kébir. To this so-called ‘great river’, as well as to the considerable rainfall in winter, the town is indebted for the splendid timber in its public grounds and the luxuriant vegetation of its orchards, notably the orange-groves between the N. suburbs of Joinville and Montpensier. The town is said to have been founded by Andalusian Moors in 1535; in 1825 it was destroyed by an earthquake; it has been rebuilt since 1838, but in 1867 was again much damaged by an earthquake.

From the station we proceed viâ the Avenue de la Gare to the Bab el-Sebt (Pl. A, B, 2), 5 min. to the N.E. of the Bois Sacré (see below), and within the town-walls we follow the Rue Lamy, called also Boulevard Trumelet, to the—

PLACE D’ARMES (Pl. C, 3), which, with the adjoining Rue d’Alger (Pl. C, 3, 2), is the centre of traffic. This pleasant square is planted with plane-trees and has a fountain in the centre shaded by a great date-palm (a band plays here in winter). Adjacent is the Place Lavigerie with the Catholic church of St. Charles (Pl. C, 4).

The streets to the N. of the Place d’Armes, with the two small Mosques (Pl. 3 & 4; C, 3, 2), and the lanes near the Place du Marché-Indigène (Pl. C, D, 3; interesting Friday market) are inhabited mainly by Mohammedans and Jews. From the Place d’Alger, at the end of the Rue d’Alger, the Rue Zaouïa leads to the left to the large Stud Farm (Dépôt de Remonte; Pl. C, 1), where fine horses of the Arab and Barb breeds may be seen.

From the Place d’Armes the Rue and Porte Bizot lead to the S.W. to the *Jardin Bizot (Pl. B, 4), containing fine araucarias, palms, and magnolias. On the N. side of the Avenue du Champ-de-Manœuvres, 5 min. to the W. of the Porte Bizot, lies the famous Bois Sacré (Pl. A, 3, 4), where two picturesque tombs of saints are shaded by superb groups of Aleppo pines, araucarias, and olive-trees.

The Avenue du Champ-de-Manœuvres joins, near the drill-ground, the highroad to Boukirka (and Affreville; comp. p. 212), from which, just before Chiffa (p. 213), 5 M. to the W. of Blida, the road to the Chiffa Ravine and Médéa (p. 215) diverges to the left. This route to the Rocher Blanc (p. 215) is uninteresting and in summer extremely dusty (cabs, see p. 213).

From Porte Bizot we may turn to the E. and walk round the town-walls through an avenue of carob-trees to the Bab el-Rabah (Pl. D, 4), the S.E. town-gate, which is reached also from the Place d’Armes by the busy Rue Tirman. To the S. of this gate the Avenue des Moulins, a broad avenue of planes, leads along a conduit with several mills into the pretty valley of the Oued el-Kébir. After 10 min. we diverge to the right by a shadeless road, passing pleasant orange-groves and crossing the stream twice, and then, just beyond (½ hr.) a mill, ascend a path to the left to the poor village of Sid-el-Kébir. Above the village are the Zaouïa and the picturesque Cemetery of Sid-el-Kébir, with the tombs of Ahmed el-Kebîr (d. 1560), the founder of Blida, and his two sons, to which on great Mohammedan festivals pilgrims flock from far and near. A second footpath to the N. descends hence into the valley.

The highest mountains of Blida, the Jebel Mouzaïa (p. 213) and the *Pic des Beni-Salah or Jebel Sidi Abd el-Kâder (5345 ft.), are famed for their cedar-forests, where the natives, however, have made sad havoc, and for the grand panorama they command. The distant view embraces the Tell Atlas from the Ouarsenis (p. 209) to Jebel Dira (p. 250), the Dahra (p. 208), and the whole of the Mitidja with the Sahel and the Jurjura chain (p. 258). The ascent of the Jebel Sidi Abd el-Kâder viâ Aïn-Talazit takes 4 hrs.—Hardly less repaying is the ascent of the Kef Chrea (5085 ft.), to the S.E. of Blida, to which a bridle-path (mule 4–5 fr.) leads from the Avenue des Moulins (p. 214), viâ the village of Les Glacières (3957 ft.; Hôt. d’Altitude, déj. 3 fr., good) in 4 hrs.

FROM BLIDA TO BERROUAGHIA, 52 M., railway in 4 hrs. (fares 9 fr. 40, 6 fr. 70, 5 fr. 5 c.). The train diverges to the S.W. from the Oran and Algiers line, crosses the Oued el-Kébir and the Chiffa (p. 213), and beyond the Rocher Blanc (466 ft.; inn) enters the =Gorges de la Chiffa=, a grand defile, flanked with the slopes of the Pic des Beni-Salah and Jebel Mouzaïa, here over 3000 ft. high. At (7½ M.) Sidi-Madani (597 ft.) begins the finest part of the ravine; the grandest scenery is around the Hôt. du Ruisseau-des-Singes (738 ft.; déj. 1¾–3, D. 3 fr.), at the mouth of the side-valley of the Oued Tamesguida, and at the waterfalls beyond the inn. The numerous apes (p. 171) that dwell in the rocks here sometimes descend to the bottom of the valley.—12 M. Camp-des-Chênes (1253 ft.; inn), beyond the lateral valley of the Oued Merdja. Following the valley of the Oued Mouzaïa the train leads round the S. slope of Jebel Mouzaïa to (19½ M.) Mouzaïa-les-Mines (1640 ft.), with its deserted copper and iron mines, and then, in numerous windings, ascends the W. slope of Jebel Nador (3675 ft.; fine views) to (28 M.) Lodi (3042 ft.).—31 M. =Médéa= (3019 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient; Hôt. du Commerce; pop. 3800, incl. 1900 Mohammedans and 1200 Jews), a small town, perhaps on the site of the Roman Lambdia (Tirinadis?), was founded by Bologgîn ez-Ziri (comp. p. 221), and was the capital of a beylic in the Turkish period under the name of Titteri. Great native markets (Thurs. and Frid.). The environs yield excellent white wine, but it is often adulterated.—The train next ascends to the S.E., in numerous windings, to (44½ M.) Ben-Chicao (3790 ft.), the highest station on the line.—52½ M. Berrouaghia (2953 ft.; Hôt. de France; Hôt. des Voyageurs), a small town of 2300 inhab., is the present terminus of the line, which is being continued to Djelfa.

A diligence runs daily in 5½ hrs. (at 1 p.m., returning at 9.35 a.m.) to (27½ M.) =Boghari= (2077 ft.; Hôt. Célestin, R. 2, déj. or D. 2½ fr.), a small trading town of some importance on the upper Chélif (p. 208), with a Monday market and a picturesque Ksar on a hill (evening dances by girls of the Ouled Naïl tribe; see below).

Boghari is the starting-point of the important caravan-route to the Sahara oases of Laghouat and Ghardaïa. Diligence every other day at 3 a.m. vîa Aïn-Oussara and Djelfa (night-station) to Laghouat in 58 hrs. (also motor-omnibus sometimes); most of the stopping-places have very fair inns or caravanserais (R. usually 2, déj. or D. 2½ fr.). 13 M. Boughzoul or Bou-Guezoul (2100 ft.); 32½ M. =Aïn-Oussara= (2330 ft.); 57 M. Guelt es-Stel (all three in the Hauts-Plateaux, p. 169); 85 M. Zmila (good drinking-water); 96 M. =Djelfa= (3803 ft.; Hôt. de France, quite good; Hôt. du Roulage; pop. 2200), in the midst of the Sahara Atlas. This little town, situated in the valley of the Oued Djelfa or Melah, where dolmens abound, and at the junction of our road with the caravan-route to Bou-Saâda (p. 270), is the capital of the nomad tribe of the Ouled Naïl, whose daughters usually lead an evil life in the S. Algerian towns before marriage. (Their valuable trinkets are noticeable.) 118 M. Aïn-el-Ibel (3412 ft.); 137 M. Sidi-Maklouf (3019 ft.).—177½ M. =Laghouat= (2461 ft.; Hôt. Storace, good; Hôt. Mendane; pop. 5700, incl 5000 Mohammedans and 400 Jews). This picturesque little town, on the S. slope of the Sahara Atlas, with its military headquarters and brisk trade, lies on the Oued Mzi (called Oued Djedi lower down; p. 284), amidst the fruit-trees of a palm-oasis. It has a pretty Jardin Public. The native quarters present a curious and lively scene.

The journey from Laghouat to (130½ M.) Ghardaïa by the rough Sahara road is very fatiguing. (Diligence every second day, in winter at 4 a.m., in summer at 5 p.m., in 30 hrs.; fare 30 or 25 fr.; motor-omnibus projected.) The chief stages are: 220½ M. (from Boghari) Tilghemt or Tilrempt (quarters), in an oasis of terebinths (p. 202); 265 M. Berrian (1936 ft.), a little town of 3800 inhab., the northmost settlement of the Mozabites (17th cent.), lying on the chalky limestone plateau of the Chebka, with a palm-oasis on the Oued Bir.

308 M. (from Boghari; 130½ from Laghouat) =Ghardaïa= (1805 ft.; Hôt. du Sud; pop. 8200, incl. 5400 Mozabites), a free market, is one of the most picturesque and interesting places in the Sahara. Situated on the Oued Mzab, in a beautiful oasis, with 64,000 palms, the town is enclosed by a lofty wall defended with towers, and is dominated by the great minaret of the chief mosque. It holds high market on Fridays, and has two places of amusement (for Arabian music and dances). Ghardaïa is the headquarters of the Mzab, a small republic of towns which was founded in the 11th cent. by fugitive Berber Ibadites (p. 208) after the destruction of Tiaret, was presided over by a priestly caste (tholbas), and in 1852 became a protectorate of the French who annexed it in 1882. The Mozabites or Mzabites, who hold aloof from the other Mohammedans, are often met with as artisans and small traders in the towns of the Tell Atlas and in the oases of the E. Sahara, but in their old age they always return to their original home. Their manners and customs are still somewhat mediæval; their mosques with minarets in the form of blunted pyramids, their curious cemeteries and tombs with votive offerings, and their schools will be found interesting. Their language is a Berber dialect akin to those of the Kabyles (p. 252) and the Tuâreg, but Arabic and French also are generally spoken.

Among places worth seeing near Ghardaïa are (¾ M.) Mélika, with its black inhabitants and large cemeteries, and (1¼ M.) Beni-Isguen, a wealthy place of 5400 inhab., the sacred town of the Mozabite league, from which Arabs and Jews are excluded, with a massive town-wall, clean streets (smoking forbidden), and a loftily situated castle. The oldest town of the league is El-Ateuf, founded in 1012, with 2000 inhab., 5½ M. to the E. of Ghardaïa, on the caravan-route to (55½ M.) the Mozabite colony of Guerrara. Other caravan-routes lead from Ghardaïa to the S.W. viâ (166 M.) El-Goléa (1280 ft.), with its small oasis, to In Salah and the Tuat Oases, and to the S.E. to (112 M.) Ouargla (p. 285).

Beyond Blida the train, running to the N.E., through orange-groves and fields of vegetables, again descends to the Mitidja. 234 M. Beni-Mered (459 ft.), with fertile gardens.

239 M. =Boufarik= (164 ft.; Hôt. Benoît, Boul. National; Hôt. Nemoz, Place Mazagran, D. 2 fr., quite good; Hôt. de la Gare, humble; omn. to the Place Mazagran; pop. 6000), once a fever-stricken village of peasants, is now the centre of trade for the produce of the Mitidja. Around it are admirably irrigated vineyards and orchards (oranges, mandarins, etc.), sheltered from the prevailing winds by planes, thujas (arbor vitæ), or cypresses. Near it are factories of perfume and immense wine-cellars. To the W. of the town is the large Marché Arabe (cattle-market; Monday), 12 min. from the Place Mazagran, or reached by a road direct from the station.

On the right, farther on, we observe the hill-ranges of Rovigo and L’Arba (pp. 248, 247) and the Jebel Bou-Zegza (p. 249). Beyond (245½ M.) Birtouta-Chebli we near the low spurs of the Sahel (p. 221). 252½ M. Gué-de-Constantine, in the plain of the brook Harrach (p. 247), where the eucalyptus abounds.

254½ M. Maison-Carrée (p. 247), junction of the lines to Tizi-Ouzou (R. 38), Bougie (R. 37), Constantine (R. 43), and Biskra (R. 44), and also of the tramways to Aïn-Taya and Rovigo (p. 219).

The train turns to the N.W. and reaches the shore. High up on the left lies Kouba (p. 233). 257½ M. Hussein-Dey, see p. 233.

Skirting the Jardin d’Essai, on the left (p. 232), we now sight Algiers. Beyond the S.E. suburbs of Le Hamma, Belcourt, and Mustapha-Inférieur (p. 232), we come to the minor station of (260½ M.) Agha and then to the (262½ M.) main station of Algiers.

34. Algiers.

ARRIVAL BY SEA. The French steamboat lines (RR. 20, 22) have their own piers. The fare for landing by boat from other steamers is 30 c. (trunk 20 c.; small articles free). The tariff of the porters (portefaix-commissionnaires, largely natives, mostly exorbitant) to the lower part of the old town is 25 c. for a trunk of 25 kilos (55 lbs.), 50 c. up to 50 kilos, and 1 fr. up to 100 kilos; for porterage to the custom-house (Douane; where baggage is not cleared on Sun. or festivals) 25–50 c., according to bargain. The numbered porters of the steamboat companies had better be employed; or the matter may be entrusted to the hotel-agents. The services of guides, interpreters, and the like should be declined.

=Railway Stations.= 1. Chief Station (Gare; Pl. C, 3), Quai Sud, below the Rampes Magenta (p. 223) and Boul. Carnot, 5–15 min. from the hotels in the town, ¾–1 hr. from those at Mustapha-Supérieur: station for all the hotel-omnibuses (no tramway; cabs, see p. 218).—2. Gare de l’Agha (Pl. C, 5, 6; also goods-station), Rue Sadi-Carnot, at Agha-Inférieur (p. 232), a subordinate station for the S. quarters of the town.—Town-offices of the railways, Boul. Carnot 2 and at the Agence Lubin (p. 219).

=Hotels= (comp. p. 174; in Feb. and March rooms should be ordered in advance). In the Villa Quarter (Mustapha-Supérieur and Quartier d’lsly; mostly closed in summer), suitable for some stay, clientèle largely English and American: *HÔT. CONTINENTAL (Pl. c; A, 6), Chemin du Télemly and Boul. Bon-Accueil (entered also from the Station Sanitaire, p. 228), on a high site, with fine views and garden, R. 5–20, B. 1½, déj. 4–5, D. 6–8, pens. from 13, omn. 3 fr.; *HÔT. ST. GEORGE (Pl. a; A, 8), Rue Michelet, with beautiful grounds, R. 5–15, B. 1½, déj. 4–4½, D. 6–7, pens. 13–25, omn. 3 fr.; ALEXANDRA (Hôt. Kirsch; Pl. b, A 8), same street, with garden and small terrace, R. 4–18, B. 2, déj. 3½–4½, D. 5–6, pens. 12–25, omn. 3 fr., good cuisine; these three are of the first class.—HÔT. ORIENTAL (Pl. f; A, 6), Boul. Bon-Accueil (entrance from Station Sanitaire), with garden, R. 5–10, B. 1¼, déj. 3, D. 4, pens. from 9 fr., good cuisine; GRAND-HÔTEL (Pl. g; A, 7), above Rue Michelet, with fine grounds, pens. 9–12 fr.; HÔT. BEAU-SÉJOUR (Pl. e; A, 6), Rue Michelet, below the Museum Terrace (p. 228), R. 3–8, B. 1, déj. or D. 3, pens. 8–10, omn. 2½ fr., open throughout the year; PENS. VILLA OLIVAGE, beyond the Bois de Boulogne (p. 230), good; PENS. VICTORIA, Rue Michelet, near the Colonne Voirol.

In the Town, nearer the sights, more convenient for excursions: *HÔT. EXCELSIOR (Pl. h; C, 4, 5), Boul. Laferrière, 8 min. from the Gare de l’Agha, well fitted up, with restaurant, R. 1–30, B. 1¼, déj. 3½, D. 5, board 8, omn. (also from the Agha station) 1 fr.; *HÔT. DE L’OASIS (Pl. k; C, 3), Rue du Laurier 2 and Boul. de la République 9, with fine views, restaurant, and American bar, R. 3–18, B. 1½, pens. from 10, omn. 1¼ fr.; HÔT. DE LA REGENCE (Pl. 1; C, 2), Place du Gouvernement 3, R. 4–10, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4½, pens. 12–20, omn. 1½ fr.; GR.-HÔT. ARAGO & DU PALMIER (Pl. m; C, 3), Rue Arago 6, quiet; HÔT. DE NICE (Pl. n; C, 8), Rue Garibaldi 2 and Place de la République (Square Bresson).

=Hôtels Garnis.= HÔT. DES ETRANGERS (Pl. i; C, 3), Rue Dumont-d’Urville 1, near the Place de la République, R. 3½–7½, B. 1½, HÔT. D’EUROPE & TERMINUS (Pl. o; C, 3), Rue Garibaldi, corner of Boul. Carnot (R. 3–7, B. 1 fr.), ROYAL HOTEL (Pl. p; C, 3), Boul. de la République 10 (R. from 2½ fr.), both with fine views; HÔT. REGINA, Boul. Bugeaud.

=Cafés.= Café Continental (Brasserie Maxéville), Café d’Alger (Brass. de Tantonville), both Place de la République; Café de Bordeaux, Boul. de la République 1, corner of Place du Gouvernement; Café d’Apollon, Place du Gouvernement 4.—CONFECTIONER. Maison Fille, Rue Bab-Azoun 2.

=Restaurants.= At the Hôtel Excelsior (p. 217); London House, at the Hôt. de l’Oasis, Boul. de la République 9, déj. 3, D. 4 fr.; *Taverne Gruber, same boulevard, No. 7, a favourite resort (music in the afternoon and evening); Jaumon, Rue Dumont-d’Urville, déj. 2, D. 2½ fr., plain but good.—For LUNCHEON (fish, sea-crayfish, shell-fish, etc.): *Restaur. Cassar and Restaur. de la Pêcherie, Rampe de la Pêcherie.—BEER at the *Brasserie Terminus, Boul. Carnot 1 (in Hôt. de l’Europe), D. 3 fr.; also, Rue de la Liberté 6, Brass. de l’Etoile (music in the afternoon and evening) No. 11, Brass. Suisse; No. 8, Brass. du Phénix; No. 1, Brass. Lorraine.

=Cabs= (voitures de place).

‘Double courses’ (there and back):— │ │per │ │hr. a) within the First Zone, extending as far as the │ │ European cemetery of St. Eugène (beyond Pl. B, 1) to │ │ the N. and as the beginning of the Champ de Manœuvres │ │ (Pl. C, 7) to the S. │1.50│2.— Each ¼ hr. │—.50│ b) within the Second Zone, including the W. margin of │ │ the town (Prison Civile, Télemly, Palais d’Eté at │ │ Mustapha, etc.) and extending as far as Deux-Moulins │ │ beyond St. Eugène (comp. Map, at p. 233) to the N. and │ │ the Cimetière Musulman (Pl. D, 9) at │ 2.—│2.— Belcourt to the S. To the Jardin d’Essai (and back) │2.50│ Each ¼ hr. │—.75│ Within the Third Zone comprising the regions beyond those │ │ just named: │ │ Half-day (6 hrs.), within a radius of 15 kilometers (9½│ │ M.) │11.—│ Whole day (12 hrs.), within a radius of 25 kilomètres │ │ (15½ M.) │20.—│

During the night-hours (12–6 a.m.) a fare and a half is charged.—For waiting, ½ fr. extra for each ¼ hr.—Hand-luggage up to 20 kilos (44 lbs.) free; each piece exceeding that 50 c.

=Motor Cabs= (Automobiles de place; stand, Rue Garibaldi). Drive under 900 mètres (984 yds.) 1 fr. 50 c.; for each addit. 300 m. 20 c.; small articles free; trunk 50 c.

=Carriages= (cabs and ‘voitures de grande remise’; fares raised on Sun. and holidays). Vitoz & Co., Rue Michelet 105, Mustapha-Supérieur; Sanino, Rue de Strasbourg 3, and Rue Michelet 117; Comp. Générale des Voitures, Rue de Strasbourg 7.—Saddle Horses let by Vitoz and Sanino.—

=Motor Cars= for excursions: Metrot, Marcé, both Rue d’Isly 39; Anglo-American Garage, Chemin du Télemly; E. Paul, Rue d’Isly 73.

=Tramways= (1st and 2nd cl.). =1= (without name-board). From Hôpital du Dey (Pl. A, B, 1) to Rue Bab el-Oued (Pl. C, 1, 2), Place du Gouvernement (Pl. C, 2), Rue Bab-Azoun (Pl. C, 2, 3), Rue d’Isly (Pl. C, 3, 4), Rue Michelet, and Station Sanitaire (Pl. A, 6), every 5 min. (but 5–6 a.m. and 10–12 p.m. every 10 min. only); fare 5–20 c.—=2= (red name-board). From Place du Gouvernement to Rue d’Isly, Rue Michelet, and Colonne Voirol (comp. Pl. A, 8), every ½ hr. (from 6 a.m., last car at 8.5 p.m.), in 40 min.; fare 30 or 20 c.—=3= (blue). From Place du Gouvernement to Rue d’Isly, Rue Michelet, and Boul. Bru (Pl. A-C, 8, 9), every ½ hr. (last car 7.50), in ½ hr.; 30 or 20 c.—=4= (green). From Place du Gouvernement to Boul. Carnot (Pl. C, 3), Rue de Constantine (Pl. C, 4), Rue Sadi-Carnot (Pl. B, 5, 6), Rue de Lyon (Pl. B-E, 7–9), Le Ruisseau, and Kouba; as far as Marabout (Cimetière Musulman de Belcourt) every 5 min.; to Les Platanes (Jardin d’Essai) every 10 min.; to Kouba every 40 min.; fare 35 or 30 c.—=5= (red). From Place du Gouvernement to Boul. Carnot, Rue Sadi-Carnot, Jardin d’Essai (Oasis des Palmiers, in 27 min.), Nouvel Ambert, Maison-Carrée (in 1 hr.); as far as Nouvel Ambert every 10 min., to Maison-Carrée every 20 min.; fare 60 or 45 c.—=6.= From Place du Gouvernement to Rue de la Lyre (Pl. C, 2, 3), Rue Rovigo (Pl. C, 3), Prison Civile (Pl. B, C, 2; 20 or 15 c.), El-Biar (comp. Pl. A, 4; 40 or 35 c.), and Château-Neuf (in 50 min.; 50 or 40 c.); as far as Prison Civile every ¼ hr., to El-Biar every ½ hr., to Château-Neuf once every hr. (Sun. every ½ hr.).—=7.= From Place du Gouvernement to Boul. de France (Pl. D, 2), Esplanade (Pl. C, 1), Bab el-Oued (Pl. B, 1), St. Eugène (comp. Pl. B, 1), and Deux Moulins, every 9 min.; 30 or 20 c.

=Steam Tramways= from the Place du Gouvernement: to (7½ M.) Maison-Carrée (p. 247), and thence either to (4½ M.) Fort-de-l’Eau (p. 248) and (12½ M.) Aïn-Taya (p. 248), or to (10½ M.) L’Arba (p. 247) and (15½ M.) Rovigo (p. 248); to (22 M.) Mazafran (p. 238), and thence either to (6¼ M.) Koléa (p. 238), or to (6½ M.) Castiglione (p. 238).

=Post & Telegraph Office= (Pl. 22, C4; p. 226), Rue de Constantine 133; branches at Rue de Strasbourg 2, in the Palais Consulaire (p. 223), at Rue Michelet 64 (Mustapha-Inférieur), near the Palais d’Eté (p. 230), etc.

=Steamboat Agents.= Cunard, North German Lloyd (R. 15b), Hamburg-American, German Levant (RR. 15b. 22), and Hungarian Adria (R. 22). R. Heckmann, Rue Colbert 1; Comp. Générale Transatlantique (RR. 20, 22), Boul. Carnot 6 and Quai de la Marine; Soc. de Transports Maritimes (R. 20), Boul. de la République 2 and Quai de la Marine; Comp. de Navigation Mixte (R. 20), Boul. Carnot 2 and Quai do la Marine; White Star Line, Austro-American Line, J. Crispo, Boul. de la République 3; Nederland Royal Mail, J. Bergeret, Boul. Carnot; Compañía Mallorquina de Vapores (R. 20), J. J. Sitges Frères, Quai Nord 40.

=Tourist Agents.= R. Heckmann (Universal Tourist Office), Boul. de la République 11; Agence Lubin, Rue de la Liberté 7; Agence Duchemin, same street, No. 4.—Information obtainable also from the Comité d’Hivernage, Rue Combe 2. 8–11 and 2–6 (Sun. 8–11).—Club Alpin Français (section de l’Atlas), Palais Consulaire (p. 223).

=Consuls.= British Consul-General, B. S. Cave, Boul. Carnot 6; vice-consuls, L. G. C. Graham, L. Graeme Scott.—U. S. Consul, A. W. Robert, Rue d’Isly 64.

=Physicians.= Dr. Dangerfield, Kent House, Colonne Voirol; Dr. Gubb, Mustapha, Chemin des Glycines; Dr. Nissen, Mustapha-Supérieur, Villa Bey, Rue Michelet.—CHEMISTS. Grandmont (Obrecht), Rue Bab-Azoun 28; Licht, Rue Michelet 85; Brenta, Rue Bab-Azoun 3.

=Baths.= Bains du Palmier, Rue Arago 6 (Gr.-Hôt. Arago & du Palmier); Bains du Hamma, Rue du Hamma 1 (near the Théâtre Municipal); Bains Michelet, Rue de Richelieu 25.—MOORISH BATHS (comp. p. 175): Bains de l’Alhambra, Rue Marengo 4.—SEA BATHS (June-Oct.; plainly fitted up; costume 50 c.): Bains du Jardin d’Essai (p. 233); Bains Nelson, Avenue Malakoff.

=Banks= (comp. p. 174). Crédit Lyonnais, Boul. de la République 6; Comp. Algérienne, Rue Dumont-d’Urville; Banque de l’Algérie, Crédit Foncier et Agricole d’Algérie, _Crédit Agricole et Commerciel Algérien_ (J. Thibaud), all three in the Boul. de la République (Nos. 5, 8, & 4).

=Booksellers.= Jourdan, Place du Gouvernement and Rue Cléopâtre 1; Chaix, Rue d’Isly 11bis; Relin, Rue d’Isly 11; Ruff, Rue Bab-Azoun 10; Carbonnel, Ledoux, both Boul. de la République (Nos. 2 & 7).—=Newspapers= (5 c.). La Dépêche Algérienne (morning); Les Nouvelles, Le Cri d’Alger (evening). For strangers, The North African News (Sat.; 25 c.).

=Shops= (caution almost as necessary as at Tunis; comp. p. 331). PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIEWS. Geiser, Place de Chartres 2; _A. Wollenweider_, Rue du Divan 4; Hyam, Station Sanitaire (Pl. A, 6).—ORIENTAL ARTICLES (partly made in France and Germany; also Indian, Japanese, and Turkish wares). Ratto (goldsmith), Rue Socgémah 12; Pohoomull Frères, Rue Bab-Azoun 11; Ratto-Magana, Rue de l’Etat Major 5; Miss Jockyl, English Club Buildings, Mustapha-Supérieur.—EMBROIDERY. Mme. Hémery, Rue Michelet 89, Mustapha-Supérieur.—COPPER AND BRASS WORK. Zagha (from Damascus), Rue Bruce 27; Nassan, Place Malakoff.

=Theatres.= Théâtre Municipal (Pl. 26; C, 3), Place de la République, for operas, operettas, and dramas, closed in summer; Kursaal (Pl. C, 1), Esplanade de Bab-el-Oued (tickets sold in advance at 4 Boul. de la République.—Casino Music Hall), Rue d’Isly 9 (fauteuil 2½ fr.).—Fêtes Mauresques at the Kasba, arranged by the Comité d’Hivernage (p. 219), with native musicians and dancers (adm. 5 fr.).

=Band= plays in winter, Sun. and Thurs., 4–5, in the Place du Gouvernement; in summer (May-Oct.), on Mon., Wed., and Sat., from 8 to 10.30, in the Place de la République (Square Bresson), and on Sun., Tues., and Thurs., from 8 to 10.30, in the Place du Gouvernement.

=Golf Club=, with good nine hole course, near the Pens. Villa Olivage (p. 217).—SKATING RINK at the corner of Boul. Carnot and Rue Waïsse (Pl. C, 4).

=Churches.= English (Ch. of the Holy Ghost; p. 230), Rue Michelet (Pl. A, 7), to the N. of the Alexandra Hotel (p. 217); Sun. services at 8 and 11.30 or 9.45 a.m.; chaplain, Rev. A. P. Cronyn, M. A.—Presbyterian (St. Andrew’s; Pl. 7, A 6) also Rue Michelet, Sun. service at 10.30 a.m.; minister, Rev. T. E. Jubb, M. A.

=Sights=, with days and hours of admission:—

Archevêché (p. 224), all day; fee ½–1 fr.

Bibliothèque Nationale (p. 225), week-days 1–6; closed Aug. and Sept.

Conseil Général (p. 224), apply to secretary; week-days 8–11 and 1–5.

Jardin d’Essai (p. 232), all day (Zoologie 50 c.).

Kasba Barracks (p. 227), apply to Etat-Major, Rue de la Marine 11.

Medersa (p. 228), except during lectures; closed Sun., Frid., and on great Mohammedan festivals.

Mosquée de la Pêcherie (p. 223), at any time except during prayers.

Mosque, Great (p. 224), as above.

Mosque of Sidi Abderrahmân (p. 228), Sun., Mon., Tues., 8–12 and 2–3; closed on the chief Mohammedan holidays.

Musée Municipal des Beaux-Arts (p. 226), daily, except Friday.

Museum (p. 229), daily, except Mon., 1–4 (1st April to 15th July 2–5; closed 16th July to 30th Sept.).

Palais d’Eté du Gouverneur (p. 230), in his absence; fee ½–1 fr.

Palais d’Hiver du Gouverneur (p. 225), as above.

Synagogue (p. 227), all Frid., Sat. after 12, at other times apply to keeper, 30–50 c.

As to visiting the Mosques, see p. 174.—Men are not admitted to the Mohammedan Cemeteries (p. xxvi) on Frid. and holidays 12–6.

TWO DAYS. 1st. Forenoon, Place de la République, Boul. de la République, Place du Gouvernement, Great Mosque, Archevêché (pp. 222–224), *Kasba Quarter (pp. 226, 227), *Mosque of Sidi-Abderrahmân (p. 228), and *Jardin Marengo (p. 224). Afternoon, Mustapha-Supérieur with the *Museum (pp. 228–230).—2nd. Forenoon, Mohammedan Cemetery at Belcourt (p. 232), *Jardin d’Essai (p. 232). Afternoon, Notre-Dame d’Afrique (p. 236) or Bouzaréah (p. 235).

Algiers, French Alger, Ital. Algéri, the capital of the French colony of Algeria, with 154,000 inhab. (incl. 35,200 foreigners, mostly Italians and Spaniards, 33,200 Mohammedans, and 12,500 Jews), seat of the archbishop of Algeria, a fortress, and a naval harbour, lies in 36°47′ N. lat. and 3°2′ E. long., on the W. side of the nearly semicircular *Baie d’Alger, which is bounded on the W. by the Pointe Pescade (p. 237), and on the E. by Cape Matifou (p. 248). It is the most important coaling-station on the whole coast, and shares with Oran the chief trade of Algeria. The town extends along the slopes of the Sahel of Algiers, a range of hills about 44 M. long, culminating in Mt. Bouzaréah (p. 235), continued beyond the mouth of the Oued el-Harrach by low sand-hills, and separated from the Tell Atlas by the Mitidja (p. 169). With regard to climate, see pp. 170, 172.

On the site of the Roman Icosium, an unimportant place on the road to Tipasa and Cæsarea (Cherchell, p. 244), Bologgîn ez-Ziri (p. 323), about 940 (about the same date as the foundation of Miliana and Médéa) founded the new colony of Al-Jezaïr Beni Mezghanna, so called from the adjacent coast-islands (jezîra, pl. jezaïr) and from the Berber tribe of the Beni Mezghanna who dwelt in this region. It is recorded that in the 11th cent. the inhabitants of the new settlement used the old Roman baths, of which there is now no trace, for their amusements and an old Christian basilica for their worship. From that time the history of Al-Jezaïr is a blank down to the end of the 15th cent., when it began to serve the Moorish exiles from Spain (afterwards called Tagarins here) as a base of their retaliatory expeditions against Spain. In 1509 or 1510 the Spaniards, in the course of their victorious career, occupied the largest of the coast-islands, where they erected the fortress of El-Peñón, and conquered the Mitidja which had recently been colonized by the Arabian tribe of the Tsaliba. The little town, called Argel by the Spaniards, was inhabited by Mohammedans, who in 1516 summoned to their aid, from Djidjelli, Horuk (Arudj) Barbarossa, a Turkish pirate of Christian descent. Horuk complied with the request and established himself at Al-Jezaïr, where, after repelling a Spanish expedition under Diego de Vera (1516), he erected the Jenina as his residence and the Kasba as his citadel.

Having fallen in a battle with the Spaniards near Tlemcen (p. 187), Horuk was succeeded by his brother Kheireddin Barbarossa (1518–36), who became the real founder of the new barbaresco or piratical state. As a vassal of the sultan of Turkey he extended his sway over the greater part of Algeria. He defeated Hugo de Moncada, the Spanish viceroy, in 1519, and in 1530, after having stormed the fortress of Peñón, he constructed the Jetée de Kheireddin with its materials and with others from Rusguniæ (p. 248) and Tipasa, thus creating the first harbour of Algiers. Thenceforwards for three centuries the ‘Algerian pirates’ were the terror of the seas, to whom, for protection of their trade, England, Holland, the Hanseatic towns, and other maritime countries ignominiously consented to pay tribute. Fourteen times the European powers, from the time of the fruitless campaign of Charles V. in 1541 to the British expedition of 1824, had besieged and bombarded Algiers in vain. The beys (or, after 1600, deys) had succeeded in maintaining their position, and in 1627 had even carried their piratical expeditions as far as Iceland. It was not till 1830 that these barbarous piracies were put a stop to by the French, and that the way was thus paved for conquest of the whole of Algeria.

The most stirring events in the recent history of Algeria were the conquest of Constantine (1837), the protracted struggles against Abd el-Kâder (1839–47), the defeat of his Moroccan allies on the Oued Isly (1844), the subjection of Great Kabylia (1856–7), the revolts of the natives in 1871–2, the rising of Bou-Amama in S. Oran (1881), the occupation of the Sahara as far as Tidikelt and the Tuat oases (1892–1901), and lastly the French advance towards Morocco (comp. p. 96).

The Algiers of the Turkish period consisted solely of the triangular quarter on the slope of the Kasba Hill, between the old landward gates, Bab Azoun on the S. and Bab el-Oued on the N., with the Sûk or Market Street (now Rue Bab-Azoun and Rue Bab el-Oued) as its nucleus. Between these two gates ran the old Turkish wall, on whose site lie the Boul. Gambetta (Pl. B, C, 3), on the S., and the Boul. Valée (Pl. C, 2), on the N. The French ramparts constructed in 1845 extended the town as far as the present Boul. Laferrière (Pl. C, 4, 5) to the S., and to the Boul. du Général Farre to the N. (Pl. C, 1). Since the demolition of these fortifications in 1904 the industrial suburbs on the coast and the lofty villa-suburbs, Quartier d’Isly (Pl. B, 4, 5), Télemly (Pl. A, 5, 6), and Mustapha-Supérieur (Pl. A, 7, 8), which last is little frequented except in winter, have all been brought within the precincts of the town.

a. Lower Quarter of the Old Town.

The chief business parts of the town are the arcades, with their numerous shops, in the Rue Bab-Azoun (Pl. C, 2, 3) and Rue Bab el-Oued (Pl. C, 2; p. 224), the Place du Gouvernement (Pl. C, 2; p. 223), the focus of all the tramways, and above all the spacious PLACE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE (Pl. C, 3), with the gardens of Square Bresson (band, see p. 220), adorned with bamboos and magnolias, the Théâtre Municipal (p. 220), and the most showy cafés. Between these two places and the sea, at a height of 65 ft. above the quay and its warehouses, run the uniform rows of houses of the BOULEVARD DE FRANCE (Pl. D, 2; p. 223), the BOULEVARD DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE, completed in 1866, and the BOULEVARD CARNOT (Pl. C, 3, 4), with the new Préfecture (Pl. 23; C, 4) in the Moorish style (1910). These streets, together 1 M. long, form a coast-promenade, whence in clear weather we enjoy a splendid *View of the blue bay, the Atlas Mts. of Blida, and the distant Jurjura chain (p. 258). In stormy weather, however, the Rampe de l’Amirauté (Pl. D, 2; p. 223) and the Boul. Amiral Pierre (Pl. C, D, 1, 2; p. 224) attract many walkers.

The sole =Harbour=, prior to the French period, was the Ancien Port, or Darse de l’Amirauté (Pl. D, 2), constructed by Kheireddin Barbarossa, once a nest of piratical vessels, and now a torpedo-boat station and anchorage for yachts and fishing-boats. The new Port de Commerce and Port Militaire, 213 acres in area, with the Quai de la Marine, which was extended in 1908, have been formed since 1848 at a cost of 46 million francs. They are protected by the wave-beaten Jetée du Nord, 984 yds. long, the prolongation of the old Jetée of Kheireddin (comp. p. 221), and by the Jetée du Sud, 1350 yds. in length. The entrance is 268 yds. in breadth. A second commercial harbour, the Arrière-Port (Pl. C, D, 5, 6), was begun in 1898, but is still uncompleted.

The harbour is approached by the Rampes Magenta, descending from Boul. Carnot to the principal railway-station (p. 217), by the Rampes Chasseloup-Laubat, connecting the Boul. de la République with the Douane (Pl. D, 3) and with the warehouses and offices of the French steamboat-companies, and by the Rampe de l’Amirauté (Pl. D, 2), on the old Jetée of Kheireddin. This jetty or quay, the oldest of all, connects the old Porte de France on the mainland (once the Turkish sea-gate) with what was once the island of Peñón (p. 221), now the Presqu’île de l’Amirauté. Walkers may descend also by the Escaliers du Bastion Central, opposite the Square Bresson (p. 222), or from the Place du Gouvernement by the Escaliers de la Pêcherie, past the mosque of that name and the Fish Market, which is worth seeing in the early morning.

On the Quai du Nord, between the approach to the fish-market and the old Porte de France, a pretty Turkish Fountain has been preserved. Adjoining the neo-Moorish Palais de l’Amirauté (Pl. D, 2) is the Turkish Gate, with two heraldic animals (panthers?), an interesting relic of the Bordj Ras el-Moul which was burned down in 1816. We notice also several muzzle-loading guns built into the wall, now serving as bulkheads or as posts for mooring vessels. Visitors are not admitted to the Phare (Pl. D, 2; lighthouse), a relic of the Turkish fort erected in 1544 on the site of the Spanish castle of Peñón, nor to the small Station Zoologique (Pl. D, 2).

We now follow the Boul. de France, past the handsome Palais Consulaire (Pl. 19, D 2; chamber of commerce, exchange, etc.), to the—

PLACE DU GOUVERNEMENT, the noisiest place in the town, crowded with natives at all hours (concerts, see p. 220). The equestrian statue, in bronze, of the Duke of Orleans (1810–42), a distinguished general in the Algerian campaigns, is by the Piedmontese Carlo Marocchetti (1845). Behind the statue, and half concealed by the Boul. de France, is the curiously incongruous—

=Mosquée de la Pêcherie= (Pl. 16, D 2; Arabic Jâma el-Jedid, new mosque), erected by Turkish architects in 1660 for adherents of the Hanefite ritual (p. 445). It is a cruciform building with nave and aisles, a huge central dome tastelessly painted inside, a rich marble pulpit of Italian workmanship, and a square minaret (now clock-tower). Entrance in the Rampe de la Pêcherie (adm., see p. 220).

A few paces to the E. of the Place du Gouvernement, adjoining the Rue de la Marine (Pl. D, 2), the harbour-street of the Turkish and early French period, is the small Place de la Pêcherie, the site of the pirates’ Slave Market.

Close by is the =Great Mosque= (Pl. 15, D 2; Arabic Jâma el-Kebîr), the oldest and largest mosque in the town, founded in 1018 for believers in the Malekite ritual, but often altered since then. Both the mosque and its minaret, originally built by the Abdelwadite Abû Tâkhfîn (p. 190) in 1322–3, have now been modernized. The entrance is by a portico in the Rue de la Marine, erected in 1837 with materials from a mosque of the Jenina (p. 225), leading into a court, embellished with a Turkish fountain, and to the unadorned sacred building itself, with its eleven aisles or arcades and horseshoe arches resting on low pillars.

The quarter to the N.W. of the Rue de la Marine, between Boul. Amiral-Pierre (Pl. C, D, 1, 2) and Rue Bab el-Oued (see below), is inhabited mainly by Italians and natives and still contains many mediæval features in its sombre lanes and passages. Soon after entering it, we come to a pleasing Turkish House, Rue Duquesne, No. 15, in the small square of that name, with a marble portal and a two-storied court.

The building of the =Conseil Général= (Pl. 5a, D 2; adm., see p. 220), close by, Rue de la Charte No. 5, a good example of Moorish-Turkish architecture, with its Renaissance portal, was the British consulate in the Turkish period. No. 29, in the adjoining Rue d’Orléans, has a remarkably rich Italian Renaissance portal.

The short Rue du Quatorze-Juin, the last houses in the Rue des Consuls (Pl. D, 2), occupied by the other European consuls in the Turkish period, and the adjacent narrow Rue Navarin and Rue Jean-Bart, all have the character of the Kasba quarter (p. 227).

The narrow passage called Rue des Postes leads here to the Rue Volland (Pl. C, 1), the cross-street between Boul. Amiral-Pierre and the AVENUE BAB EL-OUED (Pl. C, 1). Here, on the right, are the barracks and the Kursaal Theatre (p. 220), and on the left the Lycée National, on the site of the Turkish janissaries’ barracks.

The Rampe Valée ascending hence to the Kasba quarter skirts the *=Jardin Marengo= (Pl. C, 1), a public park, laid out in 1834–47 on the site of the Mohammedan cemetery; the grounds, with their wealth of palms, yuccas, and bamboos, climb the hill-side as far as the mosque of Sidi Abderrahmân (p. 228).

We now return by the RUE BAB EL-OUED (Pl. C, 2; p. 222) to the Place du Gouvernement. Halfway, in the Rue de la Kasba (p. 227), rises on the right the church of Notre-Dame des Victoires (Pl. 8; C, 2), formerly a mosque (Jâma Bitchnîn, of 1622).

From the W. side of the Place du Gouvernement (p. 223) the Rue du Divan and Rue du Soudan lead to the small PLACE MALAKOFF, on the E. side of which, between these streets, rises the—

*=Archevêché= (Pl. 1, C 2; archbishop’s palace), the finest and but little modernized relic of the Jenina founded by Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221) in 1516. In the course of centuries this residence of the beys was gradually extended to the Rue Jenina and the Rue Socgémah, and in 1816 was at length superseded by the Kasba (p. 227). The entrance is by the Renaissance portal (adm., see p. 220; apply to the concierge).

The fine court, with its two stories and horseshoe arches resting on slender winding columns, is remarkable for its harmonious proportions. The walls are adorned with tiles of little value, but the rich wrought-iron gratings of the windows deserve notice. The upper story, whose galleries have small domed chambers at the four corners, is adjoined by rooms sumptuously decorated like those of the Alcázar at Seville (p. 61). We note in particular the lavish ornamentation in stucco, the elegant window-shutters, restored in part, and the beautiful ceilings in cedar and oak panelling. The room converted into a chapel has been materially altered.

The =Cathedral= (Pl. 3, C 2; St. Philippe), on the W. side of the same Place, built since 1843 in a strangely mingled Moorish and Romanesque style, occupies the site of the Ketshâwa Mosque erected by Hassan Pasha in 1791 (see below). The façade is adorned with two towers resembling minarets. The first chapel contains the bones of the so-called Gerónimo, a Christian Arab (comp. p. 230), who is said to have been immured alive in 1569.

The Palais d’Hiver du Gouverneur (Pl. 21, C 2; adm., see p. 220), built by Hassan Pasha (1791–9), like the National Library (see below), is one of the latest specimens of Moorish-Turkish architecture in Algeria; but it has been entirely remodelled to suit its present purpose and has been provided with a new façade. Above the old portal, Rue du Soudan No. 5 (now Bureau Arabe; see p. 174), is a pretty carved projecting roof. No. 7, next door, has a rich marble portal. The roof affords a good survey of the whole of the Jenina buildings.

To the N. of the Place Malakoff, in the Rue de l’Etat-Major, No. 12, on the left, is the—

=National Library= (Pl. 2; C, 2), in the old palace of Mustapha Pasha (1799–1805), containing about 40,000 vols. and 2000 MSS. Adm., see p. 220. Librarian, M. E. Maupas.

Adjoining the vestibule (skiffa), adorned with clustered columns and Delft fayence, on the left, is the two-storied *Quadrangle, similar to that of the archiepiscopal palace. In the gallery of the first floor are views of Old Algiers (including the bombardment by the British fleet in 1824). Adjacent are two small reading-rooms containing a valuable collection of Arabic, Berber, and Turkish MSS. (shown only on application to the curator M. Abdeltif). The charters of the Turkish period also are important.

The Bureaux du Gouvernement, Rue Bruce 10, which once belonged to the Jenina buildings, also are worth seeing (apply to the governor’s secretary). So, too, is the pleasing Dwelling House, Rue Socgémah 12 (now owned by M. Ratto, goldsmith; p. 220).—The old Dâr Soof (wool-exchange), Rue de l’Intendance 1, one of the most ornate Mauro-Turkish buildings in the town, is now a private house and can be seen only by special introduction.

We now turn to the E. to visit the Rue de Chartres or the Rue de la Lyre (Pl. C, 2, 3), which, like the neighbouring Rue Randon in the Kasba quarter (p. 227), contain countless little shops kept by Jews and Mozabites (p. 216). The Marché de Chartres and the Marché de la Lyre (Pl. 14; C, 3) are the chief provision markets. In the afternoon the former is devoted to the sale of second-hand goods. The Rue de Chartres and the two flights of steps in the Place de la Lyre, next to the theatre, lead back to the Place de la République (p. 222).

To the S. of the Place de la République are the new quarters of the town. At the beginning of the RUE DE CONSTANTINE (Pl. C, 3, 4), on the left, is the new Palais de Justice (Pl. 20; C, 3), in the pseudo-classical style. On the right is the new-Romanesque church of St. Augustin (Pl. 9; C, 3).

At the back of this church runs the Rue Dumont-d’Urville (Pl. C, 3), passing almost immediately on the left the Rue de Tanger, in which rises the small Mosque of the Mozabites (p. 216), and leading to the long and monotonous RUE D’ISLY (Pl. C, 4). The latter crosses the Place d’Isly. (Pl. C, 4), where a monument has been erected to Marshal Bugeaud (1784–1849), the conqueror of Abd el-Kâder (p. 221).

Farther on in the Rue de Constantine, on the left, at No. 32 is the Musée Municipal des Beaux-Arts (adm., see p. 220), containing a small collection of pictures mostly by French painters.

The Rue de Constantine and Rue d’Isly reach the boundary of the old town at the new Post Office (Pl. 22, C, 4; p. 219), a neo-Moorish building (1910), on the N. side of the BOULEVARD LAFERRIÈRE (Pl. C, 4, 5; p. 222), or Boul. Militaire Sud. To the right, above, are the handsome offices of the Dépêche Algérienne (p. 220), in the neo-Moorish style. The open space on the left, down by the sea, is destined for the future Central Station.

From Boul. Laferrière to Mustapha-Supérieur, see pp. 231, 230; to Belcourt and Le Hamma, see p. 232.

b. The Kasba.

To avoid the steep ascents in the Kasba Quarter we take the tramway (No. 6, p. 219) to the Prison Civile, glance at the Mohammedan Cemetery and the Kasba Barracks, and then descend from the Boul. de la Victoire by one or other of the streets (very slippery in wet weather) between the Rue de la Kasba (Pl. C, 2) and Boul. Gambetta (Pl. B, C, 3). It should be noted that all the ascending streets lead to the Boulevard de la Victoire, and the descending streets to Rue Randon or Rue Marengo. Ladies in particular may sometimes gain admission to one of the better Moorish houses (comp. p. xxvi), where they should not omit to see the view from the roof. A walk through the Kasba quarter by moonlight is delightful, but safe only for a considerable party.

The *=Kasba Quarter= (Pl. B, C, 2, 3), the almost unaltered main portion of old Algiers, bounded by the Rue Randon, Rue Marengo, and Boul. de la Victoire, lies on the hill-side below the Kasba, the old castle and afterwards the residence of the Turkish rulers, and still presents a highly attractive picture of Oriental life, though partly inhabited by Maltese and Spaniards as well as by Mohammedans of various races and creeds (p. 171). A few streets only, with small mosques, coffee-houses, and shops, show signs of life in the daytime, and that chiefly on Fridays and Sundays. Most of the streets, however, often only 6–7 ft. wide, with their jutting upper stories and balconies supported by brackets of beams, and the numerous blind alleys and sombre vaulted passages are shrouded in silence, while their bare, almost windowless walls and their closed doors, marked with the sign of the warning hand (p. 81), enhance their impenetrable mystery.

The chief business street of the Kasba is the RUE RANDON (Pl. C, 2, 3; comp. p. 226), especially the S. part of it with its shops, between the Marché de la Lyre (p. 226) and the SYNAGOGUE (Pl. 24, C 2; adm., see p. 220), a building with a huge dome and three women’s galleries.

The Rue de la Girafe and Rue Caton, the last two side-streets before the Synagogue, ascend to the RUE KLÉBER (Pl. C, 2), where, at the crossing of the Rue d’Anfreville and Rue du Palmier, opposite an Arabian coffee-house, rises the small Mosque of Sidi Mohammed ech-Chériff (Pl. 17; C, 2).

The Rue d’Anfreville leads to the left to the long RUE DE LA PORTE-NEUVE (Pl. C, 2, 3), a street starting from the Rue de la Lyre (p. 226). A little way down we may visit its side-streets, Rue des Dattes and Rue Médée, and then return by the Rue de la Mer Rouge to the upper part of the Rue Kléber. We may next follow the Rue du Palmier (see above) and the Rue Annibal, or its side-street Rue Tombouctou, to the long and steep RUE DE LA KASBA (Pl. C, 2), which ascends in steps from the Rue Bab el-Oued (p. 224) to the Kasba barracks.

The small square at the top of the Rue de la Kasba, adjoining the BOULEVARD DE LA VICTOIRE (Pl. B, C, 2), is a resort of jugglers and story-tellers, with their admiring audience.

Passing the Prison Civile (Pl. B, C, 2; on the right), and crossing the moat, we may now visit the Mohammedan Cimetière d’el-Kettar (Pl. B, 2), prettily situated on the slope above the Frais-Vallon (p. 234).

The =Kasba= (Pl. B, 2; 427 ft.), originally an octagonal pile of buildings, surrounded by large gardens, was erected by Horuk Barbarossa in 1516, but was afterwards much altered. In 1816–30 it was the residence of the deys (comp. p. 221), and now serves as the Zouave barracks. The large two-storied quadrangle in the Mauro-Turkish style is a relic of the original building. The old mosque is now used as a storehouse. Adm., see p. 220.

The road to El-Biar (p. 234) leads through the Kasba and then traverses the old Quartier des Tagarins (comp. p. 221), which extended to the Porte du Sahel (Pl. B, 3).

From the Prison Civile the steep BOULEVARD VALÉE (Pl. C, 2; p. 222) leads back to the town, the lower part commanding a superb *View of Algiers and its bay.

This boulevard joins the RUE MARENGO, opposite the MEDERSA (Pl. C, 2; adm., see p. 220), opened in 1904, one of the three recently founded Mohammedan colleges of Algeria, a building in an appropriate neo-Moorish style. No. 46, nearly opposite, is the pretty little Medersa of the Turkish period.

The *=Mosque of Sidi Abderrahmân= (Pl. 18, C 2; adm., see p. 220), built in 1696 and dedicated to the learned marabout Sidi Abderrahmân et-Tsalbi (1387–1468), the chief saint of the Tsaliba (p. 221), has no attraction beyond its elegant minaret, adorned with coloured tiles; but its situation near the Jardin Marengo (p. 224), and the charming view it commands, are most impressive. The kubba of the saint is bedecked, as is usual in the case of such tombs, with flags, ostrich-eggs, and other offerings. The small burial-grounds attached are relics of the chief Mohammedan cemetery (p. 224).

c. Mustapha-Supérieur and Environs.

The narrow coast-plain, here called Plaine de Mustapha, is the somewhat abrupt margin of the Sahel, to the S. of the old town, on which lie the Quartier d’Isly, Télemly, and Mustapha-Supérieur, where the white villas dating from the Turkish period, with their superb gardens and luxuriant orchards, are occupied chiefly by English and American residents. This is the favourite promenade of foreign visitors. Tramways Nos. 1, 2, and 3, see pp. 218, 219. To avoid ascents the traveller had better begin his walk at the terminus of line No. 2 or No. 3.

The main street of *=Mustapha-Supérieur= is the RUE MICHELET (Pl. B, A, 5–8), a street nearly 2½ M. long, in line with the Rue d’Isly. The first third of it is uninteresting. It passes the former Académie (Pl. B, 5), situated on a high terrace below the Quartier d’Isly, which was converted into a university in 1909 (1442 students). Farther on the road leads through the suburb of Agha-Supérieur to the (½ M.) so-called Plateau Saulière (Pl. B, 6, 7; tramway-terminus, Station Sanitaire; p. 218).

The upper Rue Michelet, which, in spite of its steep hills, is the most fashionable drive in Algiers, ascends, partly in windings, past the hotels (p. 217), a number of handsome villas, and several charming points of view, to the top of the Sahel. Beyond the Scottish Church (p. 220) at the first sharp bend in the road, rises, behind the view-terrace of the Museum Garden, the—

*=Museum= (Musée National des Antiquités Algériennes; Pl. A, 6, 7), opened in 1897, containing the finest collection of the kind in Algeria. Adm., see p. 220. Catalogue rather old (1899). Director, M. Stéphane Gsell.

The GARDEN contains a dolmen (of the Beni-Messous) from Guyotville (p. 237), Roman tombstones, vases, etc.

In the VESTIBULE are views of Old Algiers, from the 17th cent. onwards. Over the inner door is an early-Christian mosaic from Rusguniæ (p. 248) representing Christ as the Good Shepherd.—The COURT contains modern views of Algiers and Arabic, Jewish, and Turkish inscriptions. In the centre is a Roman mosaic from Sila, representing Scylla (p. 155) and marine deities.—On the right is—

ROOM I. The cases in the middle and most of the wall-presses contain prehistoric antiquities from the provinces of Algeria and Oran and from the Sahara, including the Flamand collection (1889–90). Along the walls are ranged casts and copies of the graffiti or rock-drawings of Tiout (p. 202), Moghrar-Tahtàni (p. 203), etc.; Libyan (early Berber) tomb-stelæ; on the end-wall to the right, a warrior on horseback, from Abizar in Great Kabylia; two cases with relics from Phœnician tombs at Gouraya (some of them imported from Greece); also Punic tomb-stelæ, etc.—In the centre are a fine mosaic from Aïn-Babouch and models of the mausoleum of Le Khroub (p. 273), of the so-called Tombeau de la Chrétienne (p. 238), and of the Medracen (p. 274).—We now pass through R. IV into—

ROOM II. In the centre are antique marbles: *Torso of a Venus (in the style of the Capitoline Venus), draped female *Statue (replica of a work of the age of Phidias; the head added later), colossal statue of Poseidon (after a Greek original of the 4th cent.), torso of Bacchus, Satyr and Hermaphrodite (after a group of the Hellenistic period; a torso), two elegant decorative pillars, all of these coming from the so-called museum of king Juba at Cherchell (p. 244); then a colossal bust of Minerva from Khamissa; bronze *Figure of a boy with an eagle, from Lambèse. By the wall next the court is a fragment of a sarcophagus-relief, Warrior with wounded Amazon (Achilles and Penthesilea?). By the back-wall are casts of the chief antiques of Cherchell, marble busts, including Jupiter Serapis and a god of the lower regions, both from Carthage. The wall-cabinets contain Greek and Etruscan vases and fragments of Roman sculptures and inscriptions. Around are mosaics: Boar and panther hunt from Orléansville; fragment of a representation of the Four Seasons, from Lambèse; Europa with the bull, Jupiter and Antiope, Oceanus and Nereids. In the centre is a relief-plan of Timgad (p. 289).—We next pass through R. V into—

ROOM III. Among the bronzes in the first case are a mask (3rd cent. B. C.) from El-Grimidi; a statuette of Venus untying her sandal, from Cherchell; adjacent, an early-Christian bronze lamp (5th cent.). Then come cases with Greek, Roman, and Mauretanian coins, lamps, etc. The case by the wall next the court contains early-Christian reliquaries (in terracotta). Along the walls are ranged Roman and early-Christian inscriptions, reliefs, and architectural fragments; by the entrance-wall is the tombstone of a bishop from Mouzaïaville (5th cent.); by the end-wall Roman busts (incl. Hadrian); a slab bearing regulations as to rights of using water, from Lamasba (Mérouana); early-Christian sarcophagus from Dellys (4th cent.).

The corner-rooms (IV and V) contain the ORIENTAL SECTION (Art of Islam), which has received considerable additions and for which five new rooms are being prepared.

ROOM IV. Berber and early Moorish works of art. In the ante-room Berber vases, tissues, and wood-carving from Great Kabylia, etc., incl. an ancient Kabylian cradle. In the central case are Berber trinkets, chiefly from Great Kabylia (Dra el-Mizan; work of the Beni-Yenni), and Tunisian vases. Cases with Algerian bronzes and curiosities from Kalâa des Beni-Hammad (p. 270; stucco-work, fragments of vases). Cases and two wall-presses containing superb Moroccan embroidery (some showing Spanish-Moorish influence), mostly from the region of Fez. A large majolica vase from Palma (Majorca). Also, on the walls, *Carpets from the district of Jebel Amour, from Kalâa (p. 207), Kairwan, Rabât, and of the tribe of the Rirha (near Sétif).

ROOM V, devoted mainly to the Mauro-Turkish art of the barbaresques. At the entrance is a marble portal of Italian workmanship. Stands with weapons (some of them in the Louis XVI. style), trinkets, richly embroidered slippers, pistol-cases, cartridge-belts, etc., and also gorgeous feminine apparel. On a stand, with gold embroidery from mosques and saints’ tombs, is placed the cast of the so-called Gerónimo (p. 225). By the walls are two superb saddles, copper vessels, furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, etc.; presses with Algerian *Embroidery (curtains of ladies’ chambers, bath-veils, etc.). By the back-wall, Jewesses’ costumes from Constantine. In the gallery are Smyrna carpets.

In the Rue Michelet, a few paces farther, beyond the Chemin du Télemly (see below), is a small round space with a marble Statue of Mac Mahon (1808–93; governor of Algeria in 1864–70). Opposite, to the left, is the—

Palais d’Eté du Gouverneur (Pl. A, 7), a fine neo-Moorish building with beautiful grounds. Adm., see p. 220.

Farther on we cross the Chemin de Gascogne or Chemin Romain, the shortest route from Mustapha-Inférieur (p. 232) to the Colonne Voirol (see below). Near the lower half of that road is the Orphelinat St. Vincent-de-Paul (Pl. A, 7), on the site of a villa of Mustapha Pasha (p. 225), to whom this quarter owes its name.

Following the Rue Michelet farther to the S. we pass, on the right, the new English Church (p. 220), in the Moorish style. The cost of building, which amounted to 7000_l._, was defrayed by the French Government in compensation for the site of the former English church which was required for the new post-office (p. 226).

Beyond the bifurcation of Boul. Bru (p. 231) the Rue Michelet takes a sharp turn to the N.W. and leads along the margin of the so-called Bois de Boulogne (Pl. A, 8, 9), a sparse pine-wood, to the Colonne Voirol (689 ft.; tramway-terminus, see pp. 218, 219), a monument in memory of General Voirol.

* * * * *

One of the finest and easiest walks at Mustapha-Supérieur is the *=Chemin du Télemly= (Pl. A, B, 6–4), which diverges to the right from the Rue Michelet just beyond the Museum garden (p. 228) and leads along the slope of the Sahel, halfway up, passing through several verdant ravines (Ravin des Sept-Sources, etc.), to the (1¾ M.) Quartier d’Isly (Pl. B, 4, 5), a charming, loftily-situated villa-quarter. This road affords several splendid views of the bay.

From the Quartier d’Isly we may either descend by the Rue Edouard-Cat and Avenue Pasteur to the lower Rue Michelet and the Rue d’Isly (p. 226), or we may follow the main road as far as the town-wall, between the Boul. Laferrière (p. 226) and the Porte du Sahel (p. 233).

Side-roads connect the Chemin du Télemly with the Campagne Bellevue (see below) on one side, and with St. Raphaël (p. 234) on the other.

As the road, mostly bordered with hedges, which leads from the Colonne Voirol (p. 230) to (1¼ M.) El-Biar (p. 234), passing the Campagne Bellevue (794 ft.) halfway, is monotonous, the =Chemin de Maclay=, leading from the Colonne Voirol to (1¾ M.) Château-Neuf (p. 234), is far preferable. It passes through the upper valley of the Oued Knis (see below), verdant with fruit-trees, eucalypti, and pines, runs to the N.W. to the (½ M.) Café d’Hydra, and at the (½ M.) Café-Restaurant du Retour de la Chasse joins the highroad coming from Blida.

A little way to the S.W. of the Colonne Voirol, on the road from Algiers to Douéra and Boufarik (p. 216), is the beautiful Château d’Hydra, once a country-seat of the Deys, but now private property.

From the Colonne Voirol we may now walk through the Bois de Boulogne (p. 230), or follow the road to the S.E. in the valley of the Oued Knis, past the sanatorium of Dr. Verhaeren and the Villa des Grottes (curious rock sculptures, among others the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise), to (1 M.) the poor agricultural village of =Birmandreis= (354 ft.; Café-Restaur. des Platanes). From Birmandreis we have the choice of two routes. We may walk through the Ravin de la Femme Sauvage (to the N.E. and E.), as the cool and shady lower Oued Knis valley is popularly called, to (1¾ M.) the village of Le Ruisseau (tramway No. 4, p. 219), ½ M. beyond the Jardin d’Essai (p. 232). Or we may take the road (to the S.E. and E.), through orchards and market-gardens, and across a fine open hill, to the (1¼ M.) poor village of Vieux-Kouba and (½ M.) Kouba (p. 233).

From the Rue Michelet the =Boulevard Bru= (Pl. A-C, 8, 9; p. 230; tramway No. 3, see p. 219) leads between villas, affording near the farther end a beautiful view of Algiers, to (¾ M.) the Cimetière de Mustapha (Pl. C, 9), incorporating the English Cemetery. Here at the tramway-terminus the Boul. Bru joins the Chemin de Fontaine-Bleue, a road coming up from Mustapha-Inférieur (p. 232). We follow the latter road straight on to its junction with the Chemin Shakespeare or des Crêtes, beyond which, in the same direction, the Rue Laurent-Pichat brings us to the (¼ M.) Villa Sesini (Pl. D, 9), superbly situated above Belcourt (p. 232). Straight on we follow the Rue de Béhagle, a narrow field-road diverging from the Rue Laurent-Pichat; this road after 5 min. leads to the left, through a small oak-copse and past the Fort des Arcades (Pl. D, 9), to the verge of the plateau (*Bench with view) and then, taking the name of Chemin des Arcades, goes on to the hill-garden of the Jardin d’Essai (see p. 232).

d. The S.E. Suburbs.

The only attractions here are the Mohammedan Cemetery at Belcourt (near the Marabout station of tramway No. 4; p. 219) and the Jardin d’Essai. It is best to go to the latter by the inner line, just mentioned, and to return by No. 5, the outer line.

The suburbs of Agha-Inférieur, with its railway-station (p. 217) and the new Arrière-Port (p. 223), Mustapha-Inférieur, Belcourt, and Le Hamma, together with the adjacent little town of Hussein-Dey, are the industrial quarters of Algiers.

Along the coast, beyond Boul. Laferrière (p. 226), run the Rue Baudin (Pl. C, 5), in line with the Rue de Constantine (p. 226), and the RUE SADI-CARNOT (Pl. B-E, 5–8), over 2½ M. long, from which, at the N.E. angle of the Champ de Manœuvres (Pl. C, 7; also a race-course), diverges the RUE DE LYON (Pl. B-E, 7–9), 2 M. in length, the route of the inner tramway-line (No. 4).

The unattractive Rue de Lyon leads to (about ¾ M.) the =Cimetière Musulman de Belcourt= (Pl. D, 9), the finest Mohammedan burial-ground in Algiers, containing a number of handsome monuments and the picturesque Kubba of Sidi Abderrahmân Bu-Kobrin (d. 1793), a famous Algerian saint, a native of Great Kabylia. Adm., see p. 220. As a rule only the side-entrance in the Rue Colonel-Combes is open.

The so-called Grotte de Cervantes (Pl. D, 9), with a bust and memorial tablet of the famous Spanish author, who lived in captivity at Algiers in 1575–80, is said to have been his hiding-place when attempting to escape. Ascending a road from the end of the Rue Col. Combes beyond the cemetery, we follow a (5 min.) path to the left, and turning to the left again, somewhat downhill, we reach the (9 min.) grotto.

The Rue de Lyon next leads through the suburb of Le Hamma to the (½ M.) *=Jardin d’Essai= (Pl. E, 9; adm., see p. 220), or Jardin du Hamma, the botanic garden of Algiers and at the same time a nursery-garden and public promenade. Founded by government in 1832 and frequently extended, it became the property of the Compagnie Algérienne (p. 219) in 1878. In wealth of vegetation it vies with the botanic gardens of Palermo and Lisbon, which, however, have been more advantageously laid out. It consists of two sections: a hill-garden on the verge of the Sahel plateau and the main garden in the once marshy, but now extremely fertile coast-plain.

Opposite the S. ENTRANCE of the main garden, in the Rue de Lyon, is the dilapidated Mauro-Turkish Fontaine du Hamma (16th cent.). From this point, near the small Hôt.-Restaurant du Château Rouge, the Chemin des Arcades (p. 231) ascends to the =Hill Garden=, a wooded park, with tall araucarias, huge eucalypti, and other trees.

Through the =Main Garden= a magnificent avenue of planes runs from the chief entrance towards the sea. Halfway is a circular space with a café. The W. half of the garden, to the left of the avenue, is occupied by the less interesting nursery-garden.

The E. half of the garden is intersected by shady walks at right angles to each other. Parallel with the main avenue are the narrower dragon-tree and palm avenue and the magnolia and fig-tree avenue. The chief cross-walks, parallel with the Rue de Lyon, are the date-palm, the bamboo, and the dwarf-palm and rose avenues. From the S. entrance we turn at once to the right into the date-palm avenue, where, from the steps opposite the offices (‘administration’), we have a charming view of the dragon-tree and palm avenue. Then, passing the magnolia and fig-tree avenue, we go straight to the S. angle of the garden, where we are struck with the profusion of tropical plants, outstanding among which are the huge Ficus nitida with its exposed roots and a group of yuccas (the rare Yucca draconis and other palm-lilies). A little lower down, near the artificial island with its aquatic plants, are a group of *Strelitzias and (beyond a tall Livistona australis) a beautiful little palm-grove. We next follow the *Bamboo walk, and from it turn to the right into the *Dragon-tree (p. 30) and palm avenue, which leads towards the sea. Farther on, to the left, beyond the dwarf-palm (Chamærops excelsa) and rose avenue, is the small Zoologie (adm., see p. 220), with a few specimens of Algerian animals.

Opposite the N. ENTRANCE, in the Rue Sadi-Carnot, at the station of the outer tramway-line, rises a group of date-palms, where the cafés Oasis des Palmiers and Closerie des Palmiers are much frequented by the citizens in the afternoon (déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.). Beyond the railway line, from the shore near the sea-baths (p. 219; restaur.), we obtain a delightful *View of Algiers. When the wind is to the N. or N.W. the breakers here are grander than at the Rampe de l’Amirauté (p. 223).

The Rue Sadi-Carnot ends at the Oued Knis (p. 231), on the outskirts of the small town of =Hussein-Dey= (Hôt. de la Gare; railway and tramway station; see pp. 217, 247), where the Tobacco Factory has swallowed up the villa of the last deys of Algeria. The inhabitants (5700) are mostly Spaniards from the Balearic Islands (‘Mahonnais’), who grow early vegetables.

From Hussein-Dey to Maison-Carrée, see p. 247.

From the village of Le Ruisseau (p. 231), at the end of the Rue de Lyon and at the mouth of the Ravin de la Femme Sauvage, a road ascends in windings to the (1¼ M.) village of =Kouba= (427 ft.; tramway No. 4, see p. 219), in a charming, well-wooded site. At the entrance to the village, on the site of a kubba, stands a Church with a long flight of steps. The flat roof of the Grand Séminaire, a training-college for priests founded by Card. Lavigerie (p. 346; adm. by leave of the Superior), commands an extensive *Panorama of the Mitidja, the Atlas of Blida, and the Jurjura range.

From Kouba vià Vieux-Kouba to Birmandreis, see p. 231.

e. El-Biar and Bouzaréah.

TRAMWAY (No. 6, p. 219) to El-Biar and Château-Neuf. From Château-Neuf diligence several times daily to Chéraga and six times daily to Bouzaréah (notices are posted in the Place du Gouvernement, at the corner of Rue Bab-Azoun).

A favourite circular trip for one day (motor-cars and carriages, see p. 218) embraces El-Biar, Château-Neuf, Chéraga, Staouéli-Trappe, Sidi-Ferruch (p. 237), Guyotville (p. 237), Pointe-Pescade (p. 237), St. Eugène (p. 236), and Algiers. A popular drive for half-a-day includes Bouzaréah, Forêt de Baïnem, Bains Romains (p. 237), Pointe Pescade, and Algiers.

(1). The road to EL-BIAR leads from the old town through the Kasba and the Porte du Sahel (Pl. B, 3; comp. p. 228). Walkers may note two possible digressions. To the left, just outside the gate, a path descends in 10 min. to Boul. Laferrière (p. 226). To the right, 2 min. farther, diverges the Chemin de Fontaine-Fraîche (Pl. A, 3, 4), the road to (10 min.) the charmingly situated village of Birtraria, whence one may either ascend to the S.W. in 20 min. to El-Biar (see below), or walk to the N.E. through the pretty Frais-Vallon and then descend the Avenue du Frais-Vallon (Pl. A, B, 2, 1), on the right bank of the Oued M’Kacel, to (½ hr.) the Quartier Bab el-Oued (see below).

The highroad passes near the foot of the Fort l’Empereur (Pl. A, 4; 689 ft.), almost hidden by trees. This was the site of the camp of Charles V. (p. 221), and on it was built the Mulaï Hassan Fort (1545), which was partly blown up by its Turkish defenders when bombarded by the French in 1830. The road then winds up to the tramway station of St. Raphaël (788 ft.), whence a charming road branches off to (1¼ M.) Mustapha-Supérieur (to the left, and after 3 min. to the left again, joining the Chemin du Télemly close to the Hôt. Continental).

The large village of =El-Biar= (784 ft.), 2 M. to the S.W. of the Porte du Sahel, and the village of Château-Neuf (*Hôt.-Restaur. Mallard, pens. from 6 fr.; a favourite Sunday afternoon resort), lying on the monotonous plateau ½ M. beyond El-Biar, uninteresting in themselves, are the starting-points of the roads to the Colonne Voirol and to Bouzaréah (p. 235).

A road leads from Château-Neuf to (5½ M. from the Porte du Sahel) Chéraga (650 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs, humble), a pleasant village among fruit-trees, and (3 M.) Staouéli-Trappe (p. 237), situated on a shelf-like terrace above the coast, where the French first encountered the troops of the dey in 1830. The old Trappist monastery founded here in 1843 was purchased in 1904 by the Swiss Consul Borgeaud, who has converted the abbey-lands of about 3000 acres into a model farm (no admittance). The burial-ground contains the tomb of Col. Marengo (1787–1862).

From Staouéli-Trappe a road descends to the N.W. to (1 M.) Staouéli (p. 237). The highroad joins the Castiglione road at (11 M.) Sidi-Ferruch (p. 237), a station on the steam-tramway.

(2). TO BOUZARÉAH a new road (2½ M.) leads to the N.W. from El-Biar (see above), through the pretty valley of the Oued bel-Elzar, one of the feeders of the Oued M’Kacel (see above), while the old road (2 M.) leads to it from Château-Neuf (see above), crossing an uninteresting plateau and, about ½ M. short of Bouzaréah, passing the Ecole Normale Primaire.

A more interesting route to (5 M.) Bouzaréah is from the Quartier Bab el-Oued (Pl. B, 1), formerly the N.W. suburb of Algiers, inhabited chiefly by Spaniards. From the Boul. du Général-Farre or Boul. Militaire Nord (Pl. C, 1; p. 222) we follow the Avenue de la Bouzaréah (Pl. C, B, 1) and the Avenue Beau-Fraisier, in the old suburb of Cité Bugeaud, to the Pont du Beau-Fraisier crossing the Oued M’Kacel. We thence ascend the fine Chemin des Carrières, passing near the blue-limestone quarries on the spurs of Mont Bouzaréah, then through a side-valley of the Frais-Vallon (p. 234), with its luxuriant vegetation, and lastly mount in windings past the Hospice des Vieillards.

The village of =Bouzaréah= (1230 ft.; Hôt. de France, humble; pop. 2500), in an open site on the crest of Mont Bouzaréah (1335 ft.), the culminating point of the Sahel, is a favourite goal for excursionists in summer. A road leads to the N.E. from the village, past the Fort de la Bouzaréah, on the left, and the Christian Cemetery, on the right, to (¾ M.) the Observatoire d’Alger (1148 ft.). The roof of the observatory affords a fine view of the Bay of Algiers and of the hills of Great Kabylia as far as Cape Bengut (p. 254).

From the Observatory we may descend either to the E. by the steep Chemin Sidi Ben-Nour, passing the fort of that name, to the Avenue des Consulats (see below), or to the N. by a steep and stony path to the Vallée des Consuls (p. 236).

A road leads to the N.W. from Bouzaréah in ¼ hr. to the poor huts of the Village Arabe de la Bouzaréah, on the slope of a flat hill (1178 ft.), overgrown with cacti and dwarf-palms, where we have a splendid *View of the forest of Baïnem, Cape Caxine (p. 237), the S.W. chain of the Sahel, with the ‘Tombeau de la Chrétienne’ (p. 238), and Jebel Chenoua (p. 242), as also of the Blida Atlas with the deep incision of the Chiffa Ravine (p. 215).

From the Arab village the road descends to the W. to the (1¼ M.) =Forêt de Baïnem=, the largest wood (1250 acres) near Algiers. We follow the ‘Route Forestière Wendling’, high on the slope of the Sahel, with a fine view of the coast between Pointe Pescade (p. 237) and Cape Caxine, at first through underwood, richly carpeted with flowers in spring. We then pass through the remains of a pine-forest to the (1¾ M.) Rond des Eucalyptus, a bifurcation in a small eucalyptus grove (straight on is the Route Forestière Mignerot leading to Guyotville, 3¼ M.; p. 237). We follow, to the right, the beautiful Route Forestière Combe (2 M.), which descends through groups of cork-trees, pines, and eucalypti, past a ravine, to the Maison Forestière, whence it is continued by a eucalyptus and mimosa avenue down to Villas (p. 237), on the Castiglione road, a station on the steam-tramway.

f. Notre-Dame d’Afrique and St. Eugène.

TRAMWAY (No. 1, p. 218) to the Hôpital du Dey; thence an omnibus every ½ hr. (1–4 pers. 1 fr. 20 c.; each addit. pers. 30 c.) to the church of Notre-Dame d’Afrique.—TRAMWAY (No. 7, p. 219) to St. Eugène. The terminus ‘Deux-Moulins’ is only a few paces from the station of the steam-tramway to Castiglione (R. 35).

The tramway through the Avenue des Consulats ends at the Hôpital Militaire du Dey (Pl. A, B, 1), which, with its gardens, occupies the site of a villa of Hassan Pasha (p. 225). We follow the Boul. de Champagne, and then diverge to the right by the Route de Notre-Dame d’Afrique (½ hr.), a narrow road, shady towards evening, affording splendid *Views of the Bay of Algiers.

The large domed church of =Notre-Dame d’Afrique= (443 ft.), a pilgrimage-church for sick persons and mariners, founded by Card. Lavigerie in 1872, rises conspicuously on a spur of the N.E. slope of Mont Bouzaréah (p. 235), above the Christian and the Jewish burial-grounds (see below). From the terrace in front of the church, where the blessing of the sea by the clergy every Sunday at 3.30 attracts many spectators, we survey the coast as far as the Pointe Pescade (p. 237). Behind the church is the Hôt. Bompard.

The Vallée des Consuls, which has its name from the villas of the European consuls of the Turkish period, a shady and extremely fertile vale above St. Eugène (see below), affords charming walks. A pleasant road leads through it from Notre-Dame d’Afrique, shaded by gnarled old olive-trees. We may thence mount to the Observatory (comp. p. 235), or else descend in 20 min. to St. Eugène; but the descent viâ Fort Duperré to Deux-Moulins (p. 237) is very rough and fatiguing.

From the lower end of the Boul. du Général-Farre (p. 234), beyond the still uncompleted Quartier de l’Esplanade (Pl. C, 1), runs the AVENUE MALAKOFF (Pl. C, B, 1), close to the shore and protected against the breakers by a high limestone wall, leading to the Fort des Anglais, an old Turkish fort on a rocky headland. Opposite, to the left, on the spurs of Mont Bouzaréah, lie the Christian Cemetery and the interesting Jewish Cemetery of Algiers.

Beyond the cemeteries we come to the little town of =St. Eugène= (Hôt.-Restaur, du Château-Vert, déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.; Restaur. Deux-Moulins; pop. 4800, incl. 500 Jews), with several factories and pretty villas. The tramway-terminus, Deux-Moulins, at the N.W. end of the town, is the starting-point for walks to the Pointe Pescade (p. 237), the Forêt de Baïnem (p. 235), and other places.

35. From Algiers to Tipaza and Cherchell.

a. Viâ Castiglione.

STEAM TRAMWAY (p. 219) from the station in the Quartier Bab el-Oued (Pl. B, 1 ; in connection with the electric tramway from Rue Waisse, Pl. C, 4) to (28½ M.) Castiglione; four trains daily in 2¾–3½ hrs. (fares 3 fr. 15, 2 fr. 30 c.).—DILIGENCE from Castiglione three times daily to (5 M.) Bérard and twice daily viâ (43½ M.) Tipaza to (60½ M.) Cherchell. In order to visit the Tombeau de la Chrétienne we have to take a private vehicle (costing, from Castiglione to Tipaza, with a stay of 2–3 hours at the Ferme Seuillet or the Ferme du Rocher-Plat, about 12–15 fr.).

Interesting ROUND OF THREE DAYS: 1st. By early train to Castiglione; drive (taking provisions) to Ferme Seuillet (walk to Tombeau de la Chrétienne) and to Tipaza (see pp. 238, 239); there visit the E. hill, sending carr. on to the hotel.—2nd. Visit lighthouse and W. hill of Tipaza early; drive to Cherchell about noon (see pp. 242, 243).—3rd. Drive about noon to Marengo (see pp. 244, 243; lunch); take afternoon train to Blida, and evening train thence to Algiers.—Attractive but more costly, FOUR DAYS’ ROUND: 1st. By early train to Blida; by midday or evening train to Bou-Medfa; by omnibus to Hammam Rhira (p. 212).—2nd. By carr. from hotel to (16 M.) Marengo, and thence by steam-tramway (see pp. 243, 244) or by carr. to Cherchell.—3rd. Drive about noon to Tipaza (see pp. 243, 242).—4th. Tombeau de la Chrétienne; towards evening by steam-tramway from Castiglione back to Algiers.—Tours by MOTOR CAR, comp. p. 173.

From Algiers to (3¾ M.) Deux-Moulins (St. Eugène), see pp. 235, 236. Here begins the finest part of the coast-road, which will repay walkers as far as Cape Caxine or Guyotville. The spurs of Mont Bouzaréah (p. 235), furrowed by many little ravines, come close down to the sea. The coast, undermined at places by the surf, presents a picturesque series of small headlands, bold cliffs, and rocky islets.

The most striking spot is the (5 M.) *=Pointe Pescade= (Restaurant), a headland crowned with the mouldering walls of a Turkish fort (1671), overlooking the blue sea and the coast as far as Cape Matifou and beyond.

By road and railway we next come to the (5½ M.) Bains Romains (Hôt.-Restaur.) and the Hôt. de la Fontaine Romaine, both sea-bathing places in summer, to (7 M.) Villas, lying below the Forêt de Baïnem (p. 235), and to (8 M.) Cape Caxine, on the gneiss rocks of which rises a Lighthouse (210 ft.; visible 24 M. round).

Beyond the precipitous Grand Rocher lies (9½ M.) St. Cloud-sur-Mer, a sea-bathing place. The coast now grows flatter.

10 M. =Guyotville= (82 ft.; Hôt. des Touristes, humble), a village of 3500 inhab., with a colony of Italian peasants, who cultivate early vegetables and grapes on the sandy soil, protected from the sea-winds by plantations of Spanish reeds (Arundo donax) and in spring by narrow fields of rye. On the plateau to the S. of the village, in the territory of the tribe of Beni-Messous, a number of dolmens (see pp. 324, 229) still exist.

From Guyotville to the Forêt de Baïnem, see p. 235.

Near the low headland of Râs Acrata the road reaches the broad *Bay of Castiglione, much exposed to N.W. gales, which extends in a slight curve to Jebel Chenoua (p. 242), a hill we sighted soon after leaving Guyotville. We have a view also of the pretty adjoining bay of Sidi-Ferruch. To the right, near (12½ M.) Les Dunes, part of the sand-hills is cultivated.

13 M. La Trappe and (14½ M.) Staouéli (Hôt. Malakoff, quite good) are stations for Staouéli-Trappe (p. 234).

From Staouéli and from the (15½ M.) Station Sidi-Ferruch roads lead to the N.W. (one 2¼, the other 2 M.) to the small sea-bathing village of =Sidi-Ferruch= (49 ft.; Hôt. de la Plage, plain), at the end of a sandy tongue of land formed by the surf and by the deposits of the Oued Mazafran (p. 238). It attracts also jackal-hunters and anglers from Algiers in winter. An inscription at the entrance to the Fort recalls the landing of French troops here in 1830 (comp. p. 234). A little to the N.W. are the scanty remains of an Early Christian Church, with baptistery, etc.

As we proceed, the Atlas of Blida (p. 169) is visible for a time. 18 M. Zéralda (62 ft.; Hôt. de Zéralda), an agricultural village, lies in a broad coast-plain, the lowest of four old beach-terraces which mount to the N.E. in gigantic steps to Staouéli-Trappe.

The road now leads between low sand-hills, with pines and underwood, to the Oued Mazafran (called in its upper course Oued Chiffa, p. 213), through whose valley, deeply furrowing the Sahel, we have another glimpse of the Atlas of Blida.

22 M. Mazafran, on the left bank of the stream, is the junction of a branch-line to (6¼ M.) the little town of Koléa (460 ft.; Hôt. de France; Hôt. du Commerce), founded by Andalusian Moors in 1550, finely situated on the S. slope of the Sahel, and noted for its fruit-culture. The Jardin des Zouaves deserves a visit.

The next stations are for the use of villages situated above the line, on the N. margin of the Sahel plateau. 23½ M. Douaouda-les-Bains, 25½ M. Fouka-Marine, two small sea-bathing places. In the distance, on the crest of the Sahel, appears the Tombeau de la Chrétienne, resembling a haystack.

28½ M. =Castiglione= (128 ft.; Hôt. du Tapis-Vert, good; Hôt. de Paris; Hôt. de l’Oasis, humble) is a large village of 2000 inhab., on the vine-clad slope of the Sahel. Below are the unpretending sea-baths, where lodgings may be procured.

The HIGH ROAD TO (43½ M.) TIPAZA, affording at first a beautiful view of the coast, of Jebel Chenoua, and the hills of the Dahra (p. 209) beyond Marengo, leads viâ the fishing-villages of (30 M.) Chiffalo (founded by Sicilian fishermen from Cefalù) and (31 M.) Bou-Haroun, whose inhabitants are engaged in the anchovy and sardine fishery, to (33½ M.) Bérard (66 ft.; Café-Hôt. Bérard, poor), a banana-growing village.

36 M. Ferme Seuillet (102 ft.), a large farm, is the starting-point for the Tombeau de la Chrétienne. The rough road to the tomb (2½ M.) ascends in windings (partly avoided, after 10 min., by a short-cut to the left), at first through underwood, and then to the S.W. through vineyards.

The so-called *=Tombeau de la Chrétienne= (856 ft.; Arabic Kbûr er-Rûmia), the largest tomb in the Atlas regions and one of the most conspicuous of sailors’ landmarks on the whole coast of Algeria, stands on one of the highest points of the S.W. range of the Sahel. It was probably erected by Juba II. (p. 244), in imitation of the Medracen (p. 274), as a tomb for his family. The building consists of a low square pedestal, of about 70 yds. each way, and a circular substructure relieved by sixty Ionic half-columns and four blind portals, crowned with a pyramid rising in steps, of which 33 still exist. The present name is derived from the cruciform mouldings of the door-panels. The monument, originally 130 ft. in height, but now 108 ft. only, has suffered severely from the vandalism of native treasure-hunters, who bored two tunnels into it, and from bombardment by two deys of Algiers, bent on the same quest. Further damage was done by earthquakes in 1825 and 1867, and the masonry also has been loosened by the removal of its leaden cramps. The building is surrounded by dense underwood and is partly overgrown by it on the N. side. Key and candles at the keeper’s hut on the N.E. side (fee 50 c.).

The ENTRANCE is under the blind portal on the E. side, where the original vestibule has almost disappeared. A short passage leads to the antechamber; in the wall on the right, near two rude reliefs (lion and lioness), is a passage, once closed by stone slabs, with a flight of seven steps. Beyond this is a winding gallery, about 165 yds. long, probably destined for funeral processions, with small wall-niches for lamps. The gallery leads to the two inner chambers, an ante-room, and the larger chamber, with three wall-niches, in the centre of the monument, probably the tomb of the kings, but now quite empty.

The ASCENT of the monument, from the S. side, rather a toilsome climb, conveys a still more striking idea of its grandeur than the long groping in the inside. The *Panorama from the top embraces the coast, from Sidi-Ferruch to Jebel Chenoua; the hills of the Dahra, with Jebel Zaccar Chergui (p. 212) to the S.W.; the broad Mitidja plain to the S.; and the Atlas of Blida with the ravine of the Chiffa.

We return to the Ferme Seuillet by the same route, or descend to the N.W. by the steep road to (37½ M.) the Ferme du Rocher-Plat (85 ft.).

The highroad next passes the (42 M.) Ferme Demonchy, intersects a beautiful eucalyptus-grove, and passes the E. hill of Tipaza (p. 242). In approaching Tipaza we obtain a charming view of its little bay and the lighthouse.

43½ M. =Tipaza.=—HOTEL. Hôtel du Rivage, prettily situated at the S. base of the lighthouse hill, with a small garden, R. 2½, B. ½, déj. or D. 2½–3, pens. 7 fr.

Tipaza, a small seaport of 2000 inhab., mostly Mohammedans, founded in 1854, stands on the ruins of Tipasa, a place with a Berber name, but originally an ancient Phœnician settlement, and from the time of Emp. Claudius (about 40 A. D.) a Roman colony. Thanks to its advantageous site near the Nador valley, the main outlet in Roman times of the densely-populated W. Mitidja, Tipasa became in the 2nd cent. one of the most prosperous seaports of Mauretania. The most glorious period in its history was at the close of the 4th cent. when Tipasa, famed for its staunch adherence to the Catholic faith, repelled the attacks of Firmus, the Berber prince (p. 244); but after a century of prosperity most of the inhabitants fled to Spain in 484 in order to escape from the persecutions of Hunerich, king of the Vandals. Since its occupation by the Arabs the old town, already much impoverished, has disappeared from the page of history.

The site of Tipaza, secluded and peaceful, is strikingly picturesque. The adjoining coast is richly varied, and close by rise the great limestone rocks of Mt. Chenoua. At the same time there are remains of numerous Roman and early-Christian buildings around, all in complete ruin, and partly overgrown with luxuriant vegetation.

Ancient Tipasa, originally occupying only the central castle-hill, which now bears the lighthouse (see below), gradually extended over the coast-plain to the S. of the bay, and also along the slopes of the W. and E. hills. The late-Roman Town Walls, 2410 yds. in length, are still traceable at places. The busy trade of the port led, probably at an early period, to the construction of a broad Landing Place with substantial quays, the space for which was obtained by the levelling of the rocky terrace on the coast. The Roman Outer Harbour, behind the rock-islets near the E. hill, probably served as a place of refuge in stormy weather only. Since the middle ages the coast-line has been much modified by the encroachments of the sea.

We begin our walk on the N. side of the village, at the present Harbour, which occupies the site of the now submerged Roman landing-place. The huge rock (possibly used as a mausoleum), undermined by the sea, which rises in the middle of the harbour, was left untouched by the Roman engineers. During the construction of the new harbour the remains of a Roman Cistern and underground Conduits were unearthed.

From the harbour we walk to the N., round a small bay, to the LIGHTHOUSE HILL (112 ft.), gorgeous with flowers in spring, where a few vestiges of Roman streets, cisterns, and a temple are traceable (see above). At the Lighthouse (phare) we obtain a delightful view. Near it, on the N. margin of the hill, a precipice has been formed by a landslip.

The road connecting the highroad with the harbour and the lighthouse hill leads past the Hôtel du Rivage and through the *=Thermæ=, a grand bath-house of the 2nd or 3rd cent., rivalling the W. baths of Cherchell (p. 246). Among the ruins, still 30 ft. high in places, extending into the Jardin Trémaux, the frigidarium on the E. side is still quite recognizable.

Near the hotel, to the left, we enter the =Jardin Trémaux= (adm. kindly granted), the garden of a private estate, adorned with antique and early-Christian relics. On the E. side, near the baths, we observe, protected by a roof, a fine late-Roman sarcophagus, bearing nuptial and sacrificial scenes. Near it is an old Christian sarcophagus, with Christ, the Good Shepherd (beardless); on the sides are lions tearing a gazelle to pieces.

In the middle of the grounds, to the left of the road, are a few relics of a Roman Amphitheatre (3rd cent.?), which even during the French period has served as a quarry.

The road, farther on, passes the =Nymphæum= (on the left), a sumptuous late-Roman fountain (3rd or 4th cent.), 26 yds. in breadth, backed with a semicircular wall. In front of it is a platform 6½ ft. high, once bedecked with Corinthian columns and with statues, over which the water descended into a narrow trough or basin.

Immediately behind the fountain is a well-preserved vault, once the Reservoir for the water brought to Tipasa by an underground conduit, 5½ M. long, from the valley of the Nador. A few paces away are the noteworthy ruins of a Roman Mausoleum (1st cent.?).

The Roman Theatre, at the exit of the gardens, to the right of the park-road, yielded the materials for building the hospital of Marengo. Several tiers of seats are still traceable.

From the W. Gate, of whose round towers alone a few relics remain, we follow the vestiges of the town-walls to the N. W. to the (5 min.) WEST HILL (about 100 ft.), the Râs el-Knissa (‘church promontory’) of the natives.

A few paces to the right of the town-walls, just above the undermined margin of the coast-terrace, some fragments of a wall and two arcades of an aisle mark the site of the =Bishop’s Church= of Tipasa. Erected in the 4th cent., the church was a basilica, 57 yds. by 49 yds., with nave and triple aisles; the nave, 14½ yds. in breadth, was afterwards trisected by the addition of two rows of columns; little remains of the semicircular choir-recess.

Of the square Baptistery, on the N. side of the church, there remain the round font, with three steps, and fragments of the external walls. An adjoining chamber has a fine mosaic pavement; several other rooms show traces of a heating apparatus.

On the left, to the W. of the town-walls, lay the early-Christian Western Cemetery, with countless rock-tombs, sarcophagi, and monuments sadly desecrated by herds of cattle. About a hundred paces to the N. of the church, in the rocks rising above the sea, are several Grottes Funéraires. Near them is a large round Mausoleum, once adorned externally with sixteen half-columns, containing fourteen wall-niches (arcosolia) for coffins and the slab of a table for love-feasts (agapai).

About 2 min. to the S. W. is the Burial Church of Bishop Alexander, built at the end of the 4th cent., a small basilica with nave and aisles, of irregular shape, of which the foundations only remain. On the E. side is a rectangular altar-niche with nine sarcophagi, containing, as the eulogistic inscription in the nave declares, the remains of ‘the nine righteous men’ (probably the nine predecessors of Alexander). The right aisle contains many sarcophagi and a semicircular table for love-feasts. At the W. end of the nave are a mosaic with fish in seven rows and an inscription in memory of the founder, who was probably buried in the W. apse, added later, and accessible by a narrow portal only.

We now return to the harbour, and ascend thence, close to the sea, past the remains of a small Roman Burial Ground, to the (10 min.) EAST HILL (115 ft.), outside the town-walls where thousands of graves indicate the great extent of the early-Christian Eastern Cemetery.

Here, beyond a few peasants’ huts, we reach the best-preserved ruin at Tipasa, the *=Basilica of St. Salsa=, the patron saint of the town. This church, built in the first half of the 4th cent, over the heathen sarcophagus of Fabia Salsa, was a square burial-chapel, about 16 yds. each way, with nave and aisles, but in the 5th or 6th cent. was prolonged westwards into a basilica 33½ yds. long, with a vestibule and with galleries over the aisles. At the same time the remains of the saint were transferred to a Roman sarcophagus, which was placed on a high pedestal in the old nave, now the choir of the enlarged church. The rows of clumsy columns in the nave are a later addition. The walls between the choir-pillars belong to a restoration of the 7th or 8th century. Among the ruins of the walls, still 10–12 ft. high at places, lie Ionic capitals and other fragments in picturesque confusion. Near the façade are preserved relics of the old stairs to the galleries.

The small Chapel and the square Hall (later a burial-place) on the S. side of the church date perhaps from the 4th century.

An *EXCURSION TO CAPE CHENOUA will be found attractive. We first follow the Cherchell road for 1 M.; we then turn, beyond the Ferme Trémaux (p. 244), to the right and cross the Nador valley to the small sea-baths of Chenoua-Plage, at the E. base of Mt. Chenoua. A narrow road leads thence, up and down hill, along the beautiful Baie du Chenoua to the Anse des Grottes, which owes its name to the numerous caves in the limestone rocks (Grottes du Nador). On the narrow coast-terrace between (7½ M.) Cape Chenoua and the Râs el-Amouch is the secluded settlement of a French contractor, who with a staff of Spanish hands carries on a cement-factory and quarries the red marble of the cape, which was already known to the Romans.

The ascent of *=Jebel Chenoua= is interesting, both for the sake of the view from the top and for the glimpse it affords of its peculiar, purely Berber inhabitants. From the hilly coast-road just mentioned the route ascends to Tenzirt and (2–2¼ hrs.) a Pass (about 2300 ft.) between the two chief heights of the Chenoua. Thence in 40 min. more we reach the E. peak (2976 ft.), crowned with the kubba of Lalla Tefouredj (Berber Lalla Tzaforalz). The path descending from the pass to Desaix (see below) will be found convenient.

The ROAD FROM TIPAZA to (17 M.) CHERCHELL (diligence, see p. 236) branches off to the W. from the Marengo road at (2 M.) Gué du Nador (p. 243), crosses the stream, and leads past (3 M.) Desaix (p. 244), through a bleak tract at the foot of Mt. Chenoua.

5½ M. Castellum du Nador, a late-Roman fortified country-seat (3rd or 4th cent.), was originally a quadrangular walled enclosure of 55 by 47 yds.; immediately to the left of the road there now remain the ruins of two round corner-towers and of a handsome gateway flanked with two square towers.

The road leads on to the watershed, from which one has a view of the Atlas of Blida behind and the Dahra mountain spurs (p. 208) in front. Thence it dips into the valley of the Oued el-Hachem.

9½ M. Marabout Sidi-Ameur (164 ft.), on the left bank of the stream, at the junction of the Marengo road (p. 244).

About ¾ M. farther on we observe, on the left, the *=Cherchell Aqueduct=, coming from the village of Marceau, the largest Roman work of the kind in Algeria, which, rising in three tiers to a height of over 100 ft., here bridges a side-valley.

Passing several hill-farms, owned by French families, the road next turns to the N.W. into the valley of the Oued Bellah. Beyond the (14 M.) Café de l’Oasis we pass under the aqueduct, of which twenty pillars and five arches, built of great blocks of limestone, are still standing here at the foot of the beautiful pine-wood.

Beyond the aqueduct begins the finest part of the road. At first it skirts a pine-clad slope and then, leaving Cap Blanc to the N. E., leads to the W., up and down hill, along the coast. Lastly it passes the fissured Cape Zizerin and two saints’ tombs.

17 M. Cherchell, see p. 244.

b. Viâ El-Affroun and Marengo.

RAILWAY (Algiers and Oran Line, R. 33) viâ (31½ M.) Blida (p. 213) to (43 M.) El-Affroun, six trains daily, in l–3/4–2¾ hrs. (7 fr. 75, 5 fr. 80, 4 fr. 25 c.).—STEAM TRAMWAY from El-Affroun viâ (12½ M.) Marengo to (30½ M.) Cherchell, two (as far as Marengo three) trains daily, in ca. 2¾ hrs.; fare 3 fr. 70 or 2 fr. 70 c.—For the combined visit to Tipaza and Cherchell, comp. also the diary on pp. 236, 237.

From Algiers to (43 M.) El-Affroun, see pp. 217–213. From the railway-station at El-Affroun the STEAM TRAMWAY runs to the W., at the foot of a range of low hills, through the plain of Mitidja, which is here very monotonous. To the right, on the crest of the Sahel, is the Tombeau de la Chrétienne (p. 238); in front of us rises Jebel Chenoua (p. 242). We pass the two poor villages of (3½ M.) Ameur-el-Aïn, and (8½ M.) Bourkika (345 ft.), where the road from Miliana and Hammam Rhira (p. 212) joins ours.

12½ M. =Marengo= (305 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient, Hôt. Marengo, both unpretending; carriages at the inns only; pop. 4300), a large agricultural village, has an important Wednesday *Market. About 5½ M. to the S. is the reservoir of the Oued Meurad.

The ROAD FROM MARENGO TO (8 M.) TIPAZA (carr. 6–8 fr.) crosses the Oued Meurad and intersects the fine *Forêt de Sidi-Slîmân (‘Solomon’s Forest’), still primæval in character, with dense underwood and luxuriant ivy climbing to the tops of the trees.

At the Oued Nador, near the (6 M.) Gué du Nador, our road joins the Cherchell road (see p. 242). At the (7 M.) Ferme Trémaux it leaves the valley of the Nador, whose estuary is flanked with low sand-hills, and leads to the E. to (8 M.) Tipaza (p. 239).

The highroad (carr. 12–15 fr.) from Marengo to (16 M.) Cherchell (see below) ascends to the W. from the Mitidja through a hilly region and after about 6 M. turns to the N. It joins the road from Tipaza to Cherchell at (10 M.) Marabout Sidi-Ameur (see p. 243).

Beyond Marengo the RAILWAY crosses the highroad to Tipaza and then runs parallel to it to (17 M.) Desaix (220 ft.; p. 242). We skirt the S. side of Jebel Chenoua (p. 242).

20 M. Ruines Romaines. We cross the Oued el-Hachem (p. 243).

23 M. Zurich (263 ft.). The thriving village of that name, with a fine avenue of plane-trees, lies about 1½ M. to the S. of the station and is inhabited chiefly by natives, who cultivate oranges and vines. The great Thursday market is well attended by the Beni Menasser (see below).

Beyond Zurich the train runs to the W. of the Cherchell highroad. To the left lies the Cherchell Aqueduct (p. 243), while to the right Jebel Chenoua may be seen. 24 M. Bled Bakora; 25½ M. Bou-Hamoud; 27½ M. Oued-Bellah.

30½ M. =Cherchell= or Cherchel (108 ft.; Grand-Hôtel or Hôt. Nicolas, R. 2½, déj. or D. 2½ fr., plain but good, Hôt. Juba, humble, both in the Place Romaine; Hôt. de Valence; pop. 6800, incl. 4700 Mohammedans), a pleasant little seaport, lies on a narrow limestone plateau, an old coast-terrace, at the foot of green hills (750–800 ft.). Behind these hills rises a mountainous region, once well wooded, inhabited by the Berber tribe of the Beni Menasser.

Cherchell occupies the site of the ancient Phœnician colony of Iol. From the year 25 B. C. it took the name of Caesarea, and in the Roman imperial age it became the capital of Mauretania and residence of Juba II. (25 B. C. to 22 A. D.), one of the most learned and enlightened men of his time, under whom it rapidly rose to importance. Under Emp. Claudius it became the provincial capital, under the name of Colonia Claudia Caesarea, of Mauretania Cæsariensis, and in rivalry with Carthage and Hippo Regius (p. 309) grew to be one of the greatest and wealthiest cities of N. Africa. After the erection of Mauretania Sitifensis (p. 271) into a new province the prosperity of Cæsarea began to wane. About 371 its art and industry were almost annihilated by its capture and pillage by the Donatists (p. 172) under the Berber prince Firmus, and it lost the last vestige of its ancient glory when the Vandals transferred their residence to Carthage. In the 10th cent. the town is mentioned under the name of Cherchell, but from the 11th cent. onwards it was entirely deserted. At length, at the end of the 15th cent., it was revived by Andalusian Moors, who brought with them their famed potter’s art. In 1516 it was occupied by Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221), in 1531 it was unsuccessfully attacked by Admiral Andrea Doria (p. 115), and lastly, after being taken by the French, it was enclosed by a wall in 1843. As the harbour affords but little shelter the town has now little or no trade.

Archæologists may like to examine the scanty remains of the Roman Fortifications (2735 by 1640 yds.), which extend over the crest of the hill-range with its fine views; but the chief attraction is the Museum of sculptures of the period of Juba II., which form the only certain memorials of ancient Cæsarea, ‘an oasis of Greek culture in the midst of the Berbers’.

The PLACE ROMAINE or ESPLANADE forms the nucleus of the little town. Among the trees here rises a Marble Fountain, composed of Roman architectural fragments found in the environs, remains perhaps of a palace of king Juba’s era (the four colossal masks are copies; see below). The Corinthian column and fragments of other columns at the back of the fountain were excavated in the Roman theatre (p. 246). The parapet of the Place Romaine affords a survey of the harbour (p. 247).

On the E. side of the Place Romaine rises the new *=Museum=, which consists of four galleries enclosing a central court. Among the sculptures exhibited here are admirable replicas of famous Greek works of the archaic and of the culminating periods of Greek art (5–4th cent.), which were executed by Greek masters for the adornment of king Juba’s residence. Adm. at any time; the custodian (½–1 fr.) shows also the Thermes de l’Ouest (see below). Catalogue (1902), 3 fr.; conservator, M. A. Munkel.

Passing through the ENTRANCE ROOM (S.W. Pavilion; busts, statues, etc.) we enter the—

SALLE BERBRUGGER (S. Gallery). 31. Marble statue of Venus; *1. Athena (torso), a copy in marble of a famous bronze by Alcamenes (5th cent.); 46. Torso of a youth or Dionysus, probably after a marble statue of the School of Praxiteles; 10, 13. Two torsos of Diana; 39 B. Female statue with the attributes of Ceres; 33 B. Aphrodite (or Proserpine); several draped female statues.—In the middle of this gallery are several marble heads on brackets: *64. Apollo, after an archaic Attic original (early 5th cent.); 69. Juba II. as a youth; without number, Agrippina.

SOUTH-EAST PAVILION. On the walls, mosaics (hunting-scenes, three Graces, etc.). In the centre, 11. Onyx statuette of Diana hunting; 109. Egyptian basalt statue of a king Thutmosis; 23. Marble group of Pan and a Satyr; 34. Venus.

The SALLE JONNART (E. Gallery) contains in glass-cases pottery, lamps, bronzes, glass, coins, etc. In the middle, casts of statues found at Cherchell but now in the Museum of Algiers.—We now cross the CENTRAL COURT, with interesting architectural specimens, to the—

SALLE VICTOR WAILLE (W. Gallery). 19. Hercules, after an original of the 5th cent.; *7. Dionysus; 19. Æsculapius, both after originals of the 4th cent.; *17G. Shepherd, replica of a work of Praxiteles; 21, 22. Two torsos of Hermes; *47. Torso of a youth.

NORTH-WEST PAVILION. In the middle, draped female statue (Muse?), found in the theatre; numerous inscriptions; fragments of sculpture and architecture.

SALLE CAGNAT (N. Gallery). *39. Colossal female statue after a model by Phidias; 37. Canephor (archaic); 38. Hermaphrodite and a Satyr (Hellenistic). On the N. wall on brackets: Four colossal masks from king Juba’s palace mentioned above (Pergamenian School; 1st cent.).

NORTH-EAST PAVILION. Inscriptions; several objects of Punic origin. In the centre, 68. Bust of Augustus; 49B. Muse.—Leaving this room by a door in the N. wall we enter a—

COURT containing sarcophagi and numerous architectural fragments.

Leaving the Museum we cross the Place Romaine to its W. side, where we follow the third side-street (from the N.) to the W. and soon reach on the right, nearly opposite a little mosque, the *=Thermes de l’Ouest= (W. Baths), dating from the 2nd or 3rd cent., the grandest Roman ruins in the town, with walls still rising to a height of 10–13 ft. (concrete faced with brick) and bits of old mosaic pavement. Most of the antiques in the museum were found in these baths, in which they seem to have been collected in the early-Christian period.

The ancient Portico, on the E. side of the baths, once with granite columns 26 ft. high, is now embedded in the building of the Manutention, and on the S. side are several chambers hidden under the Prison Civile.

From the present entrance on the S. E. side we first come to a suite of five important chambers. The central hall, 26 by 16 yds., was probably the Frigidarium, which was flanked on three sides with smaller basins (piscinæ). The two narrow passages behind the S. and the N. basins show traces of the stairs that once ascended to the upper story.

On the W. side of the frigidarium is a room supposed to have been the Tepidarium, which, like its side-rooms, is accessible only by climbing over the walls. The hall behind the tepidarium, with its semicircular niche, was apparently the Caldarium.

The Baths command a delightful view of the sea and of the coast to the W., as far as Cape Ténès (p. 209).

Proceeding from the Thermes de l’Ouest we take the side-street at the mosque mentioned at p. 245 to the S. and reach the RUE DE TÉNÈS, the principal street of the town which leads to the W. (right) to the Porte de Ténès (see below). We, however, turn to the E. (left) and then follow the Rue du Centre, the first S. side-street. In the first side-street of the last, on the right, is the entrance to the famous old CHIEF MOSQUE ‘of the hundred columns’, completed in 1573, now the Military Hospital. Into the original ‘house of prayer’ a corridor and four hospital dormitories have been built; the antique columns, which are said to have been brought from the W. Baths, have been disfigured by a coating of paint.

At the S. end of the Rue du Centre, on the right, is a brick wall, the sole relic of the Roman Thermes du Centre.

A few paces to the left, on the hill-side above the Rue du Caire, are the remains of the Roman Theatre, unearthed in 1905. The E. side-entrance (parodos), between the stage and the auditorium, still exists, but the 27 tiers of seats were used for building the neighbouring barracks in 1845.

The Barracks of the Tirailleurs, on the hill above the theatre, stand on six antique Cisterns, once fed by the Cherchell aqueduct (p. 243). Passing through the Porte de Miliana, the S. gate behind the barracks, we may now follow a path through the fields to the ruined walls of the Roman Circus, once over 435 yds. long, which still lay within the ancient town-walls.

Outside the Porte de Ténès (comp. above), the W. town-gate, on the old Gunugu (Gouraya) road, lay several Roman Burial Grounds. A collection of objects unearthed here has been made by the commandant, M. Archambeau, at his country-seat ½ M. from the gate.

From the Roman Theatre we follow the winding street to the N. and reach the S. side of the Place Romaine at the Catholic Church, built in the pseudo-classical style. In front of the high-altar and at the end of the left aisle are two early-Christian mosaics.

We may go down to the =Harbour=, either from the Place Romaine or viâ the W. Baths (p. 245), passing a large Roman Basin (piscina) and a ruined Turkish Fort of Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221).

The very shallow harbour, scarcely 5 acres in area, lying behind the fortified Ilot Joinville with its lighthouse, is probably identical with the Roman Naval Harbour, where part of the Alexandrian and Syrian fleet was always stationed to defend the coast against pirates. The short pier at the point of the lighthouse-island and an old embankment on the cliffs on the E. side of the bay protected the ancient Commercial Harbour.

To the E. of the Place Romaine and the Porte d’Alger, at the S.E. angle of the Champ de Manœuvres, are relics of the Thermes de l’Est (E. Baths), including part of the chief hall, 22 by 13 yds., with two niches.

From the highroad, 5 min. to the E. of the drilling-ground, a short path to the right leads to the foundation walls of the Roman Amphitheatre, overgrown with dense scrub. Since 1845 the ruins have served as a quarry.

36. From Algiers to Cape Matifou and to Aïn-Taya viâ Maison-Carrée.

20 M. STEAM TRAMWAY (p. 219), three trains daily (five on Sun. and holidays) in ca. 2¼ hrs. (fares 2 fr. 30, 1 fr. 65 c.).—DILIGENCE from Rouïba (p. 249) to (4½ M.) Aïn-Taya twice daily, in 1 hr.—A pleasant drive may be taken from Algiers to Aïn-Taya direct.

The STEAM TRAMWAY runs parallel with the railway through the S. E. suburbs of Algiers (p. 232), past the Jardin d’Essai (p. 232), and through the little town of Hussein-Dey (p. 233), to the railway-station of Maison-Carrée (p. 217). It then crosses the Harrach by a Turkish bridge of 1697.

7½ M. =Maison-Carrée= (66 ft.; Hôt. du Roulage, Hôt. de l’Harrach, both humble; pop. 7300, incl. 2700 Mohammedans and 3200 foreigners, mostly Spaniards), prettily situated on the right bank of the Harrach, amidst hills rising some 200 ft. above the stream, possesses an agricultural school and an interesting cattle-market (Frid.). It owes its name to the square Turkish Citadel, built in 1746, now the Prison de l’Harrach, used for native convicts.

About 1¼ M. to the N. of Maison-Carrée, near the sea, lies the Monastère St. Joseph, the headquarters of the Missions d’Afrique founded by Card. Lavigerie (p. 346), whose members owe their name of White Fathers (Pères Blancs) to their white gowns Arabian in appearance. The monastery owns an ethnographical collection from the interior of Africa.

From Maison-Carrée the steam-tramway mentioned at p. 219 runs across the Mitidja to (19 M.) =L’Arba= (335 ft.; Hôt. des Etrangers; Hôt. de l’Arba), a small town of 2300 inhab., with an important Wednesday market (Arabic arbáa), and then along the foot of the Atlas, partly through orange-groves, to (23 M.) =Rovigo= (361 ft.; Hôt. des Eaux-Thermales; Hôt. du Commerce; pop. 4200, chiefly Mohammedan). This is the station for (4½ M.) Hammam-Melouan (about 720 ft.), a small watering-place with hot saline springs, chiefly patronized by natives, in the narrow ravine of the Harrach.

A picturesque hill-road leads from L’Arba to (59 M.) Aumale (p. 250; diligence in 12 hrs.) viâ (14½ M.) Sakamody (2585 ft.), (47½ M.) Bir-Rabalou (2106 ft.), and (50½ M.) Les Trembles.

The Matifou road ascends to the top of the hill-chain and leads to the E. to the village of (10 M.) Retour-de-la-Chasse (75 ft.), 2 M. to the N.W. of railway-station Maison-Blanche (p. 249), and to (15½ M.) Rouïba (p. 249).

The STEAM TRAMWAY follows the direct road from Maison-Carrée to the N.E. to (12 M.) =Fort-de-l’Eau= (16 ft.; Hôt.-Restaur. du Casino, on the shore; Hôt. de la Plage and others, plain), a small sea-bathing place with many villas and a fine beach. Fine view of Algiers and the spurs of Mont Bouzaréah. The old Turkish coast-fort, Bordj el-Kifan, of 1581, stormed by the Foreign Legion in 1833, is now the Caserne de Douaniers. The village, noted for its banana-culture, is inhabited chiefly by ‘Mahonnais’ (p. 233).

From the village we proceed to the N.E., a little inland from the bay, which is now much choked with sand, through tame fields and underwood, to the Oued el-Hamiz. Here we turn to the N., soon obtaining a view of the broad Bay of Algiers and the distant Atlas of Blida, and traverse the extensive plateau of Cape Matifou (236 ft.; Arabic Râs Temendfus).

17 M. =Matifou= (210 ft.), a poor village, lies about 1½ M. to the E. of the site of the Roman town of Rusguniae, where, under the dense brushwood, the remains of baths and the foundations of an early-Christian basilica have been discovered. The church, originally with nave and aisles, was rebuilt in the Byzantine period with double aisles and a W. apse.

The small Harbour beyond the village, where Emp. Charles V. embarked the remnant of his army in 1541 (comp. p. 221), is now a quarantine station for vessels and a port for pilgrims (Mers el-Hadjadjeh). The Mohammedans returning from Mecca, usually including many Moroccans, have to spend several days here in the large Lazaretto built in 1884.

Besides the Bordj Temendfous, the interesting old Turkish fort, there are also on the peninsula the French Fort d’Estrées, a Lighthouse (207 ft.), visible from 32 M., and a Semaphore. On the shore, where there are traces of a breakwater, a large tunny-net (madrague) is set in summer. The fishermen are mostly Corsicans and S. Italians from the villages of La Pérouse and Jean-Bart.

Beyond Matifou we skirt the E. margin of the peninsula, soon sighting the fine coast of Great Kabylia as far as Cape Bengut (p. 254), and run to the S.E., past some Roman ruins, to the village of Aïn-Beïda.

20 M. =Aïn-Taya= (131 ft.; Hôt. du Figuier, R. 2–4, B. ¾, déj. or D. 2½–3, pens. 6–7 fr., quite good), a pleasant agricultural village, is inhabited chiefly by Spaniards. From the chief place a short avenue of plane-trees and palms leads to the N.E. to the steep edge of the coast and the fine bathing-beach.

From the S. margin of the plateau, on the highroad beyond Aïn-Taya, we obtain a delightful *View of the E. Mitidja with its girdle of mountains. The road then descends to (24½ M.) Rouïba (see below), whence we may take the train back to Algiers or else to Menerville (p. 250).

37. From Algiers to Bougie viâ Beni-Mansour.

162 M. RAILWAY, in 7¾. hrs. By the Constantine morning-express (p. 269) in 4¾ hrs. to Beni-Mansour (Rail. Restaurant; meals at Bouïra or at Bougie should be ordered beforehand) where carriages are changed; thence by ordinary train to (3 hrs.) Bougie (fares 29 fr. 20, 20 fr. 85, 15 fr. 65 c.). The Constantine night-express (p. 269) may be taken as far as Bouïra, where in this case the rest of the night must be spent.—Or we may take the MOTOR OMNIBUS from Algiers to Bouïra.—SEA VOYAGE from Algiers to Bougie, comp. R. 22.

From Algiers to (7½ M.) Maison-Carrée, see p. 247. Here our line, which forms part of the main E. Algerian line to Constantine (R. 43) and Biskra (R. 44) diverges from the Oran line (R. 33) to the S.E. The train crosses the Harrach and skirts the S. side of the hills near Maison-Carrée. View, to the right, of the Tell Atlas and the serrated Jebel Bou-Zegza (3386 ft.).

Beyond (12 M.) Maison-Blanche (36 ft.) the plateau adjoining Cape Matifou (p. 248) appears on the left. We cross the Oued el-Hamiz.

16 M. Rouïba (60 ft.; Hôt. Glacier; Hôt. de France), a large village in the most fertile part of the E. Mitidja, with many vineyards. Diligence to (4½ M.) Aïn-Taya, see pp. 247, 248.

20 M. Réghaïa. We cross the Oued Réghaïa and pass through the so-called Forêt de la Réghaïa, with its sparse cork-trees.

24½ M. Alma (66 ft.; Hôt. du Cheval-Blanc; Hôt. d’Europe, etc.), ¾ M. to the S. of the station, occupies an idyllic site among hills on the left bank of the Oued Boudouahou.

The HIGH ROAD leads from the right bank of the Boudouahou in long windings through the beautiful hill-country of the Sahel, which flanks the N. side of the Tell Atlas. Passing mostly through underwood it crosses the Oued Corso, and leads viâ the villages of Ste. Marie-du-Corso (125 ft.) and Belle-Fontaine (p. 250), on the left, to Ménerville (p. 250).

The railway, carried partly through cuttings, intersects the Sahel to the N.E. 26 M. Corso-Tahtâni (118 ft.), ¾ M. from the sea, near the mouth of the Oued Corso. To the left we have a brief outlook towards the sea. In the foreground rise the hills of the Sahel as far as Cape Djinet (p. 253).

The train leaves the coast, passing at places through cuttings and between pleasant hills planted with mimosa, and enters, to the S.E., the vale of the Oued Bou Merdès, resplendent in spring with its mantle of golden broom.

30½ M. Belle-Fontaine (167 ft.); the village lies on a fine open hill to the right (466 ft.). We next pass between mimosa-clad hills, backed by wooded mountains, and through a defile which forms the portal of the Isser valley and Great Kabylia (p. 252).

34 M. =Ménerville= (492 ft.; Hôt. Blanchard, plain but good), on the Col des Beni-Aïcha, a dirty village of 3000 inhab., is the junction for Tizi-Ouzou (R. 38).

Our line descends to the S.E. into the valley of the Isser, and then ascends on its left bank. 38 M. Souk el-Haad (230 ft.).

Beyond (40½ M.) Beni-Amran (420 ft.) begins the grand Ravine of the Isser (Gorges de Palestro or des Beni-Hinni), which pierces the Massif des Beni-Kalfoun, 4½ M. long, rivalling the gorge of the Chiffa (p. 215). Views chiefly to the right; but owing to the numerous tunnels we see little of the bold limestone rocks.

48 M. =Palestro= (525 ft.; Hôt. de France, déj. 2 fr., Hôt. du Commerce, both humble), a poor village of 600 inhab. (with Wednesday market), defended by a fort, lies in the fertile central section of the Isser valley. Near it rises Jebel Tegrimoun or Tegrimont (3373 ft.), the highest of the Massif des Beni-Kalfoun (see above), commanding the famous view of the Jurjura Mts. (p. 258).

Beyond (55 M.) Thiers (624 ft.) the train leaves the Isser, offering a glimpse of the head of its valley to the right, and turns to the E. into the tame valley of its tributary Oued Djemâa.

61½ M. Aomar-Dra el-Mizan (778 ft.), station for Aomar (1266 ft.) and (7½ M.) Dra el-Mizan (p. 254; diligence).

The train runs to the S. E. along the foot of the Beni Smaïl Mts. (p. 254), and then, curving far round to the E., ascends rapidly to the head of the valley of the Djemâa, here called Oued Bezzit, and to the Col de Dra el-Khemis (1962 ft.), the saddle between the W. Jurjura range and the hills of Aïn-Bessem (see below). Threading a tunnel the train then descends to the S. to the Plaine du Hamza, the upper region of the Oued Eddous valley (called Oued Sahel lower down; p. 251).

76½ M. =Bouïra= (1722 ft.; Rail. Restaur.; Hôt. de la Colonie, R. 2–3, B. ¾–1, déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.; Hôt. des Voyageurs; pop. 7500), a small town with an old Turkish fort and a great Saturday market largely attended by Kabyles (p. 252), is connected by hill-paths with Boghni (p. 254) and Fort-National (p. 257).

A ROAD (diligence twice daily) leads to the S.W. from Bouïra through the valley of the Oued Lekhal to (15½ M.) Aïn-Bessem (2221 ft.) in the Plaine des Aribs, and thence to the S. to (29 M.) Aumale (2907 ft.; Hôt. Grossat, R. 2½, déj. 3, D. 3½, pens. 10–12 fr.; Hôt. Raveu; pop. 6100), a little town on the N.E. spurs of Jebel Dira (5938 ft.). This was the ancient Auzia, an important station on the Roman road to Mauretania (p. 124), of which numerous epigraphical monuments are now in the Museum.

A beautiful road (p. 248) leads from Aumale to L’Arba and Algiers; another to (20 M.) Sidi-Aïssa and (84 M.) Bou-Saâda (p. 270; diligence at 11 a.m., in 22 hrs.).

The train now descends to the E., on the right bank of the Oued Eddous; on the left tower the rocks of the Jurjura (Jebel Haïzer and Jebel Akouker, p. 258). 85 M. El-Esnam. 93½ M. El-Adjiba (1247 ft.), near the influx of the Oued Zaïane into the Eddous, which now takes the name of Oued Sahel (the ancient Navasath).

From El-Adjiba across the Tizi n-Assoual to Fort-National, see p. 258.

100½ =M. Maillot= (1477 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs, R. 2 fr., déj. or D. 2 fr., Hôt. de la Poste, Hôt. de l’Union, all poor), a small village 2½ M. to the N. of the station (about 1050 ft.; diligence meets some of the trains), lies on the slope of the Lalla Khedidja (7572 ft.; p. 259), the highest peak of the Jurjura, famed for its cedar-forests (comp. p. 210).

From Maillot viâ the Tirourda Pass to Michelet, Fort-National, and Tizi-Ouzou, see R. 39; viâ Fort-National to Azazga (Bougie), R. 40.

107 M. =Beni-Mansour= (948 ft.; Rail. Restaurant, déj. or D. 3 fr., good), junction of the main line to Constantine and Biskra (RR. 43, 44) with the Bougie branch, lies on the boundary between the provinces of Algiers and Constantine. Near it is the finely situated old French fort, Bordj de Beni-Mansour, now a school. Sunday market near the station.

The Bougie line (change carriages) crosses the Oued Mahrir (p. 269), near its influx into the Oued Sahel, and crosses the latter near the mouth of the Oued Tixiriden (p. 260).

112 M. Tazmalt (902 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs), ½ M. to the N.W. of the station, the first village in the province of Constantine, with extensive olive-groves, lies near the Oued Beni Mellikeuch. This, like Maillot, is a station for the Tirourda Pass (R. 39).—To the S. of the railway rise the Beni Abbès Mts.

Below (115 M.) Allaghan (774 ft.) the Sahel valley contracts. On the left rises the Piton d’Akbou, crowned with a late-Roman tomb of the 3rd cent, (a step-pyramid on a square base), but not visible from the train. On the right, beyond the mouth of the copious Oued Bou Sellam (p. 269), which rises in the mountains of Little Kabylia (p. 266), the serrated Jebel Gueldaman (2638 ft.) juts far into the valley.

122 M. Akbou (1050 ft.; Hôt. du Sahel; Hôt. Bellevue; pop. 1200; Mon. market), a large village, is the starting-point of a path to the Col de Chellata (p. 260). Grand eucalypti in the environs.

Far away to the left as we proceed towers Jebel Arbalou (p. 262). 126 M. Azib-ben-Ali-Chérif (512 ft.); 128½, M. Ighzer-Amokran, at the mouth of the brook of that name. The broad floor of the valley is clothed with meagre underwood.

133 M. Takritz, or Takriets (364 ft.), is the station also for Seddouk, 5½ M. to the S.E.; 136 M. Sidi-Aïch (295 ft.) has a Wednesday market well attended by the neighbouring Fenaïa (p. 261) and Beni Himmel tribes. Olives abound on the hill-sides farther on; in the valley below is a small grove of fig-trees.

142 M. Il-Maten (361 ft.), on the left bank of the Sahel, whose valley, now called La Soummam, is fever-stricken lower down.

On the left bank of the Sahel, near Tiklat, a village about halfway between Il-Maten and El-Kseur, are the interesting ruins of the Roman town of Thubusuctu or Thubusuptus. Fragments of the walls of the baths, 33 ft. high, are still standing; the great Cisternes d’El-Arouia are 83 yds. long and 41 yds. wide; and there are relics of two aqueducts besides many tombs.

147 M. El-Kseur-Amizour. The village of El-Kseur (p. 261) lies ½ M. to the N., on the Azazga road; that of Oued-Amizour is 3¾ M. to the S.E. of the station. 149½ M. Tombeau de la Neige.

154½ M. La Réunion (53 ft.), on the slope to the left, is near the mouth of the Oued Rhir or Ghir. Road (8 M.) to Toudja (p. 262).

The train, running to the N.E., now enters the plain at the mouth of the Sahel. Fine view, to the right, of the Gulf of Bougie and the hills of Little Kabylia. In the foreground, beyond the wooded and fertile Plaine, watered by the Oued Srir, appears Jebel Gouraya (p. 265).

162 M. Bougie, see p. 262.

38. From Algiers to Tizi-Ouzou. From Camp-du-Maréchal to Tigzirt.

From Algiers to Tizi-Ouzou, 66½ M., railway in 3½–6¾ hrs.; fares 12 fr., 8 fr. 55, 6 fr. 45 c.; 1st cl. return 16 fr. 90 c. (to Camp-du-Maréchal, 56 M., in 3–5¾ hrs.; fares 10 fr. 10, 7 fr. 20, 5 fr. 40 c.).—From Camp-du-Maréchal to Dellys, 19½ M., light railway in ca. 1¾ hr. (2 fr. 35 or 1 fr. 70 c.).—From Dellys to Tigzirt, 16 M., diligence in 3 hrs. (at night only).—MOTORING TOURS, comp. p. 173.

The railway to Tizi-Ouzou forms the chief approach to =Great Kabylia= or Grande Kabylie, for which the best season is April or May, when the bare limestone peaks of the Jurjura (p. 258) are still capped with their winter snow, while the lower hills are clothed with the fresh verdure of spring. Most travellers are satisfied with a visit to Fort-National and Michelet and the drive across the Tirourda Pass (R. 39) but the long route from Fort-National to Bougie viâ Azazga and Taourirt-Ighil (R. 40) also is quite interesting. Beautiful coast scenery between Dellys and Tigzirt. The ruins at the latter will interest archæologists. The hotel-charges are everywhere disproportionate to the services rendered, and the cuisine is generally indifferent. Fairly good quarters are to be found only at Tizi-Ouzou, Tigzirt, Michelet, Azazga, and Taourirt-Ighil.

The so-called Kabyles (from the Arabic kebila, tribe) consisted, as far back as the Roman period, of five Berber tribes, united to form a state with a democratic constitution. In their remote mountain villages (thaddart) they successively repelled the attacks of the Romans, the Arabs, and the Turks, and it was not till 1852–7 that the French after protracted struggles succeeded in subduing them. During the Turkish period they were called Zuawas, whence the modern French Zouaves derive their name. Their language is a Berber dialect mingled with Latin and Arabic words. The men in the over-peopled W. and S. regions often migrate to the Algerian towns and even to foreign countries as hawkers (iattaren), or to the Mitidja as harvest labourers. The women, who are unveiled and often adorned with valuable trinkets, are seen to advantage at the wells. Many of the girls have pretty faces and good figures.

From Algiers to (34 M.) Ménerville, see pp. 249, 250. To the left of the train, halfway to Félix-Faure, is the so-called Mausolée de Blad-Guitoun, the sadly dilapidated tomb, originally 33 ft. high, of a Christian Berber prince (4th or 5th cent.), in the style of the later Djedar (p. 208), but with an octagonal base. The interior, like that of the Tombeau de la Chrétienne (p. 238), contains a lion in relief, a winding gallery, and a tomb-chamber. The pyramid with its steps has disappeared.

38 M. Félix-Faure-Courbet. From the village of Félix-Faure (236 ft.), formerly called Blad-Guitoun, near the station, a road (diligence twice daily) leads to the N. through the hilly Sahel to (4½ M.) Zaatra and (5½ M.) Courbet (253 ft.), two villages chiefly inhabited by settlers from Alsace and Lorraine.

The road ends at (8¾ M.) Port-aux-Poules or Mers el-Hadjadjeh (p. 248), a decayed seaport on the site of the Roman Rusubricari, the ruins of which have been almost entirely swept away by the waves.

The train crosses the Isser by viaducts of 110 and 160 yds. in length. 40½ M. Les Issers (82 ft.; Hôt. du Marché, Hôt. des Issers, both humble) is the station for Isserville (213 ft.; Hôt. Sigé), which holds a busy Thursday market. Diligence to (24½ M.) Dra el-Mizan (p. 254).

43½ M. Bordj-Ménaïel (53 ft.; Hôt. du Roulage; pop. 1100) holds market on Fridays.

A ROAD leads to the N. from Bordj-Ménaïel through the Isser valley, avoiding the sand-hills at the mouth of the stream, and then skirting Jebel Djinet, the ‘frontier pillar’ of Great Kabylia, to (10 M.) the small bay, opening towards the W., of Mersa Djinet, near Cape Djinet (164 ft.), whose basalt-quarries have yielded paving-stones for Algiers.

The train leaves the Isser and ascends to the E. in the valley of the Oued Chender to (51 M.) Haussonvillers (492 ft.; Hôt. des Postes), peopled by settlers from Alsace-Lorraine. We are now carried over four viaducts, each over 100 ft. high, and through tunnels on the N. slope of the finely-shaped Beni Mekla hills (2920 ft.), down to the Sebaou Valley, the chief valley of Great Kabylia. In the distance appears Jebel Belloua (p. 254).

56 M. =Camp-du-Maréchal= (184 ft.; Hôt. Frœliger), peopled by Alsace-Lorrainers, has a Tuesday and a Thursday market. Cork-tree woods in the environs.

From Camp-du-Maréchal to Dellys and Tigzirt, see pp. 254, 255.

We cross the Bougdoura. 60½ M. Mirabeau (154 ft.; Hôt. Caratero, humble).

FROM MIRABEAU TO BOGHNI, 18¾ M., light railway (continuation of the line from Dellys), in ca. 1¾ hr. (2 fr. 25 or 1 fr. 65 c.). The train at first runs to the S. on the Dra el-Mizan road (p. 254), through a eucalyptus avenue in the broad and featureless lower valley of the Bougdoura, to beyond (4½ M.) Tléta. A little farther on it leaves the highroad and penetrates very narrow cuttings up the winding upper Bougdoura valley, past (12 M.) Maatkas, in the territory of the tribe of that name, to (18¾ M.) =Boghni= (755 ft.; Hôt. Ricard, Hôt. Grossiard, both humble). The little village lies in the fertile green valley of the stream, here called Oued Boghni, between the lower hills and Jebel Haïzer or Haïzeur, the chief peaks of which are Râs Tachgagalt or Pic Ficheur (7044 ft.) to the E. and Tamgout Haïzer (6965 ft.) to the W. From Boghni to Aïn-Sultan and Fort-National, see pp. 258, 257.

FROM MIRABEAU TO DRA EL-MIZAN (26 M.). The highroad, beyond the cuttings near Tléta (p. 253), crosses the Bougdoura and runs to the W. for a short time in the valley of the Oued Aguergoun, in view of the fine S. slopes of the Beni Mekla Mts. (p. 253). It then bends to the S.W. into the pretty and secluded valley of the Acif Tléta or Oued Kessari, which here intersects the lower hills and for a distance of 17 M. contains not a single human habitation. The hill-sides, however, are carefully cultivated by the neighbouring villagers, and are well planted with fig and olive-trees, eucalypti, and cork-oaks. We then ascend a high plateau, with a superb view of Jebel Haïzer (see above), to the village of (26 M.) =Dra el-Mizan= (1525 ft.; Hôt. Bellevue, Hôt. du Commerce, both humble), once famed for its textile fabrics, situated on the N.W. spurs of the Beni Smaïl Mts. (p. 250; 10 M. to the W. of Boghni; diligence). A picturesque road (7½ M.; diligence) leads from Dra el-Mizan, to the S.W., across the Tizi el-Arba (beyond this, another view of Jebel Haïzer), to the rail. station of Aomar-Dra el-Mizan (p. 250).

The train next crosses the Oued Sebt, approaches the Sebaou after a long bend to the N., and then ascends past the Alsatian village of (64½ M.) Bou-Khalfa (161 ft.), near the wooded W. slope of the finely situated Jebel Belloua (2280 ft.).

66½ M. =Tizi-Ouzou= (620 ft.; Hôt. Lagarde, R. 3–5, B. 1¼, déj. 3, D. 3½, omn. ½ fr., quite good; Hôt. du Square and Hôt. du Roulage, unpretending; pop. 29,620), the chief town and market (Sat.) in the interior of Great Kabylia. Jebel Belloua may be ascended hence, and the poor and dirty Kabyle village at the N. end of the little town may be visited by the curious.

From Tizi-Ouzou to Fort National and Michelet (Tirourda Pass), see R. 39.

* * * * *

The LIGHT RAILWAY TO DELLYS (19½ M.; p. 252) descends to the N. from Camp-du-Maréchal (p. 253) through the broad Sebaou Valley, past unimportant stations; then, near the mouth of the stream, it turns to the N.E., away from the highroad, and skirts the coast, which is at first flat and sandy and afterwards bold, and abrupt. To the left rises the lighthouse, famed for its view, on Cape Bengut (207 ft.), a spur of Jebel Ouamri (1227 ft.), composed partly of basalt and other eruptive rocks.

We now proceed to the E., at first through orchards and then on an embankment 26 ft. high, on the brink of a grand abraded terrace, 1 M. long, flanked with narrow perpendicular ledges of sandstone. We then pass through a short tunnel under the ‘dagger-pointed’ Cape Dellys.

19½ M. =Dellys= (203 ft.; Hôt. de la Colonie; pop. 3000, of whom 2000 are Mohammedans, mostly Berbers of the Arab type), a quiet little seaport, the W. sea-gate of Great Kabylia, probably on the site of the Roman Cissi, rises in terraces with luxuriant gardens on the E. slope of Cape Dellys, at the end of which is a small lighthouse. The deserted harbour is fairly protected against N. and N.W. winds only; the unfinished works at the end of the headland have been destroyed by the waves. Dellys offers little attraction beyond the strikingly beautiful view, stretching as far as Cape Tedlès (p. 256). A few relics of Roman Cisterns and Thermae also may be visited. The Native Quarter is very picturesque. The Ecole Nationale d’Apprentissage des Arts et Métiers, numbering many Kabyle pupils, was transferred hither from Fort-National (p. 257) in 1871.

The *COAST ROAD TO TIGZIRT (16 M.; diligence, see p. 252) leads to the E. from Dellys, up and down hill, in many windings, past small headlands and bays and the estuaries of torrents. At first we observe isolated European settlements, but farther on we pass through underwood and the fields and fig-groves of the Kabyle hill-folk. The latter half of the route leads through remains of the Forêt de Mizrana.

16 M. =Tigzirt= (66 ft.; Hôt. des Ruines-Romaines, plain; pop. barely 200), a poor little agricultural village founded in 1888, with a lively Wednesday market, occupies part of the site of the ancient Rusuccuru. This, as the name indicates, was originally a Berber settlement; it afterwards became a Phœnician seaport. In the late-Roman period it vied with Saldæ (p. 263) as one of the most populous places on this part of the coast, and under the Byzantines it was still fairly prosperous.

The village lies on a low coast-terrace behind Cape Tigzirt, a small headland, running out to a storm-beaten rocky island, with which in the Roman period it was connected by a quay. The Roman Town Wall extended from one shore to the other, as did also the shorter Byzantine Wall, which was nearer the promontory. The new buildings erected by the Byzantines, now a mass of ruins overgrown by bushes, superseded most of the Roman edifices on the promontory. The sole relic of the latter is a small *TEMPLE (14¾ by 7 yds.) of the time of Septimius Severus, of unusually heavy and massive form, which, according to the inscription, was dedicated to the genius of the municipium of Rusuccuru. The lofty front-wall of the cella, borne by two columns, immediately adjoins the small court of the temple without an intervening vestibule.

The Roman ruins between the two town-walls, on the inland side, have been mostly either destroyed or built over by the modern villagers.

The most important of the old buildings at Rusuccuru is the *BISHOP’S CHURCH, situated close to the Roman town-wall in the E. part of the village. Originally a columnar basilica, 44 by 23 yds., probably of the 5th cent., it is now a picturesque chaos of ruins, with remains of the old mosaic pavement.

The entrances were through the chief portal in the narrow W. vestibule and by three smaller doorways in the wall of the façade, leading into an inner vestibule built into the nave. There are still traces of the two arcades of the nave, borne by clustered columns, all brought from ancient buildings, which rested without bases on stone pedestals. The rich plastic decoration of the imposts, with a touch of the Punic style, is noteworthy. The galleries over the aisles, accessible by outside stairs on the N.E. side only, were ruined by fire at an early period.

On each side of the oldest altar-table at the end of the nave four steps ascended to the choir-recess, where remains of the columns of the later ciborium altar still exist. Two small doors led from the apse into the sacristies, which were shut off from the aisles. The diaconicon, on the left, was adjoined by the quatrefoil-shaped baptistery, also on the left, containing fragments of the old font. The W. portal of the baptistery led into a rectangular hall.

In the late Byzantine period the E. half of the nave was walled off for the use of the greatly reduced congregation, while the old aisles and the sacristies were converted into burial-places.

A few paces to the S. of the bishop’s church, above part of the ancient Roman baths, are relics of a smaller early-Christian Basilica, ending in a trilateral apse. Outside of the town lay the E. burial-ground, with an early-Christian Chapel of similar design.

From Tigzirt we may climb, 1 hr. to the N. E., through underwood, to the Berber village of =Taksept=, on the crest of the abrupt Cape Tedlès (870 ft.). Among the stone huts of the villagers are many fragments of Roman buildings, hardly now recognizable, probably the ruins of Iomnium, whose harbour lay on the E. side of the promontory. On the highest point of the cape stands the chief landmark of this part of the coast, the so-called Phare or Mausolée de Taksept, a late-Roman tomb, still about 29 ft. high, with an octagonal substructure adorned with eight Corinthian columns, above which probably once rose a step-pyramid.

39. From Tizi-Ouzou viâ Fort-National to Maillot or Tazmalt.

65 or 63½ M. ROAD. From Tizi-Ouzou to Fort-National 17 M. (diligence in 4 hrs., at 5 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.; returning at 8.45 and 1.15). From Fort-National to Michelet 12½ M. (diligence in 2½ hrs., at 5.15 p m., returning 6 a.m.). From Michelet to Maillot 35½ M., to Tazmalt 34 M. (no diligence). Carriage from Hôt. Lagarde at Tizi-Ouzou to Fort-National 25–45, to Michelet (two days) 50–75, to Maillot or Tazmalt 125–175 fr.; cheaper at the diligence office of Aug. Passicos (p. 257), who will send a carriage to the Tizi-Ouzou station if ordered by letter or telegram. Mules also may be hired at Michelet (on Frid. they must be ordered in advance). The Tirourda Pass is seldom fit for driving before the end of April.

Tizi-Ouzou, see p. 254. The FORT-NATIONAL ROAD descends to the E. into the valley of the Sebaou, where, at the bridge (259 ft.) across its affluent Oued Aïssi, we enjoy a splendid *View of the Jurjura Mts. (p. 258). It then branches off to the S.E., a little before the village of Sikh ou Meddour, from the Azazga road on the left bank (p. 260), and begins to ascend rapidly to the long Massif de Fort-National, the most important branch of the *=Massif Kabyle=, which extends from the Sebaou to the base of the Azerou-Tidjer (p. 259).

The road ascends in short windings, dangerous for motorists descending, at one time following the S.W. slope of the hill above the Oued Aïssi, where we have splendid mountain views, at another running along the N.E. slope, above a second side-valley of the Sebaou. On every side we see countless fig-trees, the favourite fruit-trees of the natives. We pass isolated cottages and a few small Kabyle villages (Adeni, Tamâzirt, and others), where the curious may obtain access to one or other of the poor and uninviting huts. Lastly, the road ascends by a long bend (cut off by a mule-track) to the N. to the top of the hill.

=17 M. Fort-National.=—HOTELS (comp. p. 174). Hôtel des Touristes, R. 3, déj. 3, D. 3½ fr., food tolerable; Hôt. Bellevue, humble.—CARRIAGES at the diligence-office, kept by Aug. Passicos.—Picture post-cards at Boussuge’s, photographer.

Fort-National (3035 ft.; pop. 1000), in the territory of the Beni Raten or Iraten tribe, was built in 1857, to overawe the natives, on the site of a Kabyle village, and is now the capital of the Massif Kabyle, with a busy Wednesday market, and like Michelet (p. 258), is a favourite centre for excursions. It consists of little more than a single main street between the two town-gates. Several shops contain Kabylian pottery and wood-carvings. The trinkets sold here are often of Moroccan manufacture. The ‘cavalier’ or high bastion of the Citadel (3153 ft.; adm. only by leave of the commandant) is a fine point of view, reached from the N.W. town-gate by the short Rue Maréchal. A similar distant view is obtained by walking round the Town Walls on the N.E. side, and also from the Michelet road (p. 258).

EXCURSIONS. The best insight into the character of the people and their land is afforded by the interesting, but rather fatiguing walk or ride through the =Djemâa Valley= to Michelet (5–6 hrs.; mule 4–6 fr.; path unfit for riding at places). We leave the road a few hundred paces outside the S.E. gate of Fort-National, pass the large village of Taourirt-Amokran (2424 ft.), the capital of the Aït Ousammeur tribe, a place noted for its quaint old-fashioned pottery, and then descend abruptly to the S. to the (1 hr.) Djemâa Bridge (about 1300 ft.). On the left bank of the brook we ascend through the territory of the Beni Yenni, well known for their various art-industries, to the village of Aït-Larbâa (2166 ft.; mission-house of the White Fathers in the vicinity; p. 247), and then to the S.E. to (9½ M.) Taourirt-Mimoun (2435 ft.), whose white school-house is conspicuous from a distance. The main track now leads to the S.E. on the crest of the Beni Yenni Mts. viâ Taourirt el-Hadjadj (2598 ft.) to Tassaft ou Guemoun (2545 ft.), and thence down steep zigzags to Souk el-Djemâa (1477 ft.), where we reach the steep road ascending to Menguellet (3350 ft.) and Hôpital Ste. Eugénie (p. 258). Shorter, but often impassable after rain, is the mule-track from Taourirt-Mimoun to the (¾ hr.) Djemâa Ford (about 1395 ft.), and thence through a side-valley to (1¼ hr.) Menguellet.

To =Boghni= (8–9 hrs.; mule 8–10 fr.), a pleasant day’s excursion. From Fort-National we first follow, to the S.W., the fine open road to the village of Aït-Atelli (2648 ft.), and then descend viâ Aït-Frah (2126 ft.) to the Lowest Djemâa Ford (about 900 ft.). Thence we follow the right bank of the Oued Aïssi (p. 256) and go through the side-valley of the Acif Djerra to Souk el-Haad (about 1300 ft.), the chief market of the Ouadhia. We then skirt the S. slope of Jebel Iril ou Moula, crowned with the village of that name, and reach Aïn-Sultan (1313 ft.), a copious spring shaded by huge nettle-trees (Celtis australis L.), 3¾ M. from Boghni (p. 254).

Good climbers, properly equipped, may in the warmer season explore some of the fine passes among the *=Jurjura= or =Djurdjura Mts.=, the Roman Mons Ferratus, and ascend some of the higher peaks. Provisions and guides necessary; night-quarters are obtainable at the school-houses. =1.= To Souk el-Haad, see p. 257 and above; then viâ Aït-Krelifa (2230 ft.), along the W. spurs of the Chenacha Mts., and through the wild valley of the Beni Bou Addou to the Lac de Tizi-Koulmin, one of the few mountain-lakes in the Atlas. The lake lies at the foot of the pass (5813 ft.) of that name, which separates the Râs Tachgagalt or Pic Ficheur (p. 254) from the Azerou-Ncennad or Pic de Galland (7002 ft.), the westmost peak of Jebel Akouker. From the pass we descend to the S.W. through remains of a fine cedar-forest to Bouïra (p. 250).—=2.= From Fort-National viâ Taourirt-Amokran (p. 257) to Aït-Lahssen (2851 ft.), the north-westmost village of the Beni Yenni (p. 257); then viâ Souk el-Arba (1221 ft.), a market-village in the valley of the Acif el-Arba, to Aït-Touddeurt (2271 ft.) and Taguemoun (3852 ft.), on the S. slope of Jebel Kouriet (5027 ft.), one of the Chenacha Mts. (see above); thence across three passes, the Col de Taguemoun (3681 ft.), the Tizi Guessig, on the E. side of the Azerou es-Guessig, one of the Akouker group, and the Tizi Boulma (5532 ft.), between the Azerou-Ncennad (see above) and the Râs Timedouine (7563 ft.), the highest peak of Jebel Akouker; thence down to Bouïra.—=3.= Viâ Souk el-Arba (see above) to the village of Tiroual (2664 ft.), on the spurs of the Azerou ou Gougane (7080 ft.) and Azerou Thaltatt; next across the Tizi n-Assoual (5683 ft.) to Ansor el-Akhal or Ansor Lekhal (about 2950 ft.), and through the valley of the Oued Beurd to El-Adjiba (p. 251).

The ROAD TO MICHELET (29½ M.; diligence, see p. 256), starting from the S.E. gate of Fort-National, leads at first along the S.W. slope of the Massif de Fort-National, soon affording a superb *View of the Jurjura Mts., from Jebel Haïzer (p. 254), on the W., and from Jebel Akouker (see above) to the Lalla Khedidja (p. 259). To the right, in the valley, lies the village of Taourirt-Amokran (p. 257); opposite us, beyond the deep ravine of the Oued Djemâa (see p. 257), rise the Beni Yenni Mts. (p. 257).

About 4½ M. beyond Fort-National a rough road diverges to the left to (20 min.) the small hill-village of Icherridêne (3494 ft.) and the Monument d’Icherridêne, erected by the French in memory of the decisive battles of 1857 and 1871. Near the pyramid we obtain a splendid distant *View. We may descend to the highroad on the other side.

For a short distance the road skirts the E. margin of the hills and overlooks the hill-country of the Aït Yahia. It then ascends in windings, passing near the villages of Azerou-Kellat and Taskenfout on the right, to a height where the road to (20 min.) Hôpital Ste. Eugénie and Menguellet (p. 257) branches off to the right.

29½ M. =Michelet= (3543 ft.; Hôt. des Touristes or Calanchini, R. 3–3½, B. 1–1½, déj. 3, D. 3½ fr., clean and quite good; mule to the Tirourda Pass 4–5, to Tazmalt 6 fr.; pop. 200, chiefly French), the capital of the Canton du Djurdjura, one of the most thickly peopled districts in Algeria, is prettily situated, on the partly vine-clad S.W. slope of the hills, with fine views all around.

From (½ hr.) the crest of the hill (4042 ft.), to which a path ascends to the left from the Hôtel des Touristes, we have an extensive *Panorama of the neighbouring Jurjura Mts., among which the Lalla Khedidja (see below) stands forth grandly, of the Massif Kabyle, the depression of the Sebaou Valley, and the distant coast hills. The view is peculiarly impressive in the early morning, when the snow-capped Jurjura and the green lower hills with their countless Kabylian villages protrude like islands from the sea of mist in the valleys.

The *=Lalla Khedidja= (7572 ft.), the highest of the Jurjura Mts., may be ascended from Michelet by one of two different routes. One route is viâ Souk el-Djemâa (p. 257), the hill-villages of Aït-Saada (3055 ft.) and Darna (3314 ft.; night-quarters), and the passes Tizi Tirkabin (4587 ft.) and Tizi n-Kouïlal (5178 ft.), near the sources of the Oued el-Hammam. The other route is viâ the Tirourda Pass (p. 260), the village of Aït-Ouabane (about 3380 ft.), in the basin between the offshoots of the Azerou Tidjer (see below) and the Azerou Madène (6401 ft.), and across the Tizi n-Kouïlal, where the mules are left behind. The ascent is, however, easier and shorter from Maillot (p. 251). A bridle-path leads thence to the (4½ hrs.) village of Tala Rana (4508 ft.; night-quarters). Then 1 hr. through cedar-forest (see p. 210), and lastly an ascent on foot, over loose stones, in 2 hrs. more to the top, where three ruinous stone huts afford some shelter. The imposing view embraces the whole mountain region of Great Kabylia, the main ranges of Little Kabylia (p. 266), the Sahel valley (p. 266), the Chaîne des Biban (p. 270), and the extensive Hauts-Plateaux (p. 169). Early in the morning in clear weather we may descry, with the aid of a telescope, the white houses of Algiers, while the sea is visible in the direction of Bougie. In the height of summer, on seven Thursdays, hundreds of the neighbouring Kabyles make this ascent.

Beyond Michelet begins the finest part of the road, which now rapidly nears the Jurjura range. After ½ hr. it skirts for a short time the E. slope of the range, where a path to the left diverges to the village of Aït-Mellal; then, returning to the W. slope, it passes close below the villages of Tifferdout (3927 ft.) and Tazerout (3884 ft.). The *View is particularly grand at a bend near the 53rd kilomètre-stone (33 M.), whence we observe a road-mender’s house in the foreground, at the foot of the bare Azerou Tidjer (5745 ft.), which conceals the Lalla Khedidja. Opposite, on the hill beyond the head of the Oued Djemâa valley (p. 257), lie the three large villages of the Beni Akbil.

35 M. Maison Cantonnière (4111 ft.; closed in winter). The road soon crosses (7 min.) the narrow saddle between the lower hills and the Azerou Tidjer, and is then carried along the abrupt E. slope of the latter by means of numerous embankments, galleries, and two short tunnels. On the left lies the deep-set Tirourda Valley, enlivened by herds of cattle in summer, with the village of Tirourda (about 3870 ft.), viâ which the pass may sometimes be reached when the road is blocked with snow. Behind it rise the four bare peaks of Jebel Tizibert (5754 ft.) and the pointed cone of the Azerou n-Tohor (p. 260).

The road at length pierces the E. margin of the Azerou n-Tirourda (6437 ft.) by means of a cutting called the Porte Civili after its engineer, and ascends in a curve to the pass.

39½ M. =Col de Tirourda= (5775 ft.), the most frequented pass in the Jurjura, where we have a striking view of the hills of the Sahel valley, the Chaîne des Babors (p. 266), and Chaîne des Biban (p. 270).

Most travellers are satisfied with the ascent of the slight hill on the right of the road. The view is, however, much more extensive from the Azerou n-Tirourda (see p. 259 and above), and still more so from the marabout on the Azerou n-Tohor (6181 ft.), which may be scaled in ½ hr. from the Piste de Chellata, the road to the Col de Chellata (4806 ft.; p. 251).

The road descends from the pass in many windings into the valley of the Oued Aghbalou, called Oued Tixiriden lower down, and beyond the (44½ M.) Maison Cantonnière d’Aïn-Zebda crosses to the right bank. The small villages of Selloum (about 2630 ft.) and Tixiriden (about 1970 ft.) lie a little to the right. Near the 94th kilomètre-stone (58½ M.) we reach the road in the valley, above the left bank of the Sahel, about halfway between (65 M.) Maillot and (63½ M.) Tazmalt (p. 251). The direct descent to Tazmalt by the bridle-path is preferable to the long drive round by the road.

40. From Fort-National viâ Azazga to Bougie.

77½ M. ROAD. From Fort-National to Azazga 22 M. (no diligence); from Azazga to Yakouren 7½ M. (diligence at 10.30 a.m., in 1½ hr.); from Yakouren vià Taourirt-Ighil to Bougie about 48 M. (no conveyances). Carr. from Hôt. Lagarde (p. 254), at Tizi-Ouzou, viâ Fort-National to Bougie 150–275 fr.; from Tizi-Ouzou to the Tirourda Pass (R. 39), returning viâ Fort-National to Bougie 175–300 fr.—Carr. hired from Aug. Passicos (comp. p. 257) and those also in the opposite direction, from Bougie (p. 262), when hired to Azazga or Fort-National only are rather cheaper.

The Azazga road between Fort-National and the Sebaou Valley is hardly less attractive, especially in the reverse direction, than that between Tizi-Ouzou and Fort-National, although lacking the mountain view. Between Azazga and Bougie our route leads partly through the forests of the Algerian Tell Atlas (cork-trees, evergreen oaks, etc.), now sadly thinned.

Fort-National, see p. 257. The AZAZGA ROAD branches to the left from the Michelet road (R. 39) a few hundred yards from the S.E. gate of the town, and leads through vineyards into the picturesque valley of the Oued Bou Aïmeur, the deep incision between the hills inhabited by the Oumalou, on the E., and the Aït-Akerma Mts. on the W., on the crest of which stand a series of five villages. Behind us is a fine view of Fort-National, which remains in sight as far as (6¼ M.) Fontaine-Fraîche.

The road now runs on the E. slope of the hill, through fig-gardens and olive-groves, soon in full view of the beautiful wooded valley of the Oued Rabta to the right, and descends in short windings to the saddle between the Oumalou hills and the Takorrabt Bou Achbatzene (981 ft.), crowned with a saint’s tomb. Sweeping round to the W. our road next enters the featureless Sebaou Valley (p. 254), where it joins that on the left bank coming from Tizi-Ouzou. A branch to Mékla diverges ½ M. farther on.

About 5½ M. farther we cross the Sebaou and then pass through a eucalyptus avenue to the Tizi-Ouzou and Azazga road on the right bank, where we ascend rapidly through underwood and fields to—

22 M. =Azazga= (1418 ft.; Hôt. Gebhardt, R. 3, B. 1½, déj. or D. 3 fr.; Hôt. Vayssières, plainer, good cuisine; pop. largely Alsatian), a large village on the N.W. spurs of the wooded Jebel Bou Hini (3327 ft.).

The road ascends, soon affording a pleasant view as we look back to the Sebaou plain, through beautiful woods in the territory of the Beni Ghobri, to the saddle between Jebel Bou Hini on the right and Jebel Zraïb (3061 ft.) on the left.

29½ M. Yakouren (about 2460 ft.; tavern), a small French settlement, near the Kabyle village of that name. As we ascend to the (35 M.) Col de Tagma (3094 ft.) we look back for the last time to a great part of the Massif Kabyle (p. 257) and the Jurjura Mts. Beyond the pass we enter the Province of Constantine and descend through oak-forest and underwood, and then through fields and orchards, skirting for many miles the N. slope of the hills of the Forêt de Tizi Oufellah (4285 ft.). The road runs high above the valley of the Oued el-Hammam, where many Kabylian villages are perched on hills or ensconced among rocks. These and the small baths of Acif el-Hammam lie on the left.

Passing at some distance from the Forêt d’Akfadou, the most famous of the oak-forests of Great Kabylia, the road next skirts the N. slope of Jebel Toukra (4806 ft.). Then, affording a distant view of the fine hill-region of the Oued Dahs to the left, it passes close to the large village of K’Bouch on a hill and approaches the neglected oak-woods of the Forêt de Taourirt-Ighil.

50½ M. Chalet de Taourirt-Ighil (about 2950 ft.; rustic but good, R. 2, déj. 3–4 fr.), a resort of sportsmen.

Beyond the hamlet of Taourirt-Ighil the old road descends to the S.E., in wide curves, overlooking on the right the valley of the Fenaïa and the hills of the Sahel Valley (p. 266), to the (54 M.) Col de Talmetz (2703 ft.; road-mender’s house). A little below the pass we survey the upper valley of the Oued el-Kseur (p. 262). In the distance rises Jebel Arbalou (p. 262). Besides oak-forest we pass also through beautiful underwood, where the fragrant erica abounds, vying in spring with the macchia of Corsica.

Next to the forest-zone comes the fertile hill-region above the Sahel valley, beyond which are seen the mountains of Little Kabylia (p. 266). Passing several Kabylian villages, the road descends in many windings to (64½ M.) the village of El-Kseur (295 ft.; Hôt. de l’Union, rustic).

65 M. El-Kseur-Amizour, and thence to (80 M.) Bougie, see p. 252.

The new Bougie road reaches, on the S. slope of Jebel ou Chiouen (3289 ft.), the upper valley of the Oued el-Kseur, a dull, uninhabited forest region, and then nears the S. base of the bare Jebel Arbalou.

Farther on, in the vale of the Oued Rhir, we cross the La Réunion and Toudja road (p. 252).

=Toudja= (650–1000 ft.) is a group of Kabylian villages in the abundantly watered upper valley of the Oued Rhir and on the S.E. slope of Jebel Toudja (1998 ft.), the E. spur of Jebel Arbalou (4291 ft.), the latter of which may be scaled in 3–3½ hrs. Toudja is famed for its oranges. The modern Bougie, like the ancient Saldæ (p. 263), is supplied with water from the springs of Toudja. The Roman Aqueduct was 13 M. long; remains of its pillars are still to be seen on the Col d’El-Hanaïat (about 1475 ft.), ½ hr. to the N.E. of Toudja.

Lastly we descend into the vale of the Oued Srir (p. 252) and reach (77½ M.) Bougie (see below).

41. Bougie.

RAILWAY STATION (Pl. B, 3), in the plain, to the W. of the old town, not far from the Kasba hill.

ARRIVAL BY SEA. The steamers of the Comp. Générale Transatlantique (RR. 20, 22; office on the quay) anchor close to the Jetée Abd el-Kader (Pl. D, 3). Landing or embarkation 30, trunk 30–60 c.; small articles free.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). Hôt. de France & Royal (Pl. a; C, 2), Chemin de l’Hôpital, quiet, R. 4–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 12–14, omn. 1 fr.—Hôt. d’Orient (Pl. b; C, 2), R. 3–6, B. 1, déj. 3, D. 3½, pens. 10½–13½, omn. ½ fr.; Hôt. des Voyageurs (Pl. c; C, 2), poor; these two in Rue Trézel, with splendid view.

CAFÉ. Richelieu, with terrace, Rue Trézel.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 3; B, 3), Place Gueydon, corner of Rue Trézel.—BANKS. Banque de l’Algérie, next to the post-office; Comp. Algérienne, etc.

CARRIAGES let out by Spiteri, Pacce, and Ali ben Abdelkrim Frères. Arrangements should be made personally with these or the drivers.—MOTOR CARS let out by Vogelweith, Rue Jeanne d’Arc.—MOTOR OMNIBUS, Messageries Automobiles Djidjelliennes.—DILIGENCE OFFICES, Place Gueydon and Rue Trézel.

SEA BATHS in the bay of Sidi Yahia (p. 264).

ONE DAY (when time is limited). In the morning, visit to Cape Carbon (p. 264); in the afternoon, walk round the town and the bay of Sidi Yahia. Photographing and sketching in or around Bougie are prohibited.

The quiet seaport-town of Bougie (pop. 11,000, of whom 6000 are Mohammedans and 600 Jews), defended by several forts, rises in terraces on the W. shore of the bay of that name, at the S. base of the steep Jebel Gouraya (p. 265). The Anse de Bougie or d’Abd el-Kader, a small bay between two headlands, the Kasba Hill to the W. and the Bridja Hill to the E., forms the harbour. The so-called Darsenâa (see p. 90), the ancient Roman and Moorish harbour adjoining the plain to the W. of the Kasba Hill, and near the industrial suburb close to the station, is now choked with the deposits of the Oued Sahel (p. 251). The upper part of the Kasba Hill to the N., above the new French quarters, is the Ville Indigène or Kabylian quarter (Pl. A, B, 1, 2), whose red-tiled stone huts resemble those of the villages of Great Kabylia (p. 252). A second native quarter, the Faubourg des Cinq-Fontaines (Pl. B, C, 1), lies in the upper part of the valley, between the two hills.

The environs of Bougie, owing to the copious winter rainfall (p. 170), are remarkable for their luxuriant vegetation and their splendid timber. The town is most beautiful in spring, when the gardens don their freshest verdure and the terraces and slopes are gorgeously carpeted with bougainvilleas. In winter the blue bay contrasts most picturesquely with the snow-clad mountains of Little Kabylia (p. 266).

Under the Carthaginians Bougie, like Igilgili (Djidjelli), was probably one of the chief seaports on this part of the coast, but its Punic name is unknown. In the Roman period, under the name of Saldae, it was the principal town on the bay. Its present name (Ital. and Span. Bugia) is derived from the Berber tribe of the Bejaïa or Bujaïa, who settled in the vicinity in the 10th century. The town attained its brief prime in the middle ages, and was one of the most flourishing of the minor Moorish principalities when under the sway of the Hammadites (1090–1152), fugitives from Kalàa des Beni-Hammad (p. 270). The Pisans, the Genoese, and the Venetians had their factories here. Wax being the chief export, the French still call their wax-candles bougies (originally, in Ital., candele di Bugia). From the 15th cent. down to the French occupation, save during the Spanish period (1510–55), when it afforded an asylum to Emp. Charles V. on his retreat from Algeria (1541; comp. p. 221), it was a notorious haunt of the barbaresque pirates. The recent improvement of the harbour is expected to revive the ancient prosperity of the place.

The finest mediæval building in the town is the dilapidated =Porte Sarrasine= (Pl. C, 2; Arabic Bâb el-Bahar, sea-gate), probably a relic of the town-walls erected by the governor En-Nasr, in 1067, extending along the top of the two headlands, up to the Plateau des Ruines (p. 265).

Since the 16th cent. the bay has been commanded by the Kasba (Pl. B, 3), a fortification of the Spanish period, and the ruinous (originally Turkish?) Fort Abd el-Kader (Pl. D, 2, 3) on the rocky summit of the Bridja Hill. Both are now barracks (no adm.).

The =Harbour=, exposed to the infrequent N. and N.E. winds only, one of the ‘least bad’ in Algeria, and now 65 acres in area, was improved in 1905–9 by the extension of the Jetée Abd el-Kader (Pl. D, 3; a fine point of view), by the formation of a quay at the Pointe de la Kasba, and by the construction of the Jetée du Large, an outer breakwater, 525 yds. long.

The town is entered from the harbour either by the Boul. des Cinq-Fontaines (Pl. C, 2, 1) or by the Rue de la Marine (Pl. C, 2) and Rue Duvivier, all ascending to the Rue Trézel. From the railway-station we ascend to the Place de l’Arsenal by the Rampe of that name (Pl. A, B, 2).

The RUE TRÉZEL (Pl. B, C, 2), which ascends to the S.W. from the lower ground to the Kasba Hill, is the only fairly animated street in the town. On the left is the Hôtel de Ville (Pl. 2; C, 2), which contains a few antiquities, including a Roman mosaic (Oceanus and the Nereids) found near the hospital. The Fountain in front of the Hôtel de Ville has a hexagonal column with a Roman inscription in three parts recording the building of the aqueduct (p. 262).

The PLACE GUEYDON (Pl. B, 2, 3), the focus of traffic, named after Admiral Gueydon (governor of Algeria, 1870–3), and adorned with a Monument (a genius in bronze), affords a splendid *View of the bay from the parapet.

From the Rue Trézel we cross the Place de l’Arsenal (Pl. B, 2) and ascend the Rue Fatima to the booths of the Kabylian Market and to the Kabylian quarter, the chief boast of which is the pretty Mosque (Pl. A, B, 2), completed in 1902. Close by is the Porte Fouka (Pl. A, 2), the substructions of which are ancient.

Fort Barral (Pl. B, 2; formerly Fort Moussa), to the E. of the Rue du Gouraya (p. 265), dates from the Spanish period. Behind the Hôpital Civil are the Citernes Romaines (Pl. B, 1; 509 ft.), which have been frequently altered. These and a few fragments of the Roman Town Walls are the sole memorials of antiquity.

The Rampe des Spahis (Pl. B, 2, 1) descends to the Cinq-Fontaines (Pl. C, 1), a Mauro-Turkish fountain in the valley, whence the Chemin de Bridja leads to the Porte du Cimetière (Pl. C, 1), the town-gate on the Bridja Hill.

A charming walk is afforded by the road from the gate just named, passing the Jewish Burial Ground (Pl. D, 1), and descending in windings through olive and carob groves and ruins of old fortifications, to the beautiful =Anse de Sidi-Yahia=. Thence, at the lime-kiln and cement-works, we may either turn to the right and go through the tunnel under Fort Abd el-Kader (p. 263) back to the harbour, or we may follow the coast-road (p. 265) leading to the E. to the bay of Les Aiguades.

* * * * *

The *EXCURSION TO CAPE CARBON (there and back 3½–4 hrs.) is best made on foot or by mule (3 fr., attendant 1 fr.). We leave the town by the Porte du Cimetière and follow the rough road to the N.E., passing (on the left) the Catholic Cemetery (Pl. C, D, 1), and ascending amidst rich vegetation on the E. slope of Jebel Gouraya (p. 265).

Passing the pleasant path which diverges to the Petit Phare (482 ft.) on Cape Bouak, we soon reach the Vallée des Singes, whence we look down on the peaceful Anse des Aiguades (p. 265), and the (1 hr.) Pic des Singes, on whose steep rocky slopes we may often see monkeys disporting themselves (comp. p. 171). Just beyond the short rock-tunnel, where the road ends, we obtain a superb **View of =Cape Carbon= (722 ft.), whose limestone precipices, descending sheer on every side, are crowned with a semaphore and the old lighthouse. We cross the low saddle between the Anse des Salines (see below) on the left and the bay bounded by Cape Carbon and the Cape Noir (p. 130) on the right, and ascend past the Old Lighthouse to the (20 min.) *Semaphore, from whose flat roof we have a splendid survey of the bay and of the bold coast of Great Kabylia as far as the Ile Pisan (p. 130).

From the saddle just mentioned a path descends to the New Lighthouse at the foot of Cape Carbon.

The beautiful new *COAST ROAD leads round the Anse de Sidi-Yahia (p. 264), passing the marabout of that name and the large quarries and skirting the abrupt slopes of Cape Bouak (p. 264). It pierces the point of the cape by means of a short tunnel, and ends, beyond the old pumping-works, at the *=Anse des Aiguades=. Its extension to the new lighthouse at Cape Carbon is projected.—When the sea is calm we may row from the harbour of Bougie (4–5 fr.; bargain necessary), past Cape Bouak and through the Roche Percée at Cape Carbon, to the Anse and the Pointe des Salines, with the Grotte Ste. Anne. On the return we may for variety land in the Anse des Aiguades and walk back to Bougie by the coast-road.

The ascent of =Jebel Gouraya= (2166 ft.) takes 2–2½ hrs. on foot or 1¾ hr. by mule (3 fr., and fee of 1 fr.). We first follow the Rue du Gouraya and Chemin du Gouraya, or else a road on the Bridja Hill above the Faubourg des Cinq-Fontaines, to the Porte du Grand Ravin (Pl. B, 1). A steep road ascends thence in windings, through underwood, to the Plateau des Ruines, where there is a Pénitencier for military convicts. Hence a path leads in ½ hr. to the small Fort du Gouraya, within which is the shrine of Lalla Gouraya. We then ascend to the right, round the fort, to the cairn on the W. peak, where we are rewarded with a charming view of the bay, the lower Sahel valley, the coast of Great Kabylia as far as Cape Sigli (p. 130), and Jebel Arbalou (p. 262).

Excursion to Toudja (carr. 20–30 fr.), and drive viâ Taourirt-Ighil to Azazga (and Fort-National), see pp. 262, 261.

42. From Bougie through the Chabet el-Akra to Sétif.

72 M. ROAD. Motor-omnibus (p. 262) from Bougie at 6 a.m., in 7½ hrs. (to Kerrata, déjeuner station, in 4¾ hrs.); from Sétif at 7 a.m., in 6½ hrs.; fare 25 fr. 20 or 12 fr. 20 c. (to Kerrata 11 or 4 fr.); luggage at the rate of 10 fr. per 100 kilos (220 lbs.) for every 100 kilomètres (62 M.). Also a diligence to Kerrata, both from Bougie and from Sétif: from Bougie at 3.30 a.m., in 7½ hrs., from Sétif, at 5 a.m., in 6 hrs. (allowing an hour for lunch at Kerrata, 11–12); fare for the whole journey 15 fr. (intérieur 8 fr.). Those who do not care for the unattractive drive from Kerrata to Sétif, where there is direct correspondence in the direction of Constantine and Biskra only, or who are bound for Djidjelli, will return at once from Kerrata to Bougie.—Private carr. from one of the hirers at Bougie (p. 262) to Sétif about 100–140 fr. (or to Kerrata and back 50–60 fr.). Motor-car at Vogelweith’s (p. 262) ½ fr. per kilomètre Carr. from Sétif to Bougie 120, half-open (calaffe) 100 fr.; it is possible to drive all the way in one day, but in the reverse direction (Bougie to Sétif) it is best to spend a night at Oued-Marsa or Kerrata.

The road skirts the gulf of Bougie (p. 130) all the way to the deep depression of the Agrioun Valley. Between Bougie and Kerrata it passes through the finest scenery of =Little Kabylia= or Petite Kabylie, a wooded hill-region, thinly peopled by Berber tribes. The Chaîne des Babors, the higher mountains, unlike those of the Jurjura (p. 258), rise but little over the intermediate hills. The Chabet el-Akra is the grandest mountain-defile in Algeria.

Bougie, see p. 262. The ROAD leads through the suburb at the station and then to the S.W. across the plain of the Oued Srir (p. 252).

Passing through the featureless plain on the right bank of the Oued Sahel (p. 251), we obtain retrospects, growing finer as we advance, of Bougie and Cape Bouak and then of Cape Noir and Cape Carbon also. We soon reach the vine-clad coast-plain on the verge of the wooded hills of Little Kabylia, where the cork-oak abounds, and for a time turn away from the sea.

Halfway between Bougie and Cape Aokas the coast-plain narrows. High above the rocky shore the road mounts a spur of the Beni Mimoun Djoua Mts., and then the (10½ M.) Pointe Tichi, an offshoot of the Beni Amrous hills, beyond which it descends, in view of the picturesque Cape Aokas and the coast as far as Cape Cavallo (p. 267), into the vine-clad valley of the Oued Djemâa. At the (12½ M.) bridge over the stony bed of the stream, we observe up the valley the Beni Slimane Mts. (4160 ft.) and those of Beni Bou Aïssi, with the lofty Jebel Imoulentaour (5715 ft.).

Beyond the Djemâa valley begins one of the finest parts of the coast. The hills again come down close to the shore. The road passes the handsome Villa Poizat, with its great wine-cellars, and crosses the wild Oued Zitoun. On the slope above the torrent is a pretty farm-dwelling, nestling among eucalypti, bananas, and bamboos. We next round the Cône d’Aokas (1519 ft.), precipitous all round, and come to a bend in the road at (15 M.) Cape Aokas, where we have a beautiful *View of the whole bay.

Just before the village of Oued-Marsa, 6 min. beyond the cape, is the prettily situated little Hôt. du Cap Aokas (R. 2½–3, B. 1, déj. or D. 3½ fr., quite good). The road now enters the broad coast-plain between the Oued Marsa and the Oued Agrioun, lately brought under cultivation, overlooked by the Beni Hassain Mts. (4567 ft.), and still showing a few vestiges of the primæval Forêt d’Acherit, a swampy region notorious for malaria.

We cross the Oued Sidi Réhane and pass the village of that name, with its kubba shaded by venerable trees. A double tunnel under the bed of the torrential Oued Sidi Resgoun next brings us to the broad mouth of the Oued Agrioun.

22 M. Souk et-Tenine (Hôt. des Voyageurs, déj. 1½ fr., poor), the Monday market of the Beni Hassain, lies on a low hill at the entrance to the Agrioun valley. The road ascends on the left bank of the valley, flanked with cork-trees and beautiful underwood.

The road to Djidjelli diverges at the 36th kilomètre-stone (22½ M.) to the left from the Sétif road.

The beautiful DJIDJELLI ROAD (from Bougie 60 M.; motor-omnibus daily, fare 14 fr. 30 or 10 fr. 30 c.; diligence daily at 5 a.m., in the reverse direction at 4 a.m., in 12 hrs., fare 10 or 7 fr.; provisions should be taken for the journey) continues to skirt the bay of Bougie, passing at places through fine old forest of cork-trees, pines, etc., thickly overgrown with creepers. It crosses the Oued Agrioun beyond the 36th kilomètre-stone and the Oued Boulzazène, and then returns, to the N.E., to the coast.

Near the 42nd kilomètre-stone (26 M.) begin the *Grandes Falaises, a series of bold cliffs, extending along the coast for 1¼ M., through which the road is tunnelled at places. Fine view of the bay behind us, as far as Jebel Gouraya. We next skirt two secluded bays, separated by Jebel Afoerer (473 ft.), pass the Pointe Ziama (450 ft.), and cross the Oued Ziama.

32 M. Ziama consists of a group of settlers’ dwellings near the site of Choba, a Roman seaport, where there are still considerable remains of the Roman town-walls, of baths dating from 196 A. D., and of the Byzantine ramparts.

Beyond the cliffs of Pointe Mansouria (hotel), off which rises the rocky islet of that name, we come to (37½ M.) the mouth of the Oued Guelil or Dar el-Oued, near the stalactite Grottes de Mansouria or de Dar el-Oued, discovered in 1901. The chief grotto, 165 yds. long and 16 ft. high, is lighted with acetylene (adm. 1 fr.).

Passing several caverns on the coast, we next skirt the small Anse de Taza, at the mouth of the Oued Taza, which, farther up, has carved out a grand defile through the S. margin of Jebel Taounnart (2546 ft.). Partly through cuttings and tunnels, the road now leads to (47½ M.) the village of Cavallo, near Cape Cavallo (p. 130), the E. limit of the bay of Bougie. Near it are large granite-quarries.

Off the rocky coast lie on the left the islets of Grand and Petit Cavallo (p. 131). 50½ M. Montaigne or Agadie is the only European settlement on this part of the coast. A little beyond the Oued Kissir a road diverges to the left to the lighthouse on the Râs Afla (p. 131). Our road skirts the wooded flanks of Jebel Mes Ritan or Mezritane (1294 ft.), and at the Anse el-Kalâa sweeps round to the S., inland. Lastly, passing the small Anse des Beni-Caïd (see below), it reaches the Porte de Bougie, the W. gate of—

60 M. =Djidjelli= (Café de France, R. 2 fr., déj. or D. 2 fr., quite good; pop. 6400, incl. 5000 Mohammedans), a poor seaport, consisting mainly of two streets planted with fine plane-trees. This was the ancient Igilgili, once an important mart of the Carthaginians, which in the middle ages long retained its trade as the seat of a Genoese factory, but after its occupation by Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221) became a mere den of pirates. The small Harbour, open towards the E., and inadequately sheltered on the N. and N.E. sides, admits lighters and fishing-boats only. On the adjacent Crique de l’Ouest rise the Citadel and the Poudrière, an old fort. At the Vigie, the clock-tower on the neighbouring aloe-clad hill, we enjoy a charming view of the hill-region around, noted in spring for its gorgeous wealth of flowers, backed by Jebel Sedderts (3153 ft.) to the E. and by the inland hills of Little Kabylia. To the W. of the town, particularly on the headland between the Anse des Beni-Caïd and the Anse el-Kalâa (see above), are many Punic Rock Tombs, now empty.

A highroad leads from Djidjelli to (42½ M.) El-Milia, (84½ M.) Collo (p. 131), and (95½ M.) Robertville (p. 303; motor-omnibus in 10 hrs., fare 25 fr. 30 or 20 fr. 30 c.); another viâ (66 M.) Mila (Hôt. du Commerce, R. 2 fr., déj. or D. 2 fr., tolerable), the Roman Mileum (with an interesting, well-preserved Byzantine town-wall), to (102½ M.) Constantine (p. 297).—Railway viâ El-Milia and Mila to Constantine projected.

The SÉTIF ROAD ascends gradually to the S., on the left bank of the wooded Agrioun valley, at the E. base of the hills of the Beni Hassain (p. 266). On the opposite bank, on the slope of the finely shaped Jebel Beni Bou Youssef (3061 ft.), runs the new mineral railway of Tadergount (see below). 25 M. Aux Deux-Fontaines (about 410 ft.; inn).

The road ascends more steeply, high above the river-bed. At a bend just before the 43rd kilomètre-stone we have a splendid survey of the central Agrioun valley, enclosed in a semicircle by the lofty and barren crests of the Chaîne des Babors. The road then descends to the S.W. into the valley again. To the left we look into the lateral valley of the Oued Tiraz, with the iron-glance mines of Tadergount, on the slope of Jebel Beni Felkaï (4452 ft.). Wild oleanders abound in the bed of the Agrioun. On the wayside are several Kabylian huts with orange and fig-gardens.

Beyond the 49th kilomètre-stone we see, high above us, on the right, Beni-Ismaïl or Smaïl, a mission-house of the White Fathers (p. 247) called after the tribe of that name, placed near a waterfall between Jebel Imoulentaour (p. 266) and Jebel Takoucht (6221 ft.).

Beyond the 50th kilomètre-stone (31 M.) two massive pillars of rock mark the lower end (about 590 ft.) of the **=Chabet el-Akra=, the grand ‘ravine of death’ (4½ M. long), between the bold and partly bush-clad Jurassic rocks of Jebel Takoucht, on the W., and Jebel Adrar Amellal (5817 ft.) and Kef Randek, on the E. An inscription on the rock to the right records the construction of the extremely costly road (1863–70). Monkeys (p. 171) are sometimes seen on the hill-sides.

Near the 54th kilomètre-stone (33½ M.) the road crosses the stream, which dashes over huge rocks far below the bridge, whence we have a fine view down the valley. About ½ M. farther the valley again contracts to a narrow defile. An inscription on a slab of rock in the bed of the stream recalls the first march of French troops through the gorge (1864). In the foreground rises a great rocky cone called the *Pain de Sucre (Arabic Drâ-Kalawi), apparently closing the valley. Passing some strange rock-dislocations, with vertical strata, we reach (35½ M.) the upper end of the gorge.

37½ M. =Kerrata= (1575 ft.; Hôt. du Chabet, R., déj., D., each 2½–4 fr., very fair; Hôt. de Kerrata, humble; Tues. market), a village of the Beni Meraï tribe, lies in a bleak hill-plain, adjoining the stony S. slope of the Chaîne des Babors.

FROM KERRATA VIÂ AÏN-ABESSA TO SÉTIF, 34 M., pleasanter, by carr. or cycle, than the main road viâ El-Ouricia, particularly in the reverse direction. This road leaves the highroad near (3¾ M.) the mouth of the Oued Atteba, one of the sources of the Agrioun, ascends its valley, and crosses a pass to (17½ M.) Aïn-Talaouart. Here to the right diverges the so-called Route des Caravansérails to the little town of Aïn-Roua (3806 ft.), at the foot of Jebel Anini (5243 ft.), noted for its mineral wealth, and to the sulphur-baths of Hammam-Guergour or Sidi el-Djoudi, in the Massif de Guergour, which were already known to the Romans. From Aïn-Talaouart our road turns to the S.E. and ascends past the (20½ M.) village of Aïn-Abessa (3616 ft.; Hôt. Copel) to the saddle (4019 ft.) between Jebel Megriss (5700 ft.) and Jebel Matrona (4679 ft.). Descending to the Oued Bou Sellam (p. 251) the road here rejoins, a little before (30 M.) Fermatou (see below), the main road to (34 M.) Sétif.

The highroad ascends out of the Agrioun valley, soon offering a glimpse of Jebel Babor (6575 ft.) on the left, and mounts in windings, to the S.E., through a once wooded hill-region to the (48 M.) Tizi N’Béchar (2910 ft.), 1¼ M. below the large Berber village of Takitount (3448 ft.), and 2 M. to the W. of Aïn el-Hamda, a village noted for its mineral water, known as ‘eau de Takitount’. We descend from the pass to (52½ M.) Amoucha (Hôt. des Voyageurs, déj. 3½ fr.), in the upper valley of the Agrioun.

A road leads to the S.E. from Amoucha to (7½ M.) =Périgotville=, the chief village in the Canton de Takitount, on the Oued Aïn-Kebira. It lies on the site of the small Roman town of Satafis. The school-yard contains a few antiquities. Diligence viâ El-Ouricia (see below) to Sétif (p. 271).

As the road ascends we have another view of Jebel Babor. It winds up to the S. to the (59½ M.) Teniet et-Tine (3806 ft.), a pass on the N. margin of the plateau of Sétif (p. 271) commanding fine views, and then descends to (64½ M.) El-Ouricia (3543 ft.), a village near the head of the Oued Bou Sellam valley (p. 251), with a few vineyards. 68 M. Fermatou, at the mouth of the brook of that name.

72 M. Sétif, see p. 271.

43. From Algiers to Constantine viâ Beni-Mansour, Sétif, and El-Guerrah.

288½ M. RAILWAY (comp. p. 173). Two express trains daily in 12¼–12¾ hrs. (fares 51 fr. 95, 37 fr. 10, 27 fr. 85 c.), one in the morning (with dining-car), the other in the evening (sleeping-berth 15 fr. extra). El-Guerrah is the junction for Biskra (R. 44); Le Khroub for Bona (R. 48) and Souk-Ahras (and Tunis; RR. 49, 51). Railway Restaurants at Bouïra, Beni-Mansour, Sétif, El-Guerrah, and Le Khroub.

From Algiers to (107 M.) Beni-Mansour, see R. 37. The train now leaves the Sahel valley (p. 251), enters, to the S., the valley of the Oued Mahrir, and passes through a series of gorges flanked with blackish limestone rocks, between the hills of the Beni Abbès on the left and the Beni Mansour on the right, here almost uninhabited. To the left we have a final glimpse of the Jurjura range (p. 258) behind us.

115 M. Les Portes-de-Fer, the first station in the province of Constantine, with a Sunday market, lies at the entrance of the two passes over the Chaîne des Biban (pl. of bâb, gate) or Chabet es-Sétif. These are the *Grande-Porte (Arabic Bâb el-Kebîr), through which flows the Oued Chebba, the main branch of the Oued Mahrir, and the Petite-Porte (Bâb es-Serîr), the ravine of its tributary the Oued Bou-Ketoun. The train runs through the former of these passes, a grand defile, where the rocks are curiously stratified.

125 M. Mzita (1811 ft.) lies in a bleak plain on the S. margin of the Chaîne des Biban. The train now ascends rapidly to the S.E., between Jebel Mzita (4813 ft.) on the left and Jebel Kteuf (6109 ft.) on the right, to (130 M.) Mansoura (2297 ft.), a village of immigrant peasants, with a sulphur-spring.

Leaving the Chebba valley, we next pass, to the E., through a tunnel of 2405 yds. (5 min.) into the Medjana, a lofty and unattractive plain on the N. borders of the Monts du Hodna (see below).

149 M. =Bordj-Bou-Arréridj= (3002 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs, unpretentious; pop. 3500, incl. many Alsatian settlers; Wed. market), a small town adjoined by a large Berber village.

This is the best starting-point for the highly attractive TOUR TO BOU-SAÂDA, which vies in interest with the excursions to Figuig (p. 204), Ghardaïa (p. 216), and Biskra (p. 279). The road (78 M.; diligence at 4.30 a.m., in 17 hrs.; fare 10 fr. 10 or 6 fr. 60 c.; returning from Bou-Sâada at 5 p.m.) turns to the S. into the valley of the Oued Ksob, flanked on the W. and E. by Jebel Gourin (3400 ft.) and Jebel Mâadid (6112 ft.). The stream, having forced a passage through the Monts du Hodna, the N. borders of the lofty steppe, where phosphates abound, is afterwards called Oued M’Sila and falls into the Chott el-Hodna (see below). In the E. side-valley of the Oued Oucedjiit, 2 M. off the road, and 8 M. from Bordj-Bou-Arréridj, lies Lecourbe or Ouled-Agla, with scanty vestiges of the Roman Equizetum (?). On the S. edge of Jebel Mâadid, about 9½ M. to the E. of the road, or reached from Bordj-Bou-Arréridj by diligence viâ (19 M.) Bordj-R’dir (very poor inn), lie the extensive ruins (palaces, minaret, etc.) of the Berber town of Kalâa des Beni-Hammad, the residence of the Hammadites in 1001–90 (p. 263).

At (36 M.) the little town of M’Sila (1539 ft.; Hôt. Duhoux, Hôt. Reyre, both poor) we reach the Plaine du Hodna, a vast steppe, very hot in summer, notable for its abundance of game and the thousands of camels which browse on the extensive pastures. We cross several river-beds, where curious rose-shaped crystals, ‘roses of the desert’, are often found, and descend gradually past several artesian wells to the S.E. to the Chott el-Hodna (1312 ft.), a vast salt-lake, 44 M. long and 12½ M. broad at its widest part, whose swampy shores are enlivened by countless water-fowl. Between this lake and Bou-Saâda we pass several shifting sand-hills.

78 M. =Bou-Saâda= (1903 ft.; cafés-hotels: Bailly, R. 2½–3, B. ¾–1, déj. or D. 2½–3, pens. from 5 fr., all according to bargain; Aragonés; pop. 7000, mostly Arabs, Mozabites, as to whom see p. 216, and Jews), the chief scene of the ‘lettres familières’ of Col. Pein (p. 175) and for ages a favourite resort of French painters of Oriental subjects, is most charmingly grouped round the Kasba hill (a fine point of view). The dates of its little *Palm Oasis rival those of the Sahara. Busy Monday and Tuesday markets.

An important caravan-route (69½ M.; diligence every other day in 15 hrs.; 12 or 10 fr.; provisions necessary) connects Bou-Saâda with Djelfa (p. 215). To the E. of the road, 9½ M. to the S. of Bou-Saâda, on the Oued Bou-Saâda, lies the zaouïa of El-Hamel, a famous seminary for priests, where good quarters are obtainable.

From Bou-Saâda to Aumale, see pp. 251, 250.

The train now turns to the S.E., in view of the Hodna Mts. (p. 270) to the right, crosses several affluents of the Oued Ksob (p. 270), and passes unimportant stations.

164 M. Aïn-Tassera (3395 ft.). Thence to the N.E. to (168 M.) Tixter-Tocqueville, the station for Tocqueville (Arabic Râs el-Oued), 8½ M. to the S., the ancient Roman Thamalla, with remains of a Byzantine fortress, and beds of phosphate near it.

On the left, farther on, we have a view of the Massif de Guergour (p. 269), usually snow-clad in winter. We then enter the valley of the Oued Bou Sellam (p. 251). 176½ M. Hammam; 184½ M. Mesloug, in the Plateau de Sétif, one of the granaries of Algeria, but often bitterly cold in winter.

191½ M. =Sétif.=—Rail. Restaurant.—HOTELS (comp. p. 174), all in the Rue de Constantine: Hôt, de France, R. 3½–4, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4, omn. 1 fr., well spoken of; Hôt. de Paris, R. from 2, déj. or D. 2 fr., plain but quite good; Hôt. d’Orient, similar charges.—Brasserie Gambrinus, in the Hôt. de France.—MOTOR OMNIBUS viâ Kerrata to Bougie (comp. p. 265).—DILIGENCES to Bougie, to Hammam-Guergour (p. 269) viâ Aïn-Roua, and to Périgotville (p. 269).

Sétif (3596 ft.; pop. 21,790, incl. 7800 Mohammedans and 1800 Jews), on one of the highest sites in Algeria, stands on a slight eminence to the N.W. of the station. It was the Sitifis of the Romans, which became the capital of the new province of Mauretania Sitifensis in 297 (comp. p. 244), but after the irruption of the Arabs it lost all importance. Horse-breeding is one of the chief resources of the natives, and the horse-races are famous.

From the suburb near the station we enter the town through the Porte de Constantine. Near the Porte d’Alger, in the Place Nationale, adorned with a fountain, rise the Hôtel de Ville and the new Mosque. In the Jardin d’Orléans, outside the Porte d’Alger, are a few Roman antiquities (altars, tombstones, etc.). The old Byzantine fortress with its eleven towers, to the N. of the town, has been converted into the Quartier Militaire. Outside the Porte de Biskra, where the Marché Arabe is held daily, lies a large Berber Village with thatched houses.

On the old Roman road to Saldæ (Bougie), which runs past the E. side of the Jardin d’Orléans (see above), about 1 M. to the N.W. of the town, rises the Mausolée de Sétif (popularly called Tombeau de Scipion), a rectangular edifice, 10 by 8 yds., on a basement with two steps, one of the best-preserved Roman tombs in Algeria.

From Sétif through the Chabet el-Akra to Bougie, see R. 42.

The region between Sétif and El-Guerrah is one of the dreariest in Algeria. 200 M. Chasseloup-Laubat (3445 ft.).

210½ M. St. Arnaud (3117 ft.; Hôt, de la Gare, poor), a small town of 2100 inhab., on the N. border of the barren Plaine des Eulmas, with its small salt-lakes, continued to the N.E. by the Plateau des Sbakh (p. 274).

The EXCURSION TO DJEMILA, 19 M. to the N. of St. Arnaud, toilsome but very repaying, is best made in one day, as there are no good night-quarters on the route. We start very early, by mule, carrying a supply of food. We follow the highroad to Sillègue (diligence in the aft.) as far as the (12 M.) crossing of the bridle-path from Sétif, and ride thence to the N.E. in about 2 hrs. to =Djemila=, a poor Berber village on a narrow and lofty plateau amid barren mountains. This was once the Roman Cuicul, whose ruins, partially excavated of late, are the finest memorials in Algeria of the late-Roman epoch. The W. entrance to the forum was the Arch of Caracalla, a single gateway 40 ft. high, of the year 216, recently marred by a buttress for its support. On the S.E. side of the forum is a Temple, of which part of the peribolos (55 by 37 yds.) and the walls of the cella alone survive. To the N.W. of the forum are remains of a Fountain. In the S.W. part of the ancient town are the ruins of Thermae. The *Theatre, which originally had 24 tiers of seats, is remarkable for its well-preserved stage, 37 by 8 yds., and still 19 ft. in height, the front-wall being similar to that of Timgad (p. 293) or of Khamissa, etc.

220 M. Navarin (3170 ft.; Arabic Bîr el-Arkh); 228 M. St. Donat (2812 ft.), on the Rhumel (p. 297).

239 M. Mechta-Châteaudun, station for Châteaudun-du-Rhumel (2625 ft.), a small town 5½ M. to the N., on the Sétif and Constantine road, with a great Thursday cattle-market. Near it are extensive pastures, enlivened in summer by thousands of Sahara nomads with their herds of camels.

250½ M. Oued-Séguin-Télergma (2480 ft.), in the Plaine de Télergma, where the neighbouring garrisons have their summer training. It is the station for (5½ M.) the little town of Oued-Séguin (2474 ft.), on the river of that name, a tributary of the Rhumel, and for Oued-Athménia, with the splendid thermæ of the Roman villa of Pompeianus, and Aïn-Smara, with its marble quarries, two villages on the Sétif and Constantine road.

265½ M. =El-Guerrah= (2412 ft.; Rail. Restaurant; Hôt. de la Gare, R. 3, D. 3½ fr., quite good), junction of the line from Constantine to Batna and Biskra (R. 44), lies on the Garah or Guerrah, one of the sources of the Oued Bou Merzoug (see below). The station occupies an isolated site on a steppe enclosed by barren mountains. Extensive view to the S.W. towards Batna.

The Constantine train descends to the N.E. into the Oued Bou Merzoug valley.

271½ M. Ouled-Rahmoun (2264 ft.; Rail. Restaurant, plain), around which are many megalithic tombs.

FROM OULED-RAHMOUN TO AÏN-BEÏDA AND KHENCHELA, 91½ M., narrow-gauge line in 5¾–6¼ hrs.; fares 15 fr. 80, 11 fr. 75, 8 fr. 85 c. (change at Aïn-Beïda). The line traverses a hilly steppe, ascending to the S.E. along the Oued Bou Merzoug, the main stream of which is called Oued Kleb farther up. 7½ M. Sigus (2523 ft.), on the site of the Roman town of that name, with scanty relics of a forum-basilica with three halls. Near it are a Roman and a contemporaneous Berber burial-ground, the latter containing many dolmens (p. 324) and also remains of old quarries. Beyond (20½ M.) Aïn-Fakroun (3032 ft.) we ascend rapidly to the Col d’Ourkis (about 3480 ft.), which crosses one of the offshoots of the Plateau des Sbakh (p. 274). 41 M. Canrobert (3041 ft.; Arabic Um el-Buaghi), at the S. base of Jebel Sidi R’gheïss (5341 ft.; with argentiferous lead-mines). The line runs to the E., across an upland plain where ruins abound.

58 M. =Aïn-Beïda= (3307 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient, Hôt. de Paris, both rustic; pop. 2400), in the territory of the Haractas, a large Berber tribe differing but slightly from Arabs, is the starting-point of a road (diligence in 11 hrs.; railway under construction) viâ (20 M.) Meskiana to (52½ M.) Tebessa (p. 315). The Jardin Public contains several Roman inscriptions.

From Aïn-Beïda the line turns to the S.W. towards the spurs of the Aurès Mts. (p. 278). Stations unimportant. 72½ M. Tarf, near the salt-works of the great salt-lake Garaet et-Tarf (2723 ft.). Far to the left rises Jebel Tafrent, rich in phosphates. 83 M. Baghaï (2914 ft.), on the Oued Baghaï, formerly Bagai, was one of the chief towns of the Donatists in the 4th cent. (Thamugadi being the other, p. 289), where in 394 a council of 310 Donatist bishops was held, but after the 12th cent. it fell to decay. The only memorial of its ancient importance is the ruinous Ksar Baghaï, a Byzantine fortress (built in the time of Justinian, after 539), 360 by 335 yds., with 25 towers. On the N.W. side is a castle dominated by a keep 84 ft. high.—The line then winds up to—

91½ M. =Khenchela= (3730 ft.; Hôt. de France, Hôt. du Square, both poor), a little town of 2900 inhab., once the Roman Mascula, the key of the E. Aurès passes, and still the starting-point of important caravan-routes to the Sahara. It carries on a thriving art-industry (manufacture of trinkets, etc.) and holds a busy Tuesday market. The Roman ruins were swept away when the present town was founded about 1860; but there is a small collection of antiquities (conservator M. Catalogne).

Road to Timgad, Lambèse, and Batna, see p. 286. From that road another diverges to the left to (4½ M.) Aïn-el-Hammam (about 3940 ft.), prettily situated in the wooded valley of the brook of that name, with a hot chalybeate spring (158° Fahr.). This was the Aquae Flavianae of the Romans, whose *Thermae, probably erected under Vespasian, and restored under Septimius Severus in 208, the best-preserved in Barbary, are now again in use. We note specially the round hall, once domed, with its circular piscina 26 ft. in diameter, and the large open piscina, 45 by 33 ft., with two vaulted lateral passages, flanked with side-rooms and basins.—A bridle-path leads to the S.W. from Aïn-el-Hammam to (12½ M.) the forester’s house of Aïn-Mimoun (4413 ft.), amidst fine cedar-woods (p. 210), whence we may descend to the N.E. to Foum-Tizourit on the Batna road.

278½ M. =Le Khroub= (2051 ft.; Rail. Restaurant; Hôt. Victoria, near the station; Hôt. d’Orient; pop. 9700, all Mohammedans but 500), the next station on the Constantine railway, has an important cattle-market. On a stony hill to the E. of the town (2527 ft.), about 1 hr. from the railway, rises the Mausolée du Khroub, called by the natives Sauma (tower), the tomb of a Berber prince of pre-Roman times, built of huge blocks of stone in the Græco-Punic style. The square pedestal, resting on a basement in three steps, and part of the groundfloor adorned with round shields still exist. The upper story, which consisted of a hall resting on eight Doric columns with a grooved cornice, and the conical (?) summit were probably destroyed by an earthquake.

From (Constantine) Le Khroub to Bona, see R. 48; to Souk-Ahras (Tebessa, Tunis), see R. 49.

Near (281½ M.) Oued-Hamimin we sight the suburbs of Constantine to the left. To the left rises also Jebel Chettaba (p. 297). 286 M. Hippodrome, station for the Constantine race-course.

287 M. Sidi-Mabrouk, a villa-suburb of Constantine. To the left, on the Batna road, are five arches of the *Roman Aqueduct, once extending from Ras el-Aïn Bou Merzoug (near Ouled-Rahmoun, p. 272) to the Coudiat-Aty (p. 297), a distance of 23 M.

At the foot of the Plateau de Mansoura (2303 ft.) the train enters the Rhumel Valley. On the left are the blue-washed houses of the native quarter of (288½ M.) Constantine (p. 297).

44. From Constantine to Biskra viâ El-Guerrah and Batna.

149 M. RAILWAY. Through-train, including a 1st class saloon carriage (10 fr. extra) with ‘wagon-restaurant’ in winter, in 7 hrs.; ordinary train in 8¾ hrs. (fares 26 fr. 85, 19 fr. 20, 14 fr. 40 c.). Views to the right as far as Fontaine des Gazelles. Railway Restaurants at El-Guerrah, Batna, and El-Kantara.

Among the intermediate stations Batna is important only as the starting-point for Lambèse and Timgad (R. 45). El-Kantara deserves a stay of some days for the sake of its own scenery and as a base for excursions to Tilatou, the Maâfa valley, etc.

From Constantine to (23 M.) El-Guerrah, see above and pp. 273, 272. Passing (31 M.) Aïn-M’Lila (2527 ft.), we reach the Plateau des Sbakh, the great steppe of E. Algeria, with its numerous salt-lakes, ‘dreary in the extreme, yet grand in its motionless repose, with tufts of grey-green alfa growing here and there on the salt soil, backed by the bold precipices and pinnacles of bare rocky mountains’. Appropriate accessories are, however, furnished now and then by the huts or tents of nomadic tribes with their herds.

On the right rises the bare Jebel Nif-Ensser. Farther on we obtain, especially by morning light, a fine view of the salt-lake of Tinsilt, backed by the spurs of the Sahara Atlas (p. 170).

42½ M. Les Lacs (2592 ft.), on the neck of land between Lake Tinsilt and (on the left) Chott Mzouri. We now traverse a long embankment crossing Lake Tinsilt, which is often enlivened by flamingoes and wild-duck. 53 M. Aïn-Yagout (2891 ft.).

58 M. Fontaine-Chaude (about 2790 ft.), with a few tents of nomads, near the small Oued Mader.

Just before the station we observe on the left the =Medracen= (Arabic Madghasen), a pre-Roman royal tomb (of Masinissa?), the finest of the kind in Algeria after the Tombeau de la Chrétienne (p. 238). The huge monument (reached by a field-road from the station in 1¼ hr.) stands in an ancient Berber burial-ground on the flat saddle between two low, bare ranges of hills, about halfway between Fontaine-Chaude and the (6 M.) Sebkha Djendeli, the ancient Lacus Regius. The Medracen, one of the few existing tumulus-tombs in the Græco-Punic style, consists of a massive cylindrical basement, 64 yds. in diameter and only 14½ ft. high, on which rises a conical pyramid in twenty-four steps, crowned with a platform of 12½ yds. in diameter (the total height being 60 ft.). The sixty unfluted Doric half-columns recall the oldest Greek temples of Sicily, while the concave moulding above the architrave is Egyptian in character. The rude engravings on the basement, as well as the Libyan and late-Punic inscriptions, are ancient. Of the vestibule, 26 by 16 yds., but few vestiges are left. The straight passage leading to the two small tomb-chambers in the centre of the building collapsed in 1865. The two other shafts were bored by treasure-hunting natives.

In the lofty valley of the Oued Mader we now reach the N. fringe of the Sahara Atlas, between the spurs of the Bellezma Mts. on the W. and Jebel Bou Arif (5728 ft.), a range parallel on the N. with the Aurès Mts. (p. 278).

62½ M. El-Mader-Pasteur (2851 ft.) is the station for El-Mader, the Roman Casae, a village with a little Byzantine fortress, situated 5 M. to the S.E., at the foot of Jebel Bou Arif. A road leads from this station also to (8 M.) Pasteur and (19 M.) Zana.

The village of Pasteur (two inns), on the Oued Seriana, was the ancient Lamiggiga. In the market are Roman and early-Christian relics.

=Zana= (no inn), the Roman Diana Veteranorum, a considerable colony of veterans, has several interesting ancient buildings. A triumphal arch of 165 A. D. is well preserved with the exception of the attica. An arch of Macrinus (217 A. D.) formed afterwards part of a small Byzantine fortress. The portal of a temple is still standing. The ruined Byzantine church in the forum was built chiefly of materials from Roman ruins.

The train mounts a steep gradient to (66½ M.) Fesdis (3032 ft.), in a defile scantily overgrown with bushes, between Jebel Azeb (4485 ft.; on the left) and the Bellezma Mts.

73 M. =Batna.=—Rail. Restaurant, déj. 3, D. 3½ fr., good.—HOTELS (sometimes crowded in the season): Hôt. des Etrangers, Rue de Sétif. R. 3–4, B. 1½, déj. 3–3½, D. 3½–4, omn. ¾–1 fr.; Hôt. de Paris, Rue de Constantine, next the town-hall, R. 2½, B. 1¼, déj. 2½, D. 3, omn. ½ fr., plain but good; St. Georges, Rue de Sétif, unpretending (attentive host).

Batna (3412 ft.; pop. 7500, incl. 2400 Mohammedans and 700 Jews), founded in 1844 as a military base for the advance upon Biskra, and now the chief military station in S. Constantine and the key to the important Sahara pass of El-Kantara, is a peaceful country-town with regularly-built streets, and offers no attraction save perhaps the ‘Village-Nègre’ (comp. p. 181), to the S.E. of the Quartier Militaire. It lies near the sources of the Oued Mader in a broad valley, often very cold in winter, between the wooded Bellezma Mts. on the W., Jebel Azeb (see above) on the N.E., and the spurs of the Aurès Mts. (p. 278) on the S.

Tho finest point of view is =Jebel Touggour= or Pic des Cèdres (6870 ft.), to the W. of tho town, a grand pyramid belonging to the Bellezma group. A rough road (mule 4–5 fr.), leading close past the station, ascends the valley to the W. and then the Ravin des Gardes, between Jebel Touggour and Jebel Bou Merzoug (5840 ft.), to (7½ M.) the Maison Forestière Oued Hamla. Thence a bridle-path on the richly wooded S. slope of Jebel Touggour; lastly a climb, towards the N.E., through ancient but neglected cedar-forest (p. 210), to the (4 hrs.) summit. The immense panorama embraces tho Bellezma group and the distant Hodna Mts. (p. 270) to the W., the Plateau des Sbakh and the Tell Atlas near Constantine to the N.E., the long range of the Aurès Mts. to the S.E. and S., and part of the Sahara to the S.W.

From Batna to Lambèse and Timgad, see R. 45.

Beyond Batna the train crosses the watershed (3543 ft.) between the Plateau des Sbakh and the Sahara. Far away to the S.W. are seen Jebel Metlili and the depression of the pass of El-Kantara (see below). 80 M. Lambiridi (3527 ft.), near the scanty ruins of the Roman town of that name.

We descend the broad valley of the Oued el-Ksour or Oued Aïn Touta, one of the sources of the Oued Biskra (p. 279), to (94 M.) Mac-Mahon (3002 ft.; Arabic Aïn-Tuta), a poplar-shaded oasis and alfa station (p. 171), originally founded by Alsatians. The next part of the line, through a steppe furrowed by the brook and the winter rains, is curious and interesting.

99 M. Les Tamarins (about 2460 ft.) is not far from the famous gorge of the stream, here called Oued Tilatou (comp. p. 277).

The train next threads tunnels and cuttings through the saddle between the Tilatou valley and that of the Oued Fedhala or Guebli, the second feeder of the Oued Biskra, whence we descend in a wide bend to the E. to (103 M.) Maâfa (about 2130 ft.), at the influx of the brook Maâfa into the Fedhala (excursion to the Maâfa valley, see pp. 277, 278).

In the foreground we again sight the bold rocky slopes of El-Kantara. We recross the Oued Guebli, which, below the mouth of the Tilatou (see above), is named Oued el-Kantara, skirt the S.E. base of the Metlili (p. 277), and cross the stream to—

114 M. =El-Kantara.=—Rail. Restaurant.—HOTEL (comp. p. 174). *Hôt. Bertrand, with view, R. 3–3½, B. 1, déj. 3–3½, pens. 10, omn. ½ fr.—POST OFFICE, opposite the hotel.—CARRIAGE 2½ fr. per hour.—MULE with English saddle, per day 5 fr., with Arabian saddle 3½ fr. (in the villages of the oasis 2½ fr., when not ordered through a guide).

El-Kántara (1772 ft.; ‘the bridge’, so named from its Roman bridge), the Roman Calceus Herculis, one of the most important caravan-stations in E. Algeria prior to the opening of the railway, owes its fame to the grand gorge of the Oued el-Kantara, called by the natives Fumm es-Sahara (‘mouth of the desert’). The river here suddenly emerges from a wild Alpine region, flanked by the red limestone rocks of Jebel Gaous and Jebel Essor, into a highly picturesque palm-oasis, below which it skirts the spurs of the Aurès Mts. (p. 278) and careers rapidly down to the Sahara.

From the station the road on the left bank, overlooking the river-bed, with its profusion of wild oleanders, and the charming orchards on the floor of the valley, descends in 10 min. to the Hôtel Bertrand, situated at the finest and wildest point of the ravine, in a basin almost entirely shut in by grey rocky slopes. A few hundred paces farther, just before the mouth of the *Gorge (here barely 45 yds. wide), is the Roman Bridge, which was too thoroughly restored in 1862 under Napoleon III., carrying the old road, now partly destroyed by a landslip, from the right bank of the river to the left. From the bridge we enjoy a peculiar and striking view across the palm-oasis to the red weather-worn rocks of the Montagne d’Albâtre (p. 278). A similar view is offered by the Iron Bridge, 8 min. lower down, whence we may look back also into the ravine with Jebel Metlili rising behind it.

The neighbouring *OASIS (pop. 3500), with its three mud-built villages, inhabited exclusively by natives of Berber descent, is, next to Bou Saâda (p. 270), the northmost palm-oasis in Barbary. From the iron bridge the road leads past a kubba and cactus-gardens to (12 min.) Dahraouïa, the only village at the foot of the red rocks of the right bank of the stream, named also Village Rouge from the red mud-walls of the houses at its W. end, below the old burial-ground. The flat roof of the lower mosque, situated on the steep bank of the stream, affords a splendid view of the village and of the oasis as far as the Village Noir (see below).

We now descend through luxuriant gardens to the right bank of the El-Kantara, above which the village extends picturesquely, cross the stream 10 min. lower down (by mule, or wading, or carried by a native), and then, from the generally dry bed of the Rivière Blanche (p. 278), mount to the right to Bourabès or Village Noir. From the N. end of this village we ascend the valley in 8 min. to Gueraguère or Khrekar, known also as the Village Blanc, the largest village in the oasis. We may walk through it and regain the hotel in 20–25 minutes.

If the El-Kantara is swollen we must return from Dahraouïa to the iron bridge and visit Gueraguère and Bourabès from the left bank. By carriage (7½ M., in 1½ hr.) we drive viâ Dahraouïa to the S. end of the oasis, and return on the left bank viâ Bourabès and Gueraguère. In the villages themselves we alight that we may better appreciate the novelty of the scene.

The *=Jebel Metlili= (4900 ft.), a range of hills to the N.W. of El-Kantara, scantily overgrown with scrub and alfa-grass (p. 171), commands a splendid view of the steppe of El-Outaya (p. 278) and the Sahara, as well as of the fringes of the Sahara Atlas as far as Jebel Ahmar-Khaddou (p. 284). The clearness of the air and the wonderful effects of light and shade enhance the fascination of the scene. The mule-track (2½–3 hrs.) leads to the W. through the valley of the generally dry Oued Chebba and then winds up through a gorge and over the hill-side to the summit. On the way are sometimes seen gazelles and aoudads or maned sheep (Ovis tragelaphus, Arabic arwi; occasionally even at El-Kantara).

The excursion to the *=Gorges de Tilatou= takes a whole day, or about 5–6 hrs. only if we go by train to Les Tamarins (p. 276), sending mules thither beforehand (provisions should be taken). Travellers from Biskra should go by the morning train to El-Kantara and proceed thence on mule-back to Les Tamarins, where they arrive in time for the afternoon train to Constantine.—The very picturesque entrance to the Tilatou valley is about 3 M. to the N.W. of El-Kantara. The grandest part of the gorge is at the Berber village (dasbera) of Tilatou, with its curious, still partly inhabited rock-dwellings. The village lies about halfway between the mouth of the river and the station of Les Tamarins.

A visit to the Maâfa Valley takes a whole day from El-Kantara, or from the Maâfa station (p. 276), with the ride back to El-Kantara, 6–7 hrs. at least. The mule-track leads past the S. base of Jebel Groun (3905 ft.) and the small mosque of Sidi Yahia to the rock-villages of Fetatcha and Ameradsa, inhabited by the Chaouïa (see below), at the entrance to the wildest parts of the ravine. Good riders may return to El-Kantara viâ Beni-Ferah (see below).

The =Aurès Mts.=, the Mons Aurasius of antiquity (Arabic Auras), inhabited almost exclusively by the Chaouïa (‘shepherds’), a Berber tribe, not subdued by the French until 1845, rise to the E. of El-Kantara, culminating in Jebel Chelia (7634 ft.) and Kef Mahmel (7615 ft.), the two highest peaks in Algeria. This grand mountain-region, with the wild and interesting valleys of the Oued Abdi and the Oued el-Abiod, is as yet almost inaccessible to tourists, no quarters being obtainable except by the courtesy of the French officials or of the natives. A tour here, especially in winter, necessitates almost as tedious and costly preparations as travelling in Morocco (comp. p. 97). Better communication will, however, be provided by the new, still unfinished road from Markouna (p. 289) to Biskra (p. 279), by way of Medina (4780 ft.) and Aris (3842 ft.), opening up the head of the Oued el-Abiod valley, thence following the line of the ancient Roman road through the grand Ravine of Tighanimine, and descending from the zone of the cedar-forests to M’chounech and Droh, the palm-oases on the Ahmar-Khaddou (p. 284).

A glance at the wild scenery of the Aurès Mts. is obtained by riding past the Jebel Haouidja (see below) to (10 M.) Aïn-Zatout or Beni-Ferah (about 2950 ft.), a picturesque hill-village of the Beni Ferah tribe. Strength permitting, we may ride thence to the S. to (17½ M.) *Djemmorah (quarters at the sheikh’s) and (29 M.) Branis (988 ft.), two palm-oases in the lower Oued Abdi valley, belonging to the Ouled Ziane, the only Arab tribe in the Aurès, and to (42½ M.) Biskra (p. 279).

After leaving El-Kantara the RAILWAY passes through three short tunnels into the Gorge of El-Kantara (p. 276). Near the Roman bridge we obtain a striking glimpse of the Palm Oasis, which, farther on, beyond the bed of the Rivière Blanche, we survey in its full extent. Looking back, on the right, we have a fine view of the red rocks in the gorge.

Running to the S.W., generally close to the Oued el-Kantara, the train skirts the slopes of the Montagne d’Albâtre or Kef ed-Darsa, a spur of Jebel Haouidja or Jebel Kteuf, which are geologically interesting and have a splendid red glow in the sunshine.

125 M. Fontaine des Gazelles (1280 ft.) lies in a stony waste between Jebel Selloum (2569 ft.), the S.W. buttress of Jebel Haouidja, and the singular Jebel Kroubset. The small sulphur-baths of Hammam Sidi el-Hadj, ½ hr. to the S.E. of the station, used by the natives only, occupy the site of the Roman Aquae Herculis; an elliptical Roman piscina, 107 yds. in circumference, still serves as a bath. The spring (97° Fahr.) rises at the N. base of Jebel el-Melah or Gharribou (2057 ft.), noted for its rock-salt.

Nearing (131 M.) El-Outaya (905 ft.), we survey on the right the extensive steppe of El-Outaya (‘the plain’), a kind of forecourt of the Sahara, bounded on the S. by the Chaîne de Sfa (p. 282) and Jebel Matraf. The soil is white with saltpetre in places. To the left, beyond the station is a small palm-grove.

A little before (138 M.) Ferme Dufourg, the station for a modelfarm 2½ M. to the W., on the right bank of the stream, we sight on the left the hills of Ahmar-Khaddou (p. 284), sometimes snow-clad in winter, the landmark of Biskra.

We cross the Plaine de Dar-Raous or Dar el-Aroussa, often enlivened by gazelles; it lies between the Aurès streams Oued Bou Gatou and Oued Abdi (p. 278), which here fall into the El-Kantara, now called Oued Biskra.

Beyond the ‘Col des Chiens‘, a barren gorge at the foot of Jebel el-Mlaga (p. 282), we observe on the left the Barrage of the Oued Biskra, constructed in 1897 and guarded by a block-house. On the right lies the Catholic cemetery and in the distance are the palm-oases of—

149 M. =Biskra.= The STATION (Pl. A, 1) is at the N.W. end of the town, 8–12 min. from most of the hotels. Sleeping-car office at Bouillard & Simon’s, Rue Berthe.

=Hotels= (comp. p. 174; often crowded in Feb. and March). *ROYAL HOTEL (Pl. a; C, 3), Avenue Delacroix, at the S. end of the town, with garden-court, terrace, belvedere (p. 281), and restaurant, R. 4–20, B. 1½–2, déj. 3½–4, D. 5–7, pens. 13–25, omn. 1 fr., closed May-Oct.; *PALACE HOTEL (Pl. b; B, C, 4), next the Casino (see below), well situated, with pretty garden, R. 6–20, pens. 16–25 fr., closed 16th April to 30th Nov.; GRAND-HÔTEL EXCELSIOR (Pl. g; B, C, 4), with garden, R. 3–10, B. 1½, déj. 3–4, D. 4–5, pens. 12½–25 fr., closed 16th May–31st Oct., well spoken of.—*HÔT. VICTORIA (Pl. c; A, 2), Boul. Gambetta, with small garden, R. 3–6, B. 1½, déj. 3, D. 4, pens. 11–15, omn. ¾ fr., closed 16th May to 14th Oct.; *HÔT. DU SAHARA (Pl. e; B, 2), Rue Berthe, with restaurant and garden-court, R. 3–7, B. 1¼, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 9–10, omn. ¾ fr.; HÔT. DE L’OASIS (Pl. d; C, 2), Rue du Card. Lavigerie, with restaurant, R. 3–5, B. 1, déj. or D. 3, pens. 9–12, omn. 1 fr., patronized by the French, open the whole year, good; HÔT. DES ZIBANS (Pl. f; C, 2), Rue du Card. Lavigerie, R. 2½–5, B. 1, D. 2½, pens. 8½–10 fr., plain.

=Cafés.= At the Casino (see below); Glacier, Rue du Card. Lavigerie.

=Carriages= (stand in Square Dufourg; Pl. C, 3). From station to town with luggage 1½, per hour 2½, to Chetma or the Dunes of Oumache 10, to Sidi-Okba or Droh 20, to Oumache or Bordj Saâda 25 fr.—The tariff is high, but a bargain may often be made for much less, if without the intervention of hotel-porters or guides.

=Horse= or =Mule=, 3–6 fr., according to distance.—CAMEL, with attatouch (p. 174) for ladies, 4 fr. per day; attendant ½–1 fr.

=Tramway= from the Casino (see below) every ½–1 hr. on the Route de Touggourt (Pl. C, 4, 5) to Old Biskra (in 12 min.; 10 c.; terminus near the Kasba Hill); also four times daily viâ Beni-Mora to Hammam es-Salahin (in 50 min.; 50 c.)—DILIGENCE to Sidi-Okba (at 8.30 a.m.; returning at 3 p.m.); also to Touggourt (comp. p. 284).

=Physicians.= Dr. Couillaud, Rue Malakoff 15 (2–4 o’cl.); Dr. Dicquemare, at the Gr.-Hôt. Excelsior.—CHEMIST. G. Isaac, Rue Berthe.—MOORISH BATH (Pl. C, 4), Route de Touggourt.—PHOTOGRAPHS at Fréchon’s, Bougault’s, and Maure’s, all in Rue Berthe.

=Post & Telegraph Office= (Pl. B, 2), Rue Saad 3.

=English Church Service= (Jan.-April) at the former Cercle Civil (Pl. 1; B, C, 2), Rue Graillet.

=Amusements.= Casino Dar-Diaf (Pl. B, C, 4; p. 281), Route de Touggourt, with theatre and concert-room; varieties, dances of the Ouled Naïl, etc.—Ouled Naïl dancing-girls (originally of the nomadic tribe mentioned at p. 215), and other native artists perform at the small native cafés in the Rue Arcelin and Rue Lapeyrouse (Pl. B, C, 3); visitors pay 1 fr. (incl. cup of Arabian tea or coffee).

=Festivals.= The Courses de Biskra, held for three days between 1st and 20th Feb., comprise camel-races (courses sahariennes de mehara), horse-races in the hippodrome of Beni-Mora (p. 283), ‘Fantasia Arabe’ (equestrian performances, p. 99), and processions of the natives.—The ‘grande prière’ on the Kasba Hill at the end of the fasting-month of Ramadan attracts many spectators.—To join the Falcon Hunts of an agha (see below) special permission is required.

=Guides= (p. xxvi; 4–5 fr. a day; 2 fr. for an evening only), like hawkers and beggars, are a local pest, but their services are entirely superfluous, even for drives or rides in the environs, where the drivers or attendants give information.

=Climate.= The season is Nov.–April. Lying at the S. base of the Sahara Atlas and on the margin of the desert, Biskra has all the characteristics of the Sahara climate (pp. 170, 171). The great fluctuations of temperature (mean winter maximum 65° Fahr., mean minimum 45°) are comparatively little felt, even by invalids, owing to the remarkable dryness of the air. The rainfall is very slight and sunless days are quite the exception. The dust, however, is sometimes troublesome, even in winter, and sand-storms, especially during the sirocco (S.E. wind), may occur at any season. When a cold N. or N.W. wind blows from the Sahara Atlas, the palm-oasis alone affords some shelter. As yet no special arrangements for invalids exist at Biskra.

=Sights=, when time is limited. On arrival, view from the belvedere of the Royal Hotel (p. 281). 1st Day. Visit to Market (p. 281) early, then Villa de Bénévent and *Old Biskra (p. 281); in the afternoon, ride or drive to the Col de Sfa (p. 282). 2nd Day. Excursion to Sidi-Okba (p. 283).

The little town of Biskra (400 ft.; pop. 7400, of whom 6300 are Mohammedans, incl. Old Biskra) lies at the S. base of the low Chaîne de Sfa (p. 282), on the right bank of the Oued Biskra, generally a very poor stream below the Barrage (p. 279). Owing to its convenient situation at the end of the E. Algerian Sahara railway, and to its fine climate, it has grown into great favour of late as a winter resort and the ‘Nice’ of Algeria. The present town, with streets regularly built as in all the modern Algerian towns, has sprung up only since the French occupation of 1844. The mediæval Biskra, named after the small Roman settlement of Bescĕra, lay in the midst of the palm-oasis (p. 281), on the top and on the slopes of a low hill, where, after the destruction of the town by Sala Reïs (1553), a Turkish fort (kasba) was built. The natives then settled anew in the still existing seven villages of the oasis.

Biskra is the capital and administrative centre of the Zab (‘oasis’, pl. ziban), the extensive girdle of oases on the S. fringes of the Monts du Zab (p. 170) and the Aurès Mts. In accordance with their sites these oases are named Zab Dahraoui (N. Zab), on the margin of the Monts du Zab, Zab Guebli (S. Zab), on the Oued Djedi (p. 284), and Zab Chergui (E. Zab), between the Aurès Mts. and the Chott Melrir (p. 284). The natives of the Zab, who are under an ‘agha’ or chief, are mostly Berbers with a large infusion of Arabian and in some cases Turkish blood. Many of them, under the name of Biskris, are met with in the coast-towns as small traders.

The only business street is the RUE BERTHE (Pl. B, C, 1–3), in the S. part of which there are a few small European shops. It intersects the whole town and connects the railway-station with the strangers’ quarter on the S. side.

Between the Rue Berthe and Fort St. Germain (Pl. B, C, 1, 2), the nucleus of the town, built in 1849–51, runs the Grande Allée past the Jardin Public, which, on its N.E. side, is adjoined by the Jardins de la Garnison.

The Rue Berthe leads to the AVENUE DELACROIX (Pl. C, 3), the favourite haunt of guides and hawkers, where, at its junction with the Square Dufourg, rises a bronze statue of Card. Lavigerie (Pl. 2, C, 3; p. 346), the benefactor of Biskra.

The belvedere of the Royal Hotel (p. 279), 92 ft. high, resembling a minaret (visitors kindly admitted), commands an excellent *Panorama of the town and its environs, finest in the early morning, or towards sunset, when the Ahmar-Khaddou (‘rosy cheek’; p. 284) is bathed in a ruddy glow.

The Casino Dar-Diaf (Pl. B, C, 4; ‘house of the guests’), built by A. Ballu (p. 289) in the neo-Moorish style in 1892–3, is the fashionable evening resort.

The Mairie (Pl. B, 2), the small Mosque (Pl. B, 3), and other public buildings are situated between the Rue Berthe and the quiet Boul. Carnot (Pl. A, B, 2, 3), which joins the Avenue Delacroix at the Casino.

The MARCHÉ (Pl. B, 3) presents a busy and picturesque scene, especially in the early morning, which will interest new-comers. The motley throng of traders, many of them Mozabites (p. 216), offer the art-industrial products of the Berber tribes of the Aurès and the Sahara, besides Moroccan wares and ‘Oriental’ articles made in Europe, at unduly high prices. The fruit and vegetable market affords evidence of the fertility of the oases. The Marché aux Bestiaux is held in the Boul. Carnot on Mondays.

Camel caravans from the Sahara may be seen at the Fondouks (Pl. A, 3), the inns of the natives on the Route des Zibans.

The quite modern Village-Nègre (Pl. C, 4; comp. p. 181) is very dirty and uninteresting.

A few hundred yards to the S. of the town, between the Route de Touggourt and the Route de Sidi-Okba, is the VILLA DE BÉNÉVENT or Jardin Landon (Pl. C, 5; adm. 2 fr.), a creation of Count Landon (p. 305), the beautiful *Grounds of which are stocked with a marvellous profusion of tropical and subtropical plants, and afford a delightful shady retreat in hot weather.

The great attraction in the nearer environs is *=Old Biskra= (Vieux-Biskra; see inset Map, at p. 279), with its clay-built oasis-villages (ksar, pl. ksûr) inhabited by Biskris (p. 280), and its oasis 3 M. long by 110–550 yds. wide, with some 150,000 date-palms and 6000 fruit-trees (apricots, figs, oranges), besides corn-fields and small kitchen-gardens. The palms, being well watered from the Barrage (p. 279), are well grown and beautifully green; the dates, however, have less flavour than those of the Oued Rhir (p. 285), the Djerid (p. 386), and particularly those of the Souf (p. 285). The traveller may induce a native (20–30 c.) to show him one of the palm-gardens, or he may be satisfied with a glimpse at them over the low mud-walls or through gaps.

From the Villa de Bénévent (p. 281) walkers follow the right bank of the Oued Biskra, in the bed of which stands the kubba of Sidi Zerzour, to the (20 min.) village of M’Cid, the eastmost in the oasis, with its tall cypress, 130 ft. high, and its pertinacious beggars. The lofty minaret of the small mosque of Sidi Moussa or Sidi Malek (muezzin, 30–50 c.) affords a fine survey of the oasis, backed on the N.E. by the distant and usually snow-clad Jebel Chelia (p. 278), and extending to the S.E. to Sidi-Okba (p. 283).

About ¼ hr. to the S.W. of M’Cid is the picturesque village of Bab el-Dharb, infested by begging children, where, at the great lotus-tree near the two conduits, we enjoy a charming view of the palm-gardens. Close by is the mosque of Sidi Abd el-Moumen, whose minaret is another famous point of view (ascent toilsome).

Between Bab el-Dharb and the tramway-terminus (p. 279; Café Petit Robinson) rises the Kasba Hill, crowned with the old mud-built Turkish fort, now partly washed away by rain, where the first French garrison was massacred by the natives in 1844. View limited.

The village of Bab-Fath, to the S.W. of the Kasba Hill, has a picturesque shrine, the marabout of Sidi Lahsen.

We return to Biskra by tramway on the Route de Touggourt, passing the poor Mohammedan Cemetery on the left and the Hôpital Lavigerie on the right; or we may choose the road (½ hr.) through the village of Ras el-Guéria, noted for the gaily coloured costumes of its inhabitants.

For CARRIAGES (tariff, see p. 279) the route prescribed for avoiding the narrow roads is viâ M’Cid to Bab el-Dharb, and back by the Route de Touggourt or viâ Ras el-Guéria. With this excursion may be combined a drive to the small oasis of Cora, with most characteristic Sahara surroundings, and to (6¼ M. from Biskra) the Dunes d’Oumache, or even to the (10 M.) Oase Oumache, where the ksar, defended by ancient moats, contains many remains of Roman buildings. Fine view at the marabout. The excursion to Oumache takes at least half a day. Provisions should be taken.

The (5 M.) *=Col de Sfa=, which has long been famed for its view, is a depression in the Chaîne de Sfa, between Jebel Bou Rezel (1322 ft.) and Jebel el-Mlaga (1302 ft.), on the shadeless road to El-Kantara and Batna. We drive (by the hour, see p. 279), or (preferable) ride to the pass; in the latter case we may extend our trip from the pass to the (¼ hr.) ruinous Poste Optique, whence we survey the steppe of El-Outaya (p. 278) to the N., and to the S. the endless undulating expanse of the yellow Sahara, spotted like a panther’s hide, as Strabo has described it, with its green oases (Chetma, Biskra, Sidi-Okba, etc.). Finest light towards sunset.

The (5 M.) =Hammam es-Salahin= (443 ft.; ‘bath of the saints’) or Fontaine-Chaude, the Roman Ad Piscinam, is most conveniently reached by tramway (p. 279). The car runs through the whole of the Boul. Carnot (p. 281), turns to the W. past a hill crowned with a disused Optic Telegraph (Pl. A, 3), and then passes the small oasis of Beni-Mora and crosses the streamlet Oued Zemour.

The Bath House (pens. with baths 10 fr.) attracts many visitors from Biskra, especially in summer. It lies in a most dreary region between Jebel Bou Rezel (p. 282) and the sandy Jebel Maouya Gorah. The quadrangle, where the surprisingly copious salt and sulphur spring (115° Fahr.) bursts forth, is enclosed by cells for Europeans (1½ fr.) and men’s and women’s baths for the natives. The roof-terrace affords a good view of the environs. About 1 M. to the N. is a small mountain-lake of volcanic origin.

Jebel Maouya Gorah, the E. spur of Jebel Matraf, is a good standpoint for surveying the girdle of oases formed by the Zab Dahraoui and Zab Guebli (p. 280), stretching to the distant Oued Djedi (p. 284). The S. base of this range, where the building and paving stones of Biskra are now quarried, is skirted by the Route des Zibans, much used by caravans.

The EXCURSION TO SIDI-OKBA (13 M.; diligence, see p. 279; carr. tariff, see p. 279, but 12–15 fr. is usually accepted) is the favourite among the longer trips from Biskra. The Route de Sidi-Okba (Pl. C, 4, 5) fords the Biskra (sometimes dangerous after winter rains) and skirts the small oases of Lalia and Filliache. Between these is the Nécropole, once a Berber burial-ground.

For the long drive through the dreary steppe at the S. foot of the Aurès Mts., enlivened only by the begging children of the nomads, we are repaid by the verdant Palm Oasis of Sidi-Okba, the most fertile of the Zab Chergui group (p. 280), watered by a network of conduits from the Oued el-Abiod (p. 278).

The small town of =Sidi-Okba= (144 ft.; restaurant, at the entrance to the town; pop. 4900), the religious centre of the Zab, owes its origin and its fame as a resort of pilgrims to the tomb of Sidi Okba (p. 322), who ended his victorious career in the adjacent oasis of Thouda. The now poor town, with its mud-built fortifications and houses, and its beggars, lepers, and importunate guides, vividly recalls a mediæval Sahara town.

On alighting we walk straight on, then bear to the left, and soon reach a small square with the Maison du Kaïd and other picturesque houses. Turning here to the left we come to a second place, where on the left, preceded by a colonnade, rises the plain Mosque of Sidi-Okba, the oldest in Algeria, containing the tomb of the saint, which is shown on Fridays only. The main entrance to the court of the mosque consists of a carved *Door in the so-called Berber style (10th cent.). The minaret should be ascended for the sake of the excellent survey it affords of the town and the oasis (custodian 50 c.). Adjoining the mosque is the Zaouïa, with a Mohammedan law-school.

Passing through the gateway we now follow the first street on the right to the Market, with its quaint and busy crowd.

The steppe adjoining Aïn-Naga, 14½ M. to the E. of Sidi-Okba, on the caravan route to Négrine, which in late-Roman times was an important military road, is a favourite resort in winter of gazelle-stalkers from Biskra. Mirages (Fata Morgana) are often witnessed here.

The *EXCURSION TO M’CHOUNECH, which is much grander than the last-named, is very fatiguing, but will be greatly facilitated by the opening of the new road through the Aurès Mts. (p. 278). We ride to the E., across the Biskra ford, to (5 M.) Chetma, a small palm-oasis on the outskirts of the Aurès, where the road at present ends. After a short rest in the village (ksar), with its mud-built houses, or beside the adjoining springs, we proceed viâ (10½ M.) Droh to (14 M.) El-Habel (778 ft.), where we reach the deep-set valley of the Oued el-Abiod (p. 278). We then ascend on the right bank of the stream to (19 M.) =M’chounech= (1083 ft.; quarters at the sheikh’s), a beautiful palm-oasis with 1300 inhab., at the foot of the Ahmar-Khaddou (6315 ft.).

The hill on which the ksar stands affords a very curious and striking view of the neighbouring *Ravines (accessible in dry weather only) and the upper course of the stream with its oases, as far as Baniane; but we may obtain a still grander view by riding to the (24 M.) Poste Optique (3691 ft.), on the S. margin of the Ahmar-Khaddou, whence the most impressive desert panorama stretches as far as the Chott Melrir (see below). The summit of the mountain may be gained in 4–5 hrs. more, but few travellers will care to face the toilsome ascent.

From Biskra to Branis, Djemmorah, Beni-Ferah, and El-Kantara, see p. 278; to the Gorges de Tilatou, see p. 277.

Hardy and well-equipped (pp. 173, 174) travellers will be repaid by the interesting SAHARA ROUTE TO TOUGGOURT (127 M.; ‘courrier postal’, open omnibus with awning, on Mon., Wed., and Frid. at 3 a.m., in 28 hrs., excl. 10 hrs.’ halt for the night at M’raïer; fare 40 fr.; carr. from the hirers Viallard or Tourenq, 300–400 fr.; a driver that speaks French should be asked for). A railway from Biskra to Touggourt is now under construction.—The Route de Touggourt leads to the S.E. from Old Biskra (p. 281) through the steppe to (19 M.) Bordj Saâda (85 ft.), in the plain of the Oued Djedi (comp. p. 215), and thence to the S. to (32½ M.) Bordj Chegga, to the W. of the Chott Melrir (95 ft. below the sea-level), the largest salt-lake in Algeria. 45½ M. Bir Sethil, on the Oued Itel, across the bed of which, generally dry, the road is carried by an embankment over 100 yds. long, built of blocks of gypsum. 50 M. Kef ed-Door (374 ft.), a plateau affording fine views, with a Poste Optique communicating with Ahmar-Khaddou (see above), and said to be the southmost point reached by Sidi Okba (p. 322) in the course of his campaigns. 63½ M. Ourir, a small oasis near the Chott Merouan, the S. arm of Chott Melrir, contains the kubba of Sidi Makfi, a favourite resort of pilgrims.

69 M. =M’raïer= or Merayer (13 ft. below sea-level; Caravansérail, R. 2–3, B. ½, D. 3½ fr.; pop. 1700), a thriving but fever-haunted village, with a luxuriant palm-oasis watered by artesian wells.

We next come to the region of the =Oued Rhir=, also malarious, with the largest girdle of oases in Algeria. These oases, artificially irrigated under the French régime by the sinking of numerous very costly artesian wells, have gained immensely in fertility, and their palms (about 950,000) supply the European markets with dates of the clear or pale variety (deglet en-nûr). Passing the posting-stations of Sidi-Khelil and El-Berd we come to Ourlana (69 ft.; pop. 4000), on the so-called Sea of Ourlana, a chain of lakes where the water of the Oued Rhir comes to the surface. 109½ M. Djemaâ (Caravansérail, R. 3, B. ¾, D. 3 fr., quite good), lies near the oasis of Tiguedidin, with its pretty lake in a palm-grove. Then Tamerna, with 1600 inhab., and Sidi-Rached. The swarthy complexion of the natives, mostly Rouaras, akin to the Harrâtin (p. 94), now indicates that we are nearing the Sudan.

127 M. =Touggourt= or Tougourt (259 ft.; Hôt. de l’Oasis, Grande Place, near the Bureau Arabe, R. 3, D. 3, pens. 12½ fr.; mule and attendant 5 fr. per day; pop. 7100), a rapidly increasing little town, with a great Friday market, is important as the junction of the caravan-routes to the Mzab (p. 216), Ouargla (or Wargla), and the Souf (see below). New Touggourt (T. el-Djedida) lies at the foot of a hill crowned with the ruins of Old Touggourt (T. el-Khedima). The distinguishing features of the town are two tall square towers, a minaret, and the clock-tower of the Kasba. The new gypsum-built houses, some of them in several stories, produce a striking effect. The inhabitants—Rouaras, many Mozabites (p. 216), and Jews and negroes who have embraced Islam—live in separate quarters (zgag) and in large suburbs. Their home-industries, especially weaving and carpet-making, are thriving. It is very interesting to ride through the *Oasis, or to make an excursion to the S. to the little oasis town of (8 M.) Temacin and the (9½ M.) Zaouïa of Tamelhat, one of the most influential monasteries in the Sahara, with a superb *Mosque.

In order to avoid the long route back to Biskra, and at the same time to see more of the Sahara, we may ride from Touggourt viâ El-Oued, to the N.E., in 4–5 days direct to Nefta (p. 387; trotting-camel to El-Oued 10, and for the ‘Saharien’ a fee of 3 fr. per day; comp. also p. 174). The caravan-route, marked only by pyramidal signals, crosses the great dunes of the =Souf=, where ‘desert-roses’ (p. 270) abound, one of the N. offshoots of the Erg Oriental, as the great E. desert of the Sahara is called. The only houses of call are (12½ M.) Bordj Mguitla, (24 M.) Bordj Mouiat Ferdjana, and (44½ M.) Bordj Mouiat el-Kaïd. The first village in the Souf is (53 M.) Ourmes.

61½ M. =El-Oued= (263 ft.; good quarters at the house of the merchant Sagnier, R. 3, déj. or D. 4¼ fr.; pop. 7400), the interesting capital of the Souf, with windowless houses covered with barrel-vaulting and small domes, is best viewed from the minaret or from the dune on the N. side. El-Oued and particularly the neighbouring oasis of Guémar are famed for their weaving; their wares are sent by the caravan-route to the S.E. viâ Bir er-Ressof (Beresof) to Ghadâmes in Tripolitania.

The *Oases of the Souf, containing about 180,000 palm-trees, have quite a different system of cultivation from all others in Barbary. The remarkably thick and long-leaved palms stand in funnel-shaped hollows (entonnoirs, Arabic ritan), and are protected against sand-drift by palisades of palm-twigs. The irrigation is provided by surface-water collected in wells, from which the water is raised by means of long draw-beams. The dates, owing to the peculiar mode of culture and the great heat of the sun, are noted for their sweetness and fine flavour. They are usually exported to Europe by way of S. Tunis.

Beyond (74½ M.) Debila, where the high dunes end, we ride to the Tunisian frontier across the pastures of the nomadic tribes, watered by artesian wells. A delightful scene is presented by the watering of the cattle, driven in from every direction, and indefatigably supplied by the swarthy herdsmen.

Beyond Choucht el-Ihoudi and Bir el-Asli, the first stages in Tunisia, we traverse the dreary steppe to the N.W. end of the Chott Djerid (p. 386), through which we ride for a short way on the Trik Douaria. 137 M. Nefta (p. 387), where we must announce our arrival at the custom-house.—From Nefta viâ Tozeur to Metlaoui (and Gafsa), see pp. 387, 386.

45. From Batna viâ Lambèse to Timgad.

ROAD, to Lambèse 7 M. (diligence four times daily, in 1 hr.), to Timgad 23½ M.—The diligence from Batna to (67 M.) Khenchela (p. 273), starting at 4 a.m., reaches at 8 a.m., beyond the 35th kilomètre-stone (22 M.), the point where the Timgad road diverges. One may therefore alight there and walk in less than ½ hr. to Timgad. Returning from Khenchela the diligence passes this point about noon. During the season motor-omnibuses of the Hôt. des Etrangers run from Batna to Lambèse and Timgad (75 fr. for the whole vehicle; single seat 25 fr.). A motor-omnibus of the Hôt. Meille at Timgad also conveys travellers from the station at Batna to Timgad and back (20 fr. each person; best to order beforehand). Carriages (for one day 20–30, for two days 30–40 fr.) may be had at the hotels or through the Rail. Restaurant. The fares are rather lower when arranged with the drivers direct. Bicycles in the Square at Batna, 5 fr. per day.

If pressed for time we may take the evening train from Constantine to Batna, visit Lambèse and Timgad next day, and go on to Biskra in the afternoon by train. Those who reach Batna from Biskra or El-Kantara about noon may take lunch at the station, go on to Lambèse, staying there for 1½–2 hrs., and thence to Timgad, whence they may return next morning to Batna in time for the afternoon train to Constantine.

Batna, see p. 275. The road leaves the town by the Quartier Militaire and ascends slightly, to the S.E., through the dreary upland plain, where it is sometimes bitterly cold in winter, and along the N. margin of the Aurès Mts. (p. 278). As we near the hill-region of Lambèse we sight the ‘Prætorium’ in the distance.

7 M. =Lambèse= or Lambessa (3875 ft.; quarters at the poor cafés only), a village with a large Pénitencier, or Maison Centrale de Correction, was founded in 1848 as a prison for political offenders and partly built out of the ruins of the Roman Lambaesis.

Lambæsis was the headquarters of the famous Third Legion, the nucleus of the Roman forces in Numidia, transferred hither about 100 A. D. from Tebessa (p. 315) for the defence of the chief Aurès passes, those to the Oued Abdi and the Oued el-Abiod (p. 278). Their oldest camp, recently discovered, lay 1¼ M. to the W. of Lambèse; the newer camp, mentioned as early as 146 A. D., is now partly built over by the penitentiary and its garden. On a hill rising steeply from the plain, 1¼ M. to the S. of the later camp, lay a civilian settlement (canăbae), occupied at first by traders, artisans, and the soldiers’ families, but erected into a municipium under Marcus Aurelius (161–180). This became the seat of the governor of Numidia and for a short time prospered. But the punishment of the Third Legion by Gordian III. (238), who removed it to the Rhine for twenty-five years, the earthquake of 268, the extension of the military frontier under Diocletian (284–305) to the S. border of the Sahara Atlas, and the transference, under Constantine the Great, of the governor’s seat to Cirta (p. 298) were disasters from which Lambæsis never recovered, so that by the 5th cent. it was completely abandoned.

The Roman *CAMP, one of the best-preserved in existence, ‘the classic ruin of military occupation’ as it has been called, forms a rectangle of 547 by 460 yds., with the usual rounded corners, and four gates, between which ran the two main streets, the Cardo and the Decumanus.

We alight at the ancient Porta Sinistra, the W. gate. Between this and the ‘Prætorium’ (see below) recent excavations have unearthed remains of the Decumanus and its three N. side-streets, all once flanked with colonnades, and the foundations of the barracks built of concrete (p. 290). The Porta Praetoria, the N. gate, at the end of the well-paved Cardo, with its two passages and the substructures of its two towers, is particularly well preserved. Near it, adjoining the relics of the camp-wall, are the ruins of several other towers.

At the intersection of the Decumanus and the Cardo, 156 yds. from the N. gate, rises the so-called **Praetorium, probably rebuilt in 268, the monumental entrance-gateway of the residence of the legate (prætorium or principia), the only intact Roman building of the kind and the grandest Roman ruin in Algeria. This great rectangular pile of solid masonry in two stories, 33½ by 25 yds. in area and 49 ft. in height, is adorned outside with Corinthian columns on high pedestals and with Corinthian pilasters. The four great round-arched passages, of which the side and end ones are flanked, respectively, by three and two smaller archways, open into a central space, which, to judge from the four large bases of pillars, was once probably furnished with a roof and lighted by the four round-arched windows in the upper story.

Of the so-called Forum, the chief court of the Prætorium, there still exist remains of the colonnade and a number of side-chambers, once armouries. (In the so-called arsenal at the N.W. angle many cannon-balls and other missiles have been found.) To the S. of the forum is the Posticum, with its offices and Scholae, the club-rooms of the officers and sergeants (now ticketed), and the Chapel for the flags and insignia of the Legion, recognizable by its large niche. The cellars served as the Treasury.

The Thermes du Camp, the ancient baths, to the S.E. of the Prætorium, show remains of the heating apparatus (comp. p. 294).

From the E. gate, once the Porta Dextra, ran the road to Verecunda (p. 289) and Timgad and the Via Septimiana to the town-hill, 1¼ M. distant. In the open ground outside of it rises the ruinous single Arch of Commodus. Near this is the Amphitheatre, whose stones were used in building the penitentiary (p. 286).

We now drive to the S. from the S.E. angle of the camp, where carriages usually wait, to the VILLAGE. At the Mairie, mainly built with the stones of the Septizonium, a nymphæum or fountain, we find the museum attendant (fee ½ fr.), who if desired will show also the town-hill (fee).

The small Musée Municipal, near the church, comprises, under a shed, some mediocre statues from the temple of Æsculapius and splendid *Mosaics found in 1905 (one with an inscription by a Greek artist), missiles, etc. The garden contains architectural fragments, inscriptions, etc.

A road leads from the S. end of the village to the TOWN HILL, where excavators have not as yet discovered even the forum.

Near the (¼ hr.) Aïn-Drinn, which now supplies the village with drinking-water, are the almost unrecognizable remains of the Temple of Neptune. From this point we walk to the N.E. past the ruins of the Aqueduct and the foundations of four Dwelling Houses to (10 min.) the chief temples.

The *Temple of Æsculapius, at the W. end of the temple area, a curiously planned edifice dating from the time of Marcus Aurelius, consists of a cella, well-preserved in its foundations, with a large semicircular niche for the statues of Æsculapius and Salus (or Hygiea), and of a semicircular terrace (concave inwards), where a square basement in front bore a Doric portico, which collapsed in 1852. In front of the flight of six steps lie remains of the architrave, bearing the dedicatory inscription of the temple. Colonnades connected the temple with two semicircular projections, flanking the terrace, on which stood the ædiculæ or chapels of Jupiter Valens and Silvanus. Behind the cella are vestiges of the Thermae connected with the temple.

A straight ancient road leads to the S.E. from the temple of Æsculapius to the capitol, the distinctive feature of every Roman colony. On the left lie the substructures of Chapels dedicated to eight different gods (about 200 A. D.), all rectangular and each with its niche, usually rounded.

The *Capitol, the largest temple of Lambæsis, dedicated to the cult of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, adjoins the W. wall of the ancient temple-court, a quadrangle of 66 by 60 yds., of whose colonnades eight columns only survive. A flight of twenty steps, most of which also have disappeared, ascended to the temple portico, with eight Corinthian columns in front and four at the back. The cella, still fairly preserved, 22½ by 12¼ yds., consists, exceptionally, of only two chambers, separated by a partition, with square niches for the sacred images. On the temple steps lie fragments of the dedicatory inscription of the ‘Respublica Lambæsis’.

The capitol is adjoined on the E. by the court of a third Temple, 82 by 38 yds.

We now follow the road on the hill to the E., leaving on the left the so-called Bains des Chasseurs, and in 3 min. reach the ruins of a Triumphal Arch with three gateways, on the old road to Verecunda (p. 289), and 3 min. farther a smaller Archway, to which point carriages should be ordered. We then drive back to the plain, to the N.W., by the Bertouli road, skirting the town-hill.

About halfway between this road and the highroad we pass the ruins of a building once erroneously called the Palais du Légat, and those of Latrinae. On the ancient Via Septimiana (p. 287), about a hundred yards farther, rises the *Arch of Septimius Severus, with its three passages, bereft of its columns and attica.

The HIGH ROAD ascends past the remains (on the left) of a Roman Burial Ground, with the substructures of an Early Christian Chapel, under the ciborium altar of which are two martyrs’ tombs. After a long bend to the N. it reaches (9 M. from Batna) =Markouna= (about 4260 ft.), a country-house surrounded by fruit-trees, cypresses, and pines, not far from the site of the little Roman town of Verecunda.

Beyond Markouna, just before the new road to Medina (and Biskra; see p. 278) diverges, rises the Arch of Marcus Aurelius (172 A. D.). A little way to the S.W., on the old Roman road coming from the town-hill of Lambæsis, stands another Archway, dedicated to the same emperor in 162.

As the road now descends to the N.E. into the dreary valley of the Oued Mérien, we obtain on the right, beyond the 16th kilomètre-stone (10 M.), a fine view of the crest of the Kef Mahmel (p. 278), which is snow-clad in winter. Beyond the 24th kilomètre-stone (15 M.) we overlook a great part of the Aurès Mts. with Jebel Chelia (p. 278). On the left is Jebel Taguertine (4511 ft.).

After the 27th kilomètre-stone (17 M.) we sight, far to the S.E., at the foot of the spurs of the Aurès, the ruins of Timgad, where the two tall columns of the capitol gradually grow more conspicuous. The road to (23½ M. from Batna) Timgad, which diverges to the right beyond the 35th kilomètre-stone (21½ M.), crosses the Oued Mérien and ends on the N. side of the ruins.

* * * * *

=Timgad.=—HOTEL. Hôtel Meille, 4 min. to the N. of the ruins, opposite the Berber market (Thurs.), with a fine view of the Aurès Mts., R. 3–4, B. 1–1½, déj. 3½, D. 4 fr., plain but well spoken of.

The RUINS may be visited at any time. The chief sights, named in the text in heavy type, may be cursorily seen within 2–3 hrs. For closer study A. Ballu’s Guide Illustré de Timgad (at book-shops 2½, 3½ fr. at the Agence, p. 291, where photographs and picture post-cards also are sold) is valuable. Information as to recent excavations may be obtained from the inspector M. Barry.—Comp, also ‘Carthage, Timgad, Tébessa’, by R. Cagnat (Paris, 1909).

Timgad (3520 ft.), known by the Berber name of Thamugadi in the late-Roman period and one of the most thriving towns in the E. Algerian highlands, dates from 100 A. D., when the legate P. Munatius Gallus, commander of the Third Legion (p. 286), was ordered by Trajan to found the Colonia Marciana Trajana Thamugadi, probably about the same time as Lambæsis, as the key of the Fount Ksantina (p. 296). The town saw its prime in the second half of the 2nd and in the 3rd cent., but in the 4th cent., like Bagai (p. 273), it was a centre of the Donatist movement and suffered severely in the wars of the period. After fruitless attempts by the Vandals to revive it, Thamugadi was destroyed by the hostile Berber tribes of the Aurès Mts. in 535. Having been finally abandoned at the close of the Byzantine domination, the ruins of the town, with the exception of Trajan’s Arch, were gradually buried under the deposits of torrents, and for twelve centuries the place was consigned to complete oblivion.

The excavations begun by the French government in 1880, and recently conducted by the architect A. Ballu, have brought to light the most important parts of the town, including the Forum, two Markets, the Capitol, and no less than eleven Thermæ. While the private houses are mostly unpretending and very inferior to those of Pompeii, the public buildings afford most striking evidence of the ancient prosperity of this remote Roman provincial town.

The oldest town, laid out as a square camp (comp. p. 286) of 384 yds. each way, in conformity with its original destination as a frontier-fortress, has four central gates, between which ran the two main streets, the Cardo Maximus and the Decumanus Maximus, intersecting each other at right angles. The ‘Cardo Maximus Nord’ opens into the Decumanus at the Forum, where it stops owing to the unevenness of the soil. Some 90 yds. farther to the W., however, the ‘Cardo Maximus Sud’ leads out of the Decumanus. The rapid increase of the population, especially on the E. and W. sides, on the busy roads to Tebessa (p. 315) and Lambæsis, led as early as the 2nd cent. to the construction or extensive new streets on a less regular plan. By the 5th cent. the population, which had greatly declined, withdrew from the suburbs into the ancient walled precincts, which by this time had been much built over at places.

The main streets are bordered with Doric colonnades and paved with bluish limestone slabs; the smaller streets have sandstone pavement. The waggon-ruts are deep, especially in the Decumanus Maximus, and are slightly farther apart than at Pompeii (4 ft. 3 in. and 4 ft. 1 in.). The excellent drainage-system is now utilized anew, as may be seen from the gutters at the street-corners.

The usual building material was concrete (opus incertum, small stones mixed with mortar), often faced with brick, or stone-framework (the interstices being filled with brick or rubble-work). The private houses usually occupy an Insula, as the square block enclosed by four streets was called. The shops (tabernae) in the main streets were all entered from the street, except when the trader lived in the same house. As a rule the houses, like modern Moorish houses, have their backs turned to the street, looking into an arcaded court (peristyle) in Oriental fashion, instead of opening into a roofed atrium in the ancient Roman style.

We begin our walk at the N. end of the town. On the right, just outside the old town-wall, lie the—

*=Grands Thermes du Nord= (Pl. D, 1), the largest Roman baths in N. Africa. They form a rectangle of 88½ by 70½ yds., and contain thirty-five different chambers, all symmetrically constructed like others of the later Roman period. Parts of the walls are still 23 ft. in height.

A flight of ten steps on the E. side of the building leads to the Vestibulum, the main entrance to the baths. The adjoining chamber on the left opens on to a suite of three spacious halls. The two outer ones were probably the Palaestra for gymnastics and games. In the corner, obliquely opposite the entrance-wall, is a kind of shaft or passage leading to the Apodyterium (undressing and dressing room). The central hall is the largest Frigidarium, containing three basins (piscinae). The chamber on the S. side, between the two smaller basins, served as a passage to the Tepidarium, for hot-air baths and massage. Adjoining the tepidarium on the S. is the largest Caldarium, with three hot-water basins (alvei). Two side-rooms were the Laconica or sweating-baths. Adjacent to them were two smaller Caldaria, to the N. of which, next to the palæstra, were two other Tepidaria. The two rooms at the S.E. and S.W. corners of the baths, each with an ante-room (apodyterium?) and large semicircular niche, are supposed to have been Frigidaria.—As to Heating Apparatus, comp. p. 294.

A little to the left of the main entrance to these Thermæ is the quaint Mannikin Fountain (Pl. D, 1), restored from ancient fragments.

The insignificant building on the E. side of the road is the =Agence-Musée= (Pl. D, E, 1), containing the offices of the directors of the excavations and a collection of objects found at Timgad. These, however, with the exception of some mosaics, the chief adornment of the African-Roman dwelling, show a provincial and mechanical style of art.

Along the outside walls are ranged the larger sculptures, a great stone vase, fragments of buildings, and Saturn stelæ.

The Entrance Room (I) contains pottery, including numerous lamps.—Room II. Smaller fragments of sculpture, bronze implements, etc.—Rooms III & IV. Desk-cases containing the most valuable finds, notably glass, clay-vases, small implements in bronze and bone. Under the cases are water-pines, etc.—Against the walls are placed mosaics: in R. III, Diana and Actæon, with the name of the artist (Selius), and Neptune in a quadriga; in R. IV, Jupiter and Antiope (inscription, ‘Filadelfis vita’), and Amphitrite on a marine centaur.

We now enter the oldest part of the town by the central Porte du Nord (Pl. D, 1), 13¼ by 5¾ yds., preserved only in its lower parts. Between the pillars of the gateway, once enriched with Corinthian half-columns and pilasters, are the ancient guard-rooms. On the floor are relics of an inscription of 149 A.D., which names Antoninus Pius as the restorer (or finisher) of the gateway.

The first building on the left side of the CARDO MAXIMUS NORD, a street ascending steeply for 185 yds., is that of the Petits Thermes du Nord (Pl. E, 1). On the left, beyond the fourth side-street, is the—

*=Library= (Pl. E, 2), one of the most curious buildings in the town, resembling the library in the forum of Pompeii, which was once supposed to be a shrine of the Lares. The building is preceded by an open colonnade, with two small chambers on each side. Two side-doors lead into the rectangular book-rooms, while the central door, as in all antique libraries, opens into a kind of sanctuary, with a large central niche flanked by four recesses on each side (for the sacred images), and approached by a basement in three steps, with ornamental columns.

The Cardo Maximus Nord leads to the main entrance to the Forum (see below) in the DECUMANUS MAXIMUS, the chief thoroughfare of the town. To the right, at the W. end of the latter, rises Trajan’s Arch (p. 295). We descend to the left. On the left, near the old E. gate of the inner town, are the Grands Thermes de l’Est (Pl. F, 2), whose tepidarium contains remains of mosaic pavement. We turn back here, and in the third S. street off the Decumanus Maximus we come to the Petits Thermes de l’Est (Pl. F, 2), where two of the rooms contain restored marble benches.

Next, on the same side of the Decumanus, comes the *=Marché de l’Est= or East Macellum (Pl. E, F, 2), the smaller town-market, very curiously planned.

A flight of eight steps ascends to a semicircular vestibule occupying the middle of a platform 30 yds. wide and 2¼ yds. deep, on to the right and on to the left sides of which open six small shops, three of them facing the street and three the courtyard. The latter, really a double court, consists of two segments of a circle with a triangular fountain at their intersection. Adjacent, along the back-wall, right and left, are five stalls with the old stone counters. In the centre of each half-court is an open semicircular colonnade with water-runlets.

Almost immediately to the W. of the market-hall, a later addition, is the =Maison aux Jardinières= (Pl. 4; E, 2), a private house with a fine garden-court, once adorned with flower-beds. These were enclosed by high segment-shaped stone balustrades.

Near the Fountain at the next street-corner, at the N.E. angle of the Forum, are the =Latrinæ= (Pl. 3; E, 2), the finest ancient building of the kind, with a washing-basin and excellent cleansing arrangements. The double seats (originally 25) have marble arms adorned with dolphins.

A propylæum, with a vestibule (16 ft. wide) and twelve steps forms the main entrance to the *=Forum= (Pl. E, 2, 3), the focus of municipal life, to which foot-passengers only were admitted. It was completed in the reign of Trajan, and conforms pretty closely in plan to the rules laid down by Vitruvius. It forms a large rectangle, 110 by 65 yds.; the area or central space, 55 by 47 yds., is enclosed by Corinthian colonnades. The vestibule and area were once adorned by a crowd of equestrian statues of emperors and figures of distinguished governors of Numidia and eminent citizens. The so-called Marsyas, the symbol of civic liberty, marked Thamugadi as one of the most favoured colonies, whose inhabitants enjoyed the full rights of Roman citizenship. Besides the pedestals of thirty-two statues, we note also several representations of figures of a game (comp. p. 318) on the stone slabs of the pavement; among the inscriptions annexed is the light-hearted ‘venari lavari ludere ridere occ (hoc) est vivere’ (to hunt, bathe, play, and laugh is to live).

The chambers on the N. side of the Forum were perhaps Club Rooms. The two-storied Shops on the S. side opened, on the upper floor, into the Theatre Street (p. 293).

The only building on the E. side of the Forum is the very dilapidated =Basilica= (Pl. E, 3), once the exchange and court of justice. Unlike most other ancient edifices of the kind, it is a single hall (31 by 16 yds.), with three niches at the N. end and five small chambers on the E. side. The large square niche at the S. end, at the foot of the theatre hill, served as a law-court.

Of the buildings on the W. side of the Forum the two in the middle are the =Curia= (Pl. E, 3), where the town-council (ordo decurionum) met, a rectangle of 17 by 12 yds., with a colonnade in front and platform behind, and a small Temple (Pl. 8; E, 3), preceded by a speaker’s platform (rostra), 6¾ ft. high. The purpose of the other buildings is unknown.

Near the Fountain at the N.W. angle of the Forum we turn to the S., out of the Decumanus into the Voie de la Curie, and thence to the left into the Voie du Théâtre (38 ft. wide), on the S. side of the Forum.

The =Theatre= (Pl. E, 3), dating from 167, lies on the W. slope of an isolated hill. It held about 4000 spectators, but little of it is left, as the materials were used in building the Byzantine fortress (p. 296). The semicircular orchestra, with its three tiers for the places of honour (bisellia), allotted to the decuriones and other persons of distinction, is well preserved. The Cavea, or auditorium, 69½ yds. wide, rising on the hill-side, once had twenty-six tiers of seats, but of these the seven lowest only remain. The stage (pulpitum) has been destroyed with the exception of the front-wall, with its niches and steps, and the hyposcenium, consisting of brick pillars (29½ in. high), which supported the floor of the stage. The large colonnaded hall behind the former back-wall of the stage served as a promenade (‘foyer’).

The hill behind the cavea of the theatre, where the remains of a Temple Court have been unearthed, affords a splendid *Survey of the ruins. The view extends to the W. to the distant hills near Batna; to the S.E., beyond the great débris-strewn slopes of the lower hills, rise the Aurès Mts.

From the centre of the theatre colonnade we may walk to the W. to the Petits Thermes du Centre (Pl. E, 3), with admirably preserved heating apparatus in the caldarium and laconicum (p. 291) on the W. side.

On the W. side of these baths runs the CARDO MAXIMUS SUD, the finely paved main street of the S. quarter of the town, leading past the entirely ruined S. Gate (Pl. E, 4) and the house of the Sertii (on the right; p. 294), and ending at a Fountain in the Voie des Thermes.

The *=Thermes du Sud= (Pl. E, 4), of the 2nd cent., extended in 198 and restored about the end of the 3rd cent., are the finest in the town next to the N. Thermæ.

A peculiarity of this building consists in the three great Exedræ, semicircular projections on the N.E. and S. sides. The semicircle near the S. entrance contained the Latrinæ, now almost entirely destroyed. The great colonnaded hall near the N. entrance served as a promenade. From the Palæstra, 26 by 10 yds., the largest hall in the baths, bathers could enter the Apodyterium as well as the Frigidarium, flanked by its two piscinæ. The small ante-rooms behind the Frigidarium opened into the heated rooms: on the right the Tepidarium, on the left the large Caldarium with its three hot-water basins, and, straight in front, a smaller Caldarium with two basins. The quadrangular space between the caldaria was the Laconicum.

The cellars on the S. side were partly occupied by the Praefurnium (furnace room). Huge stoves (furnaces) heated the water in cylindrical boilers (testudines, no longer existing) and also the air, both for the Hypocaustum, or hollow floor resting on low brick pillars, and for the hollow tiles (tubuli) or nipple tiles (tegulae mammatae) with which the hollow walls of the hot rooms were lined.

To the S.W. of the thermæ is an Artisan Quarter with a pottery and a bronze-foundry.

We may now visit the Byzantine Fortress (p. 296) or else go direct to the =House of the Sertii= (Pl. D, E, 4), one of the richest families in the town (comp. p. 295). This building, a great rectangle of 68 by 35½ yds., comprising no fewer than three insulæ or blocks, was built on the site of the ancient town-wall, and extends as far as the Voie du Capitole.

The colonnade in the Cardo Maximus Sud opens on a square Vestibulum. Adjacent, on the right, were a shop of the owner’s, the lodge of the porter (ostiarius), and the stairs ascending to the bath-rooms (balineum). Next to the vestibule came the Peristyle, a colonnaded court in the Doric style, off which opened the owner’s reception-room (tablinum), the dining-room (triclinium), and several bedrooms (cubicula). On the left there was a staircase to the upper story. A second peristyle, with a fountain-basin and a fish-pond (vivarium) was flanked by the offices. The large room at the back was the banqueting-room (oecus). On the W. side of the building were several shops for letting.

On the W. side of the inner town, outside the town-wall, which has here been built over, runs the broad VOIE DU CAPITOLE, at the upper end of which rises the—

*=Capitol= (Pl. C, D, 4; comp. p. 288), originally one of the grandest temples in the whole country. A flight of four steps ascends to the propylæum, a portico of twelve columns lately re-erected. The vast temple-court is an irregular quadrangle of about 98 by 68–73 yds.; the peribolos or enclosing wall was restored, according to an inscription, under Valentinian I. in 365. Still later the S. colonnade was converted into a closed corridor with shops. In the middle of the court is the basement of the ancient altar.

A lofty flight of steps, originally 38, broken halfway up by a platform, formed the approach to the temple (58 by 25 yds.). The cella, now destroyed, had three niches, a portico of six columns, and lateral colonnades, while the back-wall was closed. Two of the gigantic columns of the portico, 44 ft. high, have been re-erected, while the huge drums and capitals of others lie around, notably on the S. side of the temple.

We now walk down the Voie du Capitole to the =Marché de l’Ouest= (Pl. D, 3), or West Macellum, the largest covered market in the town, probably built by one of the Sertii (p. 294) early in the 3rd century.

The entrance is in the small Place du Marché, on the S. side of the Decumanus Maximus. The entrance colonnade (chalcidicum) leads into the quadrangle, 37 by 27 yds., paved with large slabs of limestone and surrounded by colonnades. In the centre originally stood a square fountain (tholos). At the N. end, near the entrance, were two shops on each side and the stairs to the upper floor. The most curious feature of the building is the raised *Exedra, once roofed, on the S. side of the court, with seven deep recesses, closed, like those of the E. Market (p. 292), by the stone counters of the sellers. Remains of the entablature are exhibited on the outer wall.

The rectangular ‘Marché aux Vêtements’ (Pl. C, D, 3), on the W. side of the Place du Marché, was probably a minor market.

Close by, on the N. side of the Decumanus Maximus, rises the small Temple du Génie de Timgad (Pl. C, D, 3, 4), ‘a miniature capitol’, dedicated in 151 to the genius of the colony. Three flights of steps ascend to the temple-court with relics of the altar. The temple, with its four Corinthian columns in front, is a mere ruin.

We next visit *=Trajan’s Arch= (Pl. D, 3), the best-known triumphal arch in Algeria, an extremely massive structure, 40 ft. high, much restored in 1900. This was once the W. gate of the inner town (comp. p. 296). Instead of the usual corner-columns of the earlier triumphal arches, it has on each side four projecting Corinthian columns, whose entablature is relieved with rounded pediments in front of the attica. The two middle columns on the E. side terminate in eagles holding thunderbolts in their talons, instead of in volutes as in the usual capital. Of its three passages, which could be closed by means of portcullises, the central one was for vehicles, the two side-arches for foot-passengers. The square niches over the side-gateways, each crowned with an ædicula, were originally adorned with statues.

We now return to the inner part of the town. Between the first and the second S. side-street of the Decumanus Maximus is the Maison de la Piscina (Pl. D, 3), a large dwelling-house occupying two insulæ, so named from the granite basin in the peristyle, adorned with nine little columns of red marble. The œcus, or festal hall, at the S. end, has a tasteful mosaic pavement.

Between the second and third S. side-streets of the Decumanus Maximus lies the open quadrangle of a Granary (horreum), containing numerous grindstones (pilons à blé; Pl. 7, D 3). The house beyond the third side-street contains a Cellar (hypogæum) resting on pillars and lighted by small windows.

The fourth N. side-street of the Decumanus Maximus, in a line with the Voie de la Curie, leads to the ruins of a =Monastery= of the Byzantine age, containing a balineum or bathroom. The Basilica (Pl. 2, D, 2) is a complete ruin. To the N.W. of it is the Baptistery (Pl. 1; D, 2), with relics of the font and its colonnade.

The House of Januarius (Pl. 5; D, E 2), to the N.E. of the church, still has its balineum.

* * * * *

Time permitting, we may visit the ruins outside the town.

From the great N. Thermæ (p. 290) we may walk past the Dépôt des Tapis Indigènes, where the carpets made by the Berbers of the Aurès are sold (adm. free), to other remains of Thermes (Pl. C, 1).

To the S. of this point lies the early-Christian =Cathedral= (Pl. C, 2), separated by a low hill from the outer Decumanus Maximus. This was a basilica with nave and two aisles, 42 by 18½ yds., with clustered columns and traces of the choirscreen and altar-basement. The sacristies (prothesis and diaconicon), adjoining the raised apse, seem to have been entered from the aisles only.

We next cross the hill and descend to the S.W. to the outer Decumanus Maximus. Here, on the left, quite near the bed of a recently formed torrent, is the Château d’Eau (Pl. B, 3), the remains of an octagonal nymphæum or fountain.

Crossing the bed of the stream, and passing, on the left, the Thermes du Nord-Ouest (Pl. B, 2), we reach the outer Porte de l’Ouest (Pl. B, 2), a single gateway of the age of Marcus Aurelius, well preserved in its lower parts.

From the Nymphæum we ascend on the right bank of the brook towards the Capitol (p. 294), past an early-Christian Chapel (Pl. C, 4), almost destroyed by the stream. Another early-Christian Basilica lies to the S.W. of the Capitol. In the vicinity a large Monastery, including a church and a baptistery containing a font with fine mosaics, has recently been discovered.

Climbing over the hill to the S. of the Capitol, we have another survey of the extensive ruins, and then walk to the S. to the Byzantine fortress, 5 min. beyond the S. Thermæ (p. 293).

The *=Byzantine Fortress= (beyond Pl. E, 4), erected under Justinian with stones from the theatre, the Capitol, and other Roman buildings for defence against the Aurès Berbers, forms a vast rectangle, 122 by 80 yds., with walls 8 ft. thick, still rising to a height of 23 ft. on the W. side. Four central and four corner towers, and on the S. side a sallying gate, have been preserved.

The so-called Gregory’s Basilica, on a hill 3 min. to the S.W. of the fortress, the latest building in the town, dates only from the time of the governor Gregory (7th cent.; p. 371).

About 2 hrs. to the S.W. of Timgad lie the ruins of the ancient Berber town of =Ichoukkàn=, on a lofty plateau inaccessible on three sides, above the rock-gateway of Foum Ksantina (‘Constantine-Gate’), so called from the resemblance of its situation to that of Constantine. Near it are extensive burial-grounds with thousands of graves.

46. Constantine.

The STATION (Pl. D, 4; Rail. Restaurant) for Algiers (R. 43), Biskra (R. 44), Philippeville (R. 47), Bona (R. 48), and Souk-Ahras (Tebessa, Tunis; RR. 49–51) is in the Faubourg d’el-Kantara, on the right bank of the Rhumel, 15–18 min. from the hotels.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). Grand-Hôtel (Pl. a; B, 4, 5), Rue Nationale 2, corner of Place de Nemours, with good restaurant, R. 3½–5, B. 1–1½, déj. 3½, D 4–5, pens. 10–12½ fr., omn. 1 fr.; Hôt. St. Georges & d’Orient (Pl. b; B, 4), Rue Caraman 9, R. 3, pens. 10, omn. ¾ fr., good cuisine; Hôt. de Paris & Royal (Pl. c; B, 4), Rue Nationale and Place de Nemours, R. 4, B. 1½, D. 4, pens. 9–11, omn. 1½ fr.—Hôt. Terminus, near the station, for a short stay, R. 3, déj. or D. 3 fr., plain but quite good; Hôt. Rouvière (Pl. e; B, 4), unpretending but well spoken of.

CAFÉS. Café Germain, Place de Nemours; Café Glacier, Place du Palais 8; Café Honorat, in the Hôt. de Paris, Place de Nemours (music in the evening).—RESTAURANTS (beer). Taverne Gambrinus, Rue Caraman 6; Brasserie de l’Etoile, Place de Nemours.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 10; B, 5), Place de Nemours.

CABS (stand, Place de Nemours), first ½ hr. 1¼ (after 10 p.m. 1½) fr.; for 1 hr. 2½, each addit. ½ hr. 1 fr.; half-day (6 hrs.) 10, whole day (12 hrs.) 20 fr.—OMNIBUS from the Place de Nemours to the Station 10, trunk 25 c.; also to the Faubourg St. Jean.

BATHS. Bains Lyonnais, Rue Damrémont; Bains Rémès, in the ravine of the Rhumel (p. 302).

BOOKSELLERS. Braham, Rue du Palais 4; Roubille, Rue Damrémont 37.—NEWSPAPER. Dépêche de Constantine.

THEATRE. Théâtre Municipal (Pl. B, 5; Nov.–Feb. only), Place de Nemours.

ONE DAY. Forenoon, Place de Nemours and Squares, Museum, Palais de Hadj Ahmed, Jewish Quarter, *Quartier Perrégaux (pp. 299–301). Afternoon, *Gorges du Rhumel (p. 301). Guide quite unnecessary.

Constantine (1752–2113 ft.; pop. 55,000, incl. 28,300 Mohammedans and 8300 Jews), Arabic Ksantina or Blad el-Hawa (‘cité aérienne’, ‘town of air’), the capital of the province of that name and the seat of a bishop and of a medersa (Mohammedan college), is the third-largest town in Algeria. The old town, typically Berber in its difficulty of access, lies on a chalky limestone plateau, descending to the S.E. and N.E. almost perpendicularly to the Ravine of the Rhumel, and to the N.W. to the bed of a brook, while on the S.W. it is connected by a narrow saddle with the spurs of the long Jebel Chettaba (4313 ft.). The town has three suburbs, the small Faubourg d’el-Kantara near the station, and the faubourgs St. Jean and St. Antoine on the margin of the Coudiat-Aty (Pl. A, 5, 6), a hill recently almost levelled to form a building-site.

Constantine is the centre of the Algerian grain-trade and has an important wool-exchange. Several manufactures too are very active (tanning, shoemaking, saddlery, and weaving). The chief centres of trade and manufacture are still the native quarters, resembling the Kasba of Algiers, the picturesque charm of which has so far been marred by the construction of but few new streets. The gay costumes of the Mohammedans and the mediæval attire of the Jewesses are specially interesting.

Constantine has but a poor climate. Spring is the best season for visiting it. In winter the cold (p. 170) is very severe and the winds are often bitter, while in summer and autumn the hot sirocco is more prevalent than anywhere on the coast. The low ground flanking the Rhumel is malarious from June to October.

Constantine, originally the Phœnician Kartha (‘town’), afterwards called Cirta by the Romans, was the greatest inland centre of culture in the territory of the Numidian kings, and under Syphax became their residence. The first recorded conquest of the town was by Jugurtha (p. 321), in B.C. 112, who wrested it from his cousin Adherbal. Under the Roman empire Cirta, the chief of the four allied Coloniæ Cirtenses (Constantine, Milo, Philippeville, and Collo), belonged to the Diocesis Numidia, the domain of the legate of the Third Legion (p. 286). Having been destroyed by the troops of Emp. Maxentius in 311, the town sprang up anew from its ruins the following year; it then superseded Lambæsis as the capital of Numidia, and was named Constantina, in honour of its patron Constantine the Great. In 435 it was the only town in Barbary that repelled the attacks of the Vandal Genseric (p. 322), but it remained politically unimportant till the Moorish period, when it was occupied by the Hammadites (p. 263), and afterwards belonged in turn to the Almohades (p. 95), the Merinides (p. 95), and the Hafsides (p. 323). In the middle ages it rivalled Bougie as a seat of learning.

In the Turkish period Constantine was the capital of the E. Algerian beylic, and for centuries groaned under the despotism of the beys. In French military annals it was noted for its heroic defence by Ahmed Bey, who after the fall of Algiers had become the independent ruler of E. Algeria. In 1836 the first French attack upon the El-Kantara gate from the hill of Mansoura proved a disastrous failure, over five hundred of the besiegers being hurled into the ravine of the Rhumel. The capture of the town in 1837, effected from the Coudiat-Aty, was purchased with the death of generals Damrémont and Perrégaux.

During the first decades of the French domination all the Roman buildings were destroyed except the aqueduct (p. 302), the Rhumel bridge (p. 301), and the cisterns (p. 300). The buildings of the Turkish period afford an instructive example of the sad decline of late-Moorish art.

The railway-station (Pl. D, 4) is at present connected with the old town by the iron bridge of *=El-Kántara= (Pl. D, 3; 1863), of one arch, 139 yds. long and 407 ft. above the Rhumel. Far below we see the Roman bridge (p. 301), and upstream we have a fine view of the S. part of the gorge. Much higher up is the New Bridge (comp. Pl. C, 6), a marvellous feat of engineering. It spans the Rhumel ravine, at a height of 330 ft. above the river, with a single arch of masonry, 230 ft. in width.

From the former Porte d’el-Kantara runs the new RUE NATIONALE (Pl. C, B, 4), the chief thoroughfare of Constantine, leading through the whole town to (½ M.) the Place de Nemours. Halfway, where the street bends and is crossed by the Rue Perrégaux (p. 301), rises the new Medersa (Pl. 7, C 4; see p. 297) in the Turkish-Moorish style; from its staircase we enjoy an even finer view of the Rhumel ravine than from the crossroads.

Halfway along the upper part of the street, on the left, rises the =Grande Mosquée= (Pl. B, 4, 5; Arabic Jâma el-Kebîr), which received a new façade and minaret when the street was made. The very dissimilar columns which support the timber ceiling in the interior are partly from ancient buildings. Two antique Doric capitals recall the columns of the mausoleum of Le Khroub (p. 273).

The noisy and dusty PLACE DE NEMOURS or Place de la Brèche (Pl. B, 4, 5; 2054 ft. above sea-level), on the site of the Bâb el-Djadia or Porte de la Brèche, is the chief scene of the town’s traffic. A few paces to the S.W., between the old town and the Coudiat-Aty (p. 297), are two public gardens. On the left, next the street leading to the new bridge, is the pretty Square No. 1 (Pl. A, B, 5), with a bronze statue of Valée; and on the right Square No. 2 (Pl. A, 5), with numerous Roman antiquities. The latter affords a splendid view of Jebel Chettaba (p. 297), of the lower valley of the Rhumel visible a long way down, and of the distant heights of El-Kantour (p. 303). The road between the two squares proceeds to the S.W. to the Monument of Gen. Lamoricière (Pl. A, 5) by Belloc (1909), in front of the Halle aux Grains.—From the latter the new Viaduct (comp. Pl. A-C, 5, 6; 490 yds.), now under construction, will eventually lead to the New Bridge (p. 298).

Beneath the Hôtel de Paris et Royal (p. 297), at the E. corner of the Place de Nemours, a flight of 90 steps descends to some interesting Grottoes (adm. 1 fr.), whose sparkling, rose-shaped crystals of gypsum produce a very unique effect.—From the N. angle of the square the Boul. de l’Ouest leads along the town-wall to the HÔTEL DE VILLE (Pl. 6; A, B, 4), of 1903, whose staircase and vestibule are enriched with onyx and six kinds of marble from Aïn-Smara (p. 272). The first floor contains the Town Library and behind it the—

=Musée de Constantine=, comprising antiquities and natural history collections. Adm. (except Sun. and Tues.) 9–11 and 3–5, 50 c. Conservator, M. Ulysse Hinglais. Catalogue (1905) 1 or 5 fr.

On the STAIRCASE are Roman mosaics.

ROOM I. In the central cases are prehistoric finds from the Tell Atlas and the Oued Rhir (p. 285); Byzantine and early-Moorish antiquities from Morsott (p. 314) and Kalâa des Beni-Hammad (p. 270); natural history specimens (incl. vegetable fibres utilized industrially). The wall-presses contain fossils from the hill of Mansoura (p. 302) and Jebel Sidi M’Cid; Phœnician and Roman antiquities from the necropolises of the Coudiat-Aty, of Collo, Bulla Regia, etc. (clay vases, fine Roman bronzes, a glass cinerary urn, trinkets, cut gems). By the wall of exit are Spanish-Moorish, Italian, and Kabylian ceramics, Moorish fayence from Tlemcen, Nabeul (p. 365), etc.; a late-Moorish door; a Turkish executioner’s sword from Khenchela. Here too are a map of the artesian wells in the province of Constantine and a model of a boring apparatus.

ROOM II. The show-cases contain coins and medals. In the wall-presses, natural history specimens; marble and onyx from Aïn-Smara. On the walls, a small collection of pictures.

GALLERY (on the left of R. I). Large Roman clay vessels, neo-Punic and Roman stelæ, Roman sculptures, Moorish fragments, casts.

From the Boul. de l’Ouest the Boul. du Nord (Pl. A, B, 4, 3; fine views) and (to the right) the Rue du Rocher lead to the Kasba (p. 300).

The busiest streets of the European quarter, where many of the inhabitants are Italians and Maltese, are the RUE CARAMAN (Pl. B, 4) with the Rue Chevalier, the Rue d’Aumale, and the RUE DAMRÉMONT (Pl. B, 4, 3), all to the N. of the Place de Nemours. Between these lines of streets lies the spacious PLACE DU PALAIS (Pl. B, 4).

The =Palais de Hadj Ahmed= (Pl. B, 4; now military headquarters), on the N.E. side of the square, built by Ahmed Bey in 1828–35, contains four picturesque courts, adorned with tiles. The front court is decorated with clumsy frescoes depicting chief towns of the Orient. The interior is not shown. Concierge ½ fr.

The =Cathedral= (Pl. 2, B 4; Notre-Dame des Sept-Douleurs), on the E. side of the Place du Palais, was once the Market Mosque (Jâma Sûk er-Rezel), with its nave and double aisles, built in 1707. The women’s galleries next the entrance-wall now contain the organ. The choir is a modern addition. In the outer right aisle, in the middle of the E. wall, with its well-preserved tile and stucco decoration, is the old mihrâb (p. 180), now a chapel. The mimbar in the inner left aisle is now the pulpit; behind it is a copy of the inscription on the Rocher des Martyrs (p. 301).

The Rue Caraman, continued by the Rue Chevalier, and the Rue de France (Pl. B, C, 4, 3) both lead to the N.E. to the PLACE NÉGRIER (Pl. C, 3), in which rises the Mosque of Sidi el-Kettani (Pl. 8; B, C, 3), built by Sala-Bey. The first floor of the building contains a marble mimbar executed by Italian sculptors. On the N. side of the square is a new Synagogue (Pl. 11; C, 3).

At the N. end of the town, partly on the site of the Roman capitol, is the old =Kasba= (Pl. B, 3; 2116 ft.; 666 ft. above the Rhumel), now a group of new buildings, including barracks and the military hospital. Of the Roman Cisterns, originally a quadrangle of 164 by 39 yds., about one-third has been preserved and is now again in use. The view from the garden of the Artillery Arsenal (Pl. B, C, 2, 3), at the N. end of the Kasba, immediately above the ravine of the Rhumel, is justly extolled. Adm. by leave of the military authorities (Palais de Hadj Ahmed; see above). Entrance in the Rue Damrémont (p. 299). From the Kasba the new Suspension Bridge (‘Pont Suspendu’; Pl. C, D, 2, 3) crosses the Rhumel at a height of 590 ft. to the Hôpital Civil (Pl. D, 2).

The *=Native Quarters=, intersected by the upper Rue Nationale, with their lively, picturesque, crooked streets, lie in the lower part of the town, between the Place de Nemours, Rue Caraman, Rue de France, and the Rhumel ravine (p. 301). The most interesting streets are those inhabited by Mohammedan artisans, largely Mozabites (p. 216), between the Rue Combes (Pl. B, 4) and the Rue Vieux (Pl. B, C, 4, 3), both of which lead to the N.E. to the Place Rahbet es Souf (‘wool-market’) or Place des Galettes (Pl. C, 4), with its Market Hall. Between this square and the Boul. de l’Est (Pl. C, 3), a fine point of view, lies the Jewish Quarter, which is worth seeing, especially on Saturdays.

Still more picturesque than these quarters is the purely Mohammedan *Quartier Perrégaux, which descends the triangular S. part of the rocky plateau, often in steep steps, from the Rue Nationale to the Rhumel Ravine. Through this quarter runs the RUE PERRÉGAUX (Pl. C, B, 4, 5), the chief thoroughfare between the Rue Nationale and the old Turkish Porte Djebia (Pl. B, 5). Near this gate, at the corner of the Rue Perrégaux and Rue des Tanneurs, is a Mosque Portal with charming tile-decoration.

From the Rue Perrégaux we may descend by the Rue de l’Arc and (to the right) the Rue de l’Alma, or direct by the Rue Morland, under the new bridge, to the small kubba of =Sidi-Rached= (Pl. B, C, 6; 1752 ft.). From the adjacent rocky height we have a grand view of the upper Rhumel ravine. Opposite, near the old Pont du Diable (Pl. B, C, 6), is the Rocher des Martyrs, bearing an old inscription in memory of the Christian martyrs of 259.

* * * * *

The **=Gorges du Rhumel=, the grandest ravines in the Tell Atlas, present a most impressive scene, especially during the melting of the snow or after heavy rain, but in summer much of their charm is lost owing to the lowness of the stream and the stench of the tanneries. The gorge was first made accessible in 1895 by the Chemin des Touristes, a path 1¾ M. in length, constructed by the engineer Fr. Rémès. From the S. entrance (Pl. C, 6; 1811 ft.), near the new bridge, it descends parallel with the Chemin du Rhumel (10 min. above the station), close past the main entrance (see below) and under the El-Kantara bridge and the new Suspension Bridge to the lower end of the ravine (1512 ft). It is to be connected with the new N. entrance (Pl. B, 2), on the Corniche road (p. 302), by a side-branch. Tourists pressed for time may go direct from the station to the S. entrance, walk down the gorge as far as the grottoes, turn back there, and then leave by the main entrance. A ticket for the day (2 fr., or for repeated visits ½ fr. each time) admits also to a bath in the Bains Rémès.

The main-entrance, near the so-called Porte Vitruve (1730 ft.), is reached from the Boul. de l’Est, 45 yds. to the N. of the old El-Kantara gate (p. 298), by an uncomfortable path descending in steps; another descends from the Corniche road on the opposite side (‘Entrée’; Pl. D, 3), 3 min. below the bridge.

Before entering the gorge we may glance at the remains of the Roman Bridge, which crosses the river at the narrowest part, 66 yds. across. The sculptures, two elephants and a weather-worn relief of Africa, belonged perhaps to a still older bridge.

From the ticket-office we first walk upstream, on the right bank, by the UPPER PATH, often up and down steps. The rocky sides of the gorge are enlivened by numerous storks, pigeons, and hawks; far below us the river dashes down its stony bed. High above peep the picturesque houses of the native quarter. On the left bank are the Bains Rémès, with a hot spring (90° Fahr.), and remains of a Roman Aqueduct. They are reached by a side-path to the right, ca. 220 yds. beyond the ticket-office. The baths, or Piscinae, originally Roman, have been entirely renewed.

Farther up (¼ hr.), a path in steps ascends to the left, under the new bridge, not far from the Pont du Diable and the Pointe de Sidi-Rached (comp. p. 301), to the S. entrance.

We now return to the chief entrance, and near the office descend to the left, by a path with steps and iron stairs, to the *Grottoes, 230 ft. high at places, through which the river flows, mostly underground, for a distance of 330 yds.; the huge dome of rock is specially impressive when viewed from the middle of the iron footbridge. A winding staircase next descends to the LOWER PATH, with its wire-fence and benches. Passing below the new Suspension Bridge (p. 300) we reach the last arch of rock (retrospect of the grottoes) and in a few minutes the lower (N.W.) end of the gorge, above the Cascades (Pl. B, 2).

Those who do not care to return to the El-Kantara bridge may ascend direct from the last archway to the Corniche road.

The Rhumel Fall, dashing over rock-terraces to a depth of 212 ft., the precipice below the Kasba, and the Rocher Sidi M’Cid (see below) are all admirably viewed from the =Moulins Lavie= (Pl. A, 2), on the left bank, 10 min. from Square No. 2 (p. 299).

The traveller should not omit to take a short walk on the superb *=Route de la Corniche= (Pl. D-B, 3–1), starting from the El-Kantara bridge. Below the Hôpital Civil (p. 300) two short tunnels carry the road through the Rocher Sidi M’Cid, an offshoot of Jebel Sidi M’Cid (2575 ft). The finest point is (¼ hr.) a small projecting platform at a bend in the road, whence we look down on the Rhumel Fall and the baths of Sidi M’Cid.

In a dale at the N. base of the Rocher Sidi M’Cid lies the pleasant Hammam Sidi M’Cid (Pl. B, 1), with saline springs and two large swimming-baths.

The ‘GRAND TOUR’ (1–1¼ hr.; carr. 3–4 fr.; bargain advisable) is a favourite drive by the Route de Sétif (Pl. A, 5, 6; affording a fine retrospect of the Quartier Perrégaux), and across the uppermost Rhumel bridge, to the Roman Aqueduct (p. 274); thence from the Route de Batna to the right to the Pépinière, in a dale full of fruit-trees, and charming in spring; lastly over the pine-clad Mansoura Hill, crowned with a fort, and back by the Chemin de Mansoura (Pl. D, 5) to the bridge of El-Kantara.

From Constantine to Algiers, see R. 43; to Bona, see R. 48; to Biskra, see R. 44; to Philippeville, see R. 47; to Djidjelli (Bougie), see R. 42; to Souk-Ahras, see R. 49; to Tunis, see RR. 49, 51.

47. From Constantine to Philippeville.

54 M. RAILWAY in 3–4¾ hrs. (9 fr. 75, 7 fr. 30, 5 fr. 35 c.). Railway Restaurant at Col-des-Oliviers.

Constantine, see p. 297. Running to the N., the line pierces the Rocher Sidi M’Cid (p. 302) by tunnels, proceeds high above Hammam Sidi M’Cid (p. 302) and the Rhumel, with a splendid retrospect of Constantine, and then curves round to (4½ M.) Le Hamma (1614 ft.), station for the Oasis du Hamma, a luxuriantly fertile dale with countless fruit-trees, watered by the Hamma and several springs.

8 M. Bizot (1805 ft.). It then descends to the Oued Smendou, a tributary of the Rhumel, and ascends its right bank to (17 M.) Condé-Smendou (1838 ft.).

We cross several feeders of the Oued Safsaf (see below) and pass through the Hills of El-Kantour in several tunnels, below the pass of that name, now called also Col-des-Oliviers.

25½ M. Col-des-Oliviers (1365 ft.; Rail. Restaurant), station for a group of small villages inhabited by immigrant farmers. Thence a steep, winding descent, in a hill-region denuded of its forest, to (31 M.) Bougrina, like Robertville, a station for the large village of El-Arrouch.

35½ M. =Robertville= (348 ft.; several inns), a village on the Oued Ahmar, is the starting-point of the fine hill-roads through the Massif de Philippeville viâ (23 M.) Bordj Tamalous to (40 M.) Collo (p. 131; diligence twice daily in 8 hrs.), and to Djidjelli (p. 267; motor-omnibus, see p. 267).

The train now descends into the valley of the Oued Safsaf, where wild olives, poplars, and cork-trees abound.

42½ M. St. Charles (138 ft.; Hôt. du Lion d’Or), the oldest farming settlement in the district, founded by Germans and Belgians in 1840, was at first defended by four small forts.

FROM ST. CHARLES TO BONA, 61½ M., railway in 4–5 hrs. (7 fr. 50, 5 fr. 5, 4 fr. 5 c.). 9 M. Râs el-Ma, with a quicksilver-mine; 15½ M. =Jemmapes= (312 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient; pop. 2800), on the Oued Fendek, a little town founded in 1848, the chief place on the roads from Philippeville to Bona and to Guelma (p. 308); 19½ M. Oued-Hammimine, a small bath-hotel (pens. with bath 6 fr.), with three hot sulphur-springs (95–115° Fahr.; season Sept.–Nov. only); 41 M. Aïn-Mokra (85 ft.), on a slope near the malarious flats of Lac Fetzara, a swamp of about 35,000 acres, and the now abandoned iron-mines of the Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid; 45½ M. Aïn-Daliah, for the new mine of Marouania belonging to the same company. 61½ M. Bona, see p. 309.

We descend the narrow Safsaf valley to (47½ M.) Safsaf. 50½ M. Damrémont (33 ft.) is the station also for Valée (122 ft.), a village on the vine-clad right bank, on the Bona and Guelma road (see above).—The train leaves the Safsaf, crosses its tributary Oued Zeramna (p. 305), and passes through a tunnel under the W. slope of Mont Skikda (p. 304).

54 M. =Philippeville.=—The STATION (Pl. C, 2; no buffet) is not far from the quay, a few paces from Place de Marqué.

ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. RR. 20, 22). The steamers of the Gén. Transatlantique (agent, Fauré, Place de Marqué) moor at the quay; those of the Transports Maritimes (agent, Caffa) and of the Navigation Mixte (agents, Daprela & Campiglia, Place du Commerce) anchor in the Grande Darse (Pl. C, D, 1). Cab-fares, see below. Portefaix (porter) for articles under 20 kilos (44 lbs.) to the station 25, to the town 40 c.; trunk 50 or 75 c.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). Grand-Hôtel (Pl. a; C, 2), Place de Marqué, with fine views, R. 3–5, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 8½ fr., good; Hôt. Foy, same square (Pl. B, 2), new, R. 3–6 fr., B. 60 c., déj. or D. 2½, pens. from 8 fr.; Hôt. de France & de la Marine (Pl. b; B, 2), same square, No. 3, R. 2–3, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.; Hôt. Léger, Rue Nationale, R. 2–5, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 6–7 fr., plain but good; Nouvelle Poste (Pl. d; B, 2), Place du Commerce, Cinq Nations (Pl. e; C, 3), Rue de Constantine, corner of Rue Gambetta, both plain.

CAFÉS-RESTAURANTS. Café de Foy, at the hotel (see above); Boutin, Plage du Château-Vert (in summer).

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 5; B, 2), Place du Commerce.

BANKS. Banque de l’Algérie, Avenue du Troisième-Zouaves; Comp. Algérienne and Crédit Lyonnais, Rue Nationale 30 and 51.

BATHS in the Grand-Hôtel; also Tenienski, Rue Buffon.—SEA BATHS. Bassin du Château-Vert (see below); at Stora (p. 306), etc.

THEATRE. Théâtre Municipal (Pl. 7; B, C, 3), Place Corneille (sometimes Italian pieces).—BAND on Sun. in the Place de Marqué.

CABS (stand, Place Corneille). Drive 1 fr.; first hr. 2½, each addit. hr. 2 fr.; half-day 10, whole day 18 fr.—DILIGENCE to Stora (50 c.), St. Antoine (25 c.), etc.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, W. H. Miller, Rue Téophile Réguis.

Philippeville (Arabic Skikda; pop. 26,000, incl. 16,000 Europeans, mostly Italians and Maltese, and 4800 Mohammedans), the youngest Algerian seaport, was founded by Marshal Valeé in 1838 as a harbour for Constantine. It lies on the fine Gulf of Stora (p. 128), about 1 M. to the W. of the mouth of the Safsaf (p. 303), in a ravine between Mont Skikda (548 ft.) to the E. and Jebel Bou Yala to the S.W. Its site is that of the ancient Rusicade, once a Phœnician town, but founded anew by the Romans in 45 B.C. Under the empire, as the Colonia Veneria Rusicade, it belonged to the league of Cirta (p. 298), but, according to local tradition, it had ceased to exist by 484. The chief harbour in the gulf, being well sheltered, was formerly the neighbouring Asthoret, now Stora (p. 306), but it has been superseded by that of Philippeville, constructed in 1860–80 at a cost of some 20 million francs.

The =Harbour=, after Bona (p. 309) the chief outlet for the produce of the province of Constantine, consists of an excellent inner basin of 50 acres (Grande Darse; Pl. C, D, 1) and an Avant-Port (Pl. A, B, 1) of 75 acres. The Grande Jetée du Nord (Pl. D, 1), running out from Cape Skikda, is 1 M., the Jetée du Château-Vert (Pl. A, 1), on the W. side, ¼ M. in length.

The best points for viewing the harbour and bay are the Place de Marqué (Pl. B, C, 2; popularly Pl. de la Marine), the pretty Petit Bois or Jardin de l’Hôpital (Pl. C, 2), adjacent on the E., and the lofty Place des Zouaves (Pl. D, 2, 3; drilling-ground).

Past the Place de Marqué runs the RUE NATIONALE (Pl. B, C, 2–4), the main street, connecting the chief gates, the N.W. Porte de Stora (Pl. B, 2) and the S. Porte de Constantine (Pl. C, 4), whence issue the Constantine, Bona, and Guelma roads. The narrow gorge affords room for only a few parallel streets. The side-streets ascend the hill-sides partly in steps.

The Théâtre Municipal (Pl. 7; B, C, 3), in the narrow Place du Commerce, on the W. side of the Rue Nationale, stands on the foundations of a Roman temple. A little farther, on the E. side of the street, is the pretty Square Carnot (Pl. C, 3).—To the W. from this square the Rue Gambetta leads to the Collège Communal (Pl. B, 3). On the N.E. slope of Jebel Bou Yala, behind the school (apply to the concierge here, 30–50 c.) lies the—

=Roman Theatre=, the largest in Algeria, erected at the earliest under Hadrian; but as it was used as a quarry for building the modern town, little of it is now left. Of the cavea, 90 yds. wide, which held 5–6000 spectators, only a few steps, two passages, and relics of vaulting remain. The stage is below the school-building.

From the Rue Gambetta the Rue Valée (Pl. B, C, 3, 4) leads through the heart of the Mohammedan quarter to the Rue St. Augustin and the—

=Museum= (Pl. 3; C, 4). The collections include some valuable Roman antiquities. Adm. daily, 8–6; Sun. and Thurs. free; on other days 1 fr.; catalogue (1901) 1 fr. 10 c.; curator, M. L. Bertrand.

The GARDEN contains numerous Roman columns, statues, etc.

The PAVILLON CENTRAL has archæological collections on the groundfloor. In the centre, 173. Roman milestone, from Hadrian’s road from Rusicade to Cirta (p. 298); 151. Antoninus Pius, in marble. In the first wall-press are objects from Roman tombs, mostly from Rusicade; 687. Genius, a statuette in marble. Detached, 749. Punic tomb-stela. In the second wall-press, Roman vases and lamps; also, *805. Bust of a youth, after an Attic work of the age of Praxiteles; 806. Bust of Agrippina the Elder; 778. Punic stela of the goddess Tanit, from Carthage; 779. Mithras stone; 783. Boy’s head; 904. Clay statuette of a woman bathing; 968. Bust of Hadrian. By the following end-wall, Roman inscriptions and altars. At the other end, one early-Christian (293) and two late-Roman sarcophagi (224, 331), Roman inscriptions, etc.—The 1st Floor contains ethnographical and natural history collections and pictures.

The PAVILLON NORD contains coins and medals, the PAVILLON SUD a small collection of weapons and flags.

EXCURSIONS. Bearing a little to the left from the Porte de Constantine (see above), we cross the large Place des Chameaux (Pl. D, 4), where an interesting Cattle Market is held on Thursday mornings, and then follow the S. slope of Mont Skikda (p. 304), past the Cemetery, to (½ hr.) the =Château Landon= or Domaine des Lions, which has a beautiful garden. (Visitors require the permission of M. Gallard, the superintendent, Rue Galbois.)

The St. Charles (and Constantine) road leads through the Faubourg de l’Espérance in the fertile dale of the Oued Zeramna, past the (2½ M.) Ecole Pratique d’Agriculture, to the prettily situated village of (3¾ M.) St. Antoine (33 ft.; diligence 25 c.).

From St. Antoine we may visit, viâ the Route de Praxbourg, the Oued Amida, or upper valley of the Zeramna, a hill-region where cork-tree plantations abound, and a favourite resort of wild-boar and jackal hunters. Or we may follow the Chemin de la Carrière Romaine across the Col Chambœuf, on Jebel Soubouyou (1050 ft.), to Damrémont (p. 303).

To the W. of the Porte de Constantine a picturesque road leads viâ Montplaisant to the dale of Beni Melek, famed for its wine. We may return thence viâ the Porte des Citernes (Pl. A, 3) and Rue d’Orléans, or descend the Chemin du Beni-Melek to the Route de Stora.

For a visit to =Stora= we may take the *Route de la Corniche, the beautiful new shore-road which starts from the Place de Marqué (Pl. B, C, 2) and at places is tunnelled through the living rock (ca. 2 M.; diligence). Or we may follow the picturesque Route de Stora (2½ M.), the old upper road, beginning at the Stora Gate (p. 305). Stora, a fishing-village with sea-baths, is now inhabited chiefly by Italians. The fine view hence extends to Jebel Filfila and the Cap de Fer (p. 131). On the steep shore are fragments of an Aqueduct, partly underground, and several Cisterns (restored), relics of the Roman Asthoret (p. 304). A vault now used as a laundry probably belonged to a Nymphaeum or fountain.

48. From Constantine to Bona viâ Duvivier.

135½ M. RAILWAY, in 7–8¾ hrs. (24 fr. 65, 17 fr. 60, 13 fr. 20 c.). The morning train has a dining-car between Le Khroub and Duvivier. Buffets at Le Khroub and Duvivier. The only intermediate station of interest is Hammam-Meskoutine.

From Constantine to (10 M.) Le Khroub, see pp. 274, 273.

Our line diverges to the E. from those to Algiers and Biskra (RR. 43, 44) and ascends between low hills in the bleak valley of the Oued Berda, a tributary of the Oued Bou Merzoug (p. 272).

18 M. Bou-Nouara (2330 ft.) has an ancient Berber Necropolis, whose dolmens and rock-tombs, 1¼ M. to the N. of the railway, extend along the spurs of Jebel Mazela (3412 ft.).

25½ M. Aïn-Abid (2822 ft.), the highest point on the line, lies on the watershed between the Oued Berda and the Oued Zenati, one of the feeders of the Seybouse (p. 308). 35 M. Aïn-Regada (2487 ft.), also in a dreary steppe.

42 M. =Oued-Zenati= (2268 ft.; Hôt. de France), pleasantly situated on a partially wooded hill-side, the only large village before Guelma, has a busy market (Sun., Mon., Thurs.).

The ROAD TO GUELMA (28 M.; diligence in 4¼ hrs.) leads to the N.E. through a pretty hill-country direct to Medjez-Amar (p. 308), just before (14¼ M.) Aïn-Amara, and below Thibilis (p. 307).

Road and railway make a long bend to the W. round the hill-region of Bou Hamdan. Beyond (52 M.) Bordj Sabath (1759 ft.), where, below the influx of the Oued Sabath, the Zenati is called Oued Bou Hamdan, the scenery changes. The valley, whose slopes are richly overgrown with olive-trees and underwood, contracts. In the stony river-bed grow many wild oleanders.

59 M. Taya (1312 ft.), a pleasant oasis with fruit-trees and eucalypti, lies near the stalactite grottoes, not easy of access, in the limestone hill of Jebel Taya (3963 ft.). The valley again contracts in the two Gorges de Taya.

68 M. =Hammam-Meskoutine= (1312 ft.; *Hôtel des Bains; R. 5–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 14, motor-omn. 1¼–1½ fr., open 15th Nov. to June), the Roman Aquae Thibilitanae, is now one of the most noted baths in Algeria. The ‘indifferent’ springs are strongly impregnated with chloride of sodium and sulphate of lime; one, containing iron, has a temperature of 187° Fahr., the others 226°. The latter form the *Grande Cascade, 5 min. from the station, on the way to the hotel, falling over a terrace of calc-sinter 42 ft. high, a miniature edition of the terraces of Yellowstone Park, or of Hierapolis (in Asia Minor). Below the terrace rise date-palms and splendid olive-trees, while the bed of the Oued Chedakra with its profusion of oleanders further enhances the peculiar charm of the scene. The curious limestone cones, a few paces to the E., relics of old eruptions, have given rise to the Arabian legend of the petrified wedding party, from which the place derives its name (‘Baths of the Petrified’). Smaller springs rise beyond these cones and also 3 min. to the E., near the railway.

Enclosed by the houses of the bath-hotel is a charming Garden Court, with orange and lemon trees. Most curious among the numerous Roman antiquities (stelæ, funerary inscriptions, etc.) placed here is the house-altar of the Antistii, from Thibilis (see below), on the S. terrace, shaded by a venerable terebinth. The ruined Piscinae are the only relics of Roman buildings.

EXCURSIONS. To the S.W. lies the (¾ hr.) Lac Souterrain, a pond 88 ft. deep, in a cavern formed in 1878 by a landslip. In sunshine (best 2–4 p.m.) the water assumes a beautiful blue colour.—To the S., a little aside from the lake just mentioned, we may ride on mule-back, or walk, viâ Aïn-St. Charles and Aïn-Amara (see above) to (2 hrs.) Announa, the Roman =Thibilis=, lying on a narrow hill (ca. 2300 ft.), high above the Announa Valley, where excavations have been made since 1905. We note specially the East Gate, the Entrance Arch of the forum, vestiges of the Market Basilica, the house of Magister Pagus, and the sadly ruined South Gate, the only two-arched Roman gateway in Algeria. Outside the late-Byzantine town-walls, on the S.W. side of the little town, is the Byzantine Basilica built of fragments of Roman buildings; in the semicircular choir-recess are five rows of seats for the clergy, with the bishop’s place in the centre.—A new road (carr. 12 fr.) leads to the N.W. to (9½ M.) the ancient Berber Necropolis of Roknia, on the W. slope of Jebel Debar (3442 ft.), with many dolmens (p. 324) and rock-tombs, sadly damaged of late.

The train next makes a wide bend to the S., round the wooded hills of the Beni Addi, past the influx of the Oued Cherf into the Bou Hamdan, which now takes the name of Seybouse. 72 M. Medjez-Amar (958 ft.), amid fine hill scenery.

80 M. =Guelma= (916 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient, Rue Sadi-Carnot, tolerable; Hôt. de l’Univers; pop. 10,200), a pleasant little town, in a broad olive-clad basin, was founded on the site of Calama, in 1836, when the Byzantine Town Walls of the time of Solomon (p. 315) were partly used to build the French camp. The striking ruins of the Roman Thermae (2nd cent. A. D.), with walls still about 33 ft. high, and the Jardin Public, with Roman antiquities, are worth seeing. There is a small collection of antiquities also at the Mairie. The restoration of the Roman Theatre was begun in 1907 but never finished.

Guelma holds the greatest Cattle Market in E. Algeria (Mondays; chief of all, last Sunday in April). The poor-looking oxen, mostly light-grey, of the E. districts as far as the Tunisian frontier, are known as Guelma cattle.

An interesting excursion may be made from Guelma by carriage (12 fr. whole day) to Thibilis (p. 307).

As the train proceeds, we have a fine view, to the right, of Jebel Mahouna (4630 ft.), often snow-clad in winter. 82½ M. Millésimo (755 ft.); 86 M. Petit, amidst pleasant wooded hills.

93 M. Nador (430 ft.), with the poor huts of the natives half-hidden by cactus-hedges, is the station for the zinc-mines on Jebel Nador (2418 ft.), owned by the Vieille-Montagne Company.—We next traverse the Gorges du Nador, clad with underwood.

101 M. =Duvivier= (312 ft.; Rail. Restaur.; Hôt. Lagarde, poor; pop. 2000), below the mouth of the Oued Melah (p. 312), junction for Bona, Souk-Ahras (Tunis, Tebessa; RR. 49–51).

Our line now runs to the N. through the Seybouse valley. 103½ M. Boudaroua, 105½ M. Oued-Frarah, 110 M. St. Joseph, all on the W. border of the wooded hills of the Beni Salah.

On the right, just before (117 M.) Barral, is the new reservoir of the Canal d’Irrigation de la Seybouse. The chief branch of the conduit runs on the left bank through the plain of Bona. A minor branch, along with the highroad, crosses to the right bank, below the picturesque village, by the iron Pont de Barral.

We now enter the Plaine de Bône, the broad, largely marshy flats of the Seybouse, a picture of luxuriant fertility in spring, with their extensive vineyards, flower-carpeted meadows, tall aloes, and picturesque clumps of trees.

120½ M. Mondovi (72 ft.; Hôt. Honorati), the agricultural centre of the district, with many thriving farms.

124 M. St. Paul, junction of a branch-line to (7 M.) Randon. To the left appears the Massif du Beleliéta (876 ft.), in front of Jebel Edough (see below); then, between (127 M.) Duzerville and (130½ M.) Allélik, is seen the low Massif du Bou Hamra (499 ft.), with its very ancient iron-mines, now worked by the Mokta el-Hadid Company (p. 303).

Skirting the fringes of the hills last named the train now runs close to the Seybouse, and beyond the castle-hill of Hippo Regius (p. 311), on the left, crosses the Oued Boudjimah.

135½ M. =Bona.=—STATIONS. 1. Gare de la Comp. Bône-Guelma (Pl. A, 4), the chief station, for Constantine and for Souk-Ahras and Tunis (RR. 49, 51).—2. Gare de la Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid (Pl. A, B, 4), for the St. Charles line (p. 303).—3. Gare de la Calle (Pl. B, 4), for the light railway to La Calle (p. 131).

ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. RR. 20, 22). The steamers of the Gén. Transatlantique (agent, De Pleurre), of the Transports Maritimes (agent, Teddé), and of the Navigation Mixte (agent, Fadda) are all berthed at the Quai Nord (Pl. B, C, 3), in the Petite Darse. Cabs, see below.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). Hôtel d’Orient (Pl. a; B, 2), Cours Jérôme*-Bertagna, with frequented restaurant, well spoken of; Hôt. Cramet (Pl. b; B, 3), Rue Prosper-Dubourg; Hôt. Continental (Pl. c; B, 2), Passage des Thermopyles (entrance next the Hôt. d’Orient), with good restaurant, déj. 2, D. 2½ fr., plain; Hôt. Moderne, Rue des Volontaires, new.

CAFÉS. Café St. Martin, Cours Jérôme-Bertagna; Brasserie du Petit Gambrinus, Rue du Quatre Septembre.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. B, 3), Place de la Poste.

BANKS. Banque de l’Algérie, Comp. Algérienne, Crédit Lyonnais, and Crédit Foncier d’Algérie et Tunisie, all in the Cours Jérôme-Bertagna.—BOOKSELLERS. Faure (Legendre), cor. of Rue St. Augustin and Rue du Quatre Septembre; Borel & Langlade, Cours Jérôme-Bertagna.

BATHS. Euvremer, Rue Damrémont; Bains Maures (comp. p. 175), Rue Bélisaire.—SEA BATHS. Grenouillère (p. 310), in the Avant-Port; Plage Chapuis and others at St. Cloud-les-Plages (p. 311).—THEATRE (Pl. 4; B, 2), Cours Jérôme-Bertagna.—RACES, 24th April.

CABS (stand, Cours Jérôme-Bertagna). Drive 1 (and back 1½) fr.; first hr. 2, each addit. hr. 1½ fr; half-day 8, whole day 15 fr.—OMNIBUS from the Cours Jérôme-Bertagna to the Plage Chapuis, etc.

CONSULS. British Vice-Consul, H. A. Scratchley, Rue du Rempart 3.—U.S. Consular Agency, Rue Thiers.

ONE DAY. Forenoon, Harbour, Cours Jérôme-Bertagna, Hippo Regius (pp. 310, 311); afternoon, Cap de Garde or Bugeaud (p. 311).

Bona, French Bône, Arabic Enneba (pop. 42,900, incl. 28,300 Europeans, mostly French, 11,200 Mohammedans, and 1700 Jews), on the W. side of the Gulf of Bona (p. 128), a fortified town, is the chief seaport of Algeria after Oran and Algiers and the most important outlet for the produce of the département of Constantine, such as phosphates (p. 315), iron (comp. pp. 310, 314), zinc, cork, cattle, and cereals. Besides its fine harbour, the town offers no sights; but it deserves a visit especially in winter, for the sake of its pretty situation at the foot of Jebel Edough (3307 ft.; p. 169), not far from the picturesque Cap de Garde.

Bona lies on the small Anse du Cassarin, about 1¼ M. to the N.E. of Hippo, which was one of the chief Phœnician colonies on the coast of N. Africa. Under Masinissa (p. 321) Hippo was the capital of Numidia, and under the Roman empire, when it was called Hippo Regius, it was the richest port on the N. coast next to Carthage and rivalled Cæsarea (p. 244). Here in 393 met a council of over three hundred bishops, who for the first time recognized the present canon of the New Testament. On that occasion St. Augustine (born in 354 at Thagaste, p. 313), attended as a presbyter and co-bishop. Chief among the four ‘Latin fathers’ and a keen opponent of the Donatists (p. 322), St. Augustine, after his conversion at Milan by St. Ambrose (387), settled at Hippo, where he was bishop from 395 to 430, and died there during the siege of the town by the Vandals. After its destruction by Genseric and the downfall of the Vandals, whose king Gelimer (p. 322) sought his last asylum on Mt. Edough, Hippo arose from its ruins once more under the Byzantines, but it succumbed to the assaults of the Arabs in 697 and was thenceforth entirely abandoned.

The present town of Bona, founded later by the Arabs on the slope of the Kasba hill, was seized by the Genoese in the 15th cent. for the sake of its valuable coral-fishery. After the conquest of Tunis (p. 332), it was occupied for a short time by the Spaniards in 1535, and afterwards temporarily by the Compagnie d’Afrique from Marseilles. In 1837, soon after the entry of the French (1832), the old Kasba, built under Charles V., was blown up, and since then the native quarter has been modernized in French fashion.

The *=Harbour=, which has been so improved of late years as to rival that of Algiers, consists of three basins. The Petite Darse (Pl. B, C, 3), 27 acres in area, the old inner harbour, lies near the railway-stations and the mouth of the Seybouse; the Grande Darse (Pl. C, D, 3, 2; formerly the outer harbour), 170 acres in area, is a new basin between the Môle Cigogne (Pl. C, 3) and the small creek of Grenouillère (sea-baths); the Avant-Port is a new outer basin of nearly 100 acres adjoining the Pointe du Lion. The outer entrance to the harbour, 270 yds. wide, between the Jetée du Lion, 1200 yds. long, and the Jetée Sud (Pl. C, D, 4, 3), 1800 yds. long, is difficult of access during N. or N.E. gales. The inner entrances, through the Jetée Babayaud and at the Môle Cigogne (see above), are only 77 yds. wide. The Quai Nord (Pl. B, C, 3) in the Petite Darse is for the large French passenger-steamers, the Quai Ouest (Pl. B, 3) for phosphate, and the Quai Sud (Pl. B, C, 4) for the iron-ore from the mine near Aïn-Daliah (p. 303). Adjoining the last quay and bordering the new reclaimed lands (82 acres) is the new Quai aux Phosphates (Pl. C, D, 3, 4), to be used for the phosphate depots and for the Ouenza iron ores (comp. p. 314).

The broad COURS JÉRÔME-BERTAGNA (Pl. B, 2, 3; formerly Cours National), the main street of the town, with the pretty grounds of the ‘Square’, skirts the W. side of the native quarter.

To the W., in the European quarter, are the covered Marché (Pl. B, 2), the interesting Fondouk (Pl. 1, A 2; native market), and, in the Boul. des Jujubiers, the Marché aux Grains (Pl. A, 3).

Outside the W. gates, Porte des Karézas (Pl. A, 3) and Porte Randon (Pl. A, 1), are the Marché aux Bestiaux (Pl. A, 2; Thurs.) and the grounds of the SQUARE RANDON (Pl. A, 2).

The NATIVE QUARTER, where also the Jews reside, is intersected by the Rue St. Augustin (Pl. B, C, 2).

From the Boul. Victor-Hugo (Pl. B, C, 2), on the N. side of this quarter, we may mount in 10 min. to the =Colline de la Kasba=, or Colline des Santons (358 ft.), crowned by the Kasba (Pl. C, D, 1; no admittance). The pine-clad slope is skirted by the pretty Boul. des Caroubiers (Pl. C, D, 2, 1).

A beautiful walk may be taken from the Porte des Caroubiers (Pl. D, 1) on the busy *=Chemin de la Corniche=, round the E. side of the Batterie du Lion, always skirting the shore and passing many villas with luxuriant gardens. It leads to the N.W. to the suburb of (2½ M.) St Cloud-les-Plages, on the Baie des Caroubiers, with its sea-baths (p. 309). In clear weather a pleasant drive may be taken past the little Baie des Corailleurs and the old Fort Génois to (7 M.) the Cap de Garde. At the Semaphore (519 ft.), above the lighthouse, we enjoy a delightful view of the bay.

From the Faubourg Ste. Anne (Pl. A, 1) a hill-road with fine views, but almost shadeless as far as the (5 M.) Col des Chacals (1578 ft.), ascends in windings to (9 M.) =Bugeaud= (2809 ft.; Hôt. Fuster, Hôt. Kittler, Hôt. Cronstadt, etc.), a favourite summer resort, beautifully situated among woods of cork-oaks. In clear weather the *Panorama from (1½ hr.) Kef Seba (3307 ft.), the summit of Mt. Edough, embraces the whole coast from the bay of Stora (p. 128) to the Kroumirie (p. 326).

The dusty Route de Constantine (Pl. A, 4) leads through the S. town-gate to a (12 min.) Bridge the foundations of which are Roman, spanning the Oued Boudjimah (p. 309). Between this brook and the Seybouse, whose mouth once lay farther to the S.E. and was used as a harbour, extended the site of =Hippo Regius= (p. 309). The road straight on, beyond the bridge, leads to the (ca. 5 min.) Fortin, which together with the castle-hill (see below) formed the nucleus of the Roman town. Here once lay the Roman villa quarter. Excavations in the former Jardin Chevillot (adm. 50 c.), now belonging to the town, have brought to light several Roman columns and mosaics (Apollo and the Muses, Triumph of Amphitrite, etc.), the foundations of a small early-Christian basilica, and notably a fragment of wall, about 22 yds. long, composed of enormous blocks of granite, 10–13 ft. long, 39 in. thick, and 27 in. high. This last is probably the oldest and most interesting specimen of Phœnician building in Barbary. In the adjoining property of Mme. Dufour part of the foundations of a Roman villa and superb mosaics have been laid bare. Among the latter are a very lifelike representation of a hunt, fishing-scenes, houses of a town, etc. (admission kindly granted). Of the Ancient Theatre a few steps only now exist.

To the right, just beyond the Boudjimah bridge (see above), diverges the Chemin de Beleliéta, whence after 9 min. a fine road leads to the right to the old CASTLE HILL (181 ft.). On its slope lie the Roman Cisterns of Hippo, resembling in plan those of Bordj el-Djedid (p. 350), but modernized in 1893 for the waterworks of Bona (small fee for admittance). As Lalla Bouna, a famous saint, is supposed to have been buried here, the spot attracts Mohammedan pilgrims on Fridays, when they may be seen picturesquely grouped round the bronze Statue of St. Augustine (1843).

The castle-hill is crowned with the handsome Basilica of St. Augustine, founded by Card. Lavigerie (p. 346), and built by Abbé Pougnet in 1885–1900 in a semi-Oriental style, on the model of the cathedral of Carthage (p. 347).

The INTERIOR is unfinished. Over the high-altar is preserved a highly-revered relic of St. Augustine, whose bones were carried in 496, during the Vandal period, by fugitive Catholic bishops to Sardinia, whence they were removed to Pavia by the Longobard king Liutprand in 722. In front of the church we have a fine view of the coast, with its dunes, as far as Cape Rosa (p. 131).

From Bona to St. Charles (Constantine), see p. 303; to Souk-Ahras, see R. 49; to Tunis, see R. 51.

49. From Constantine or Bona viâ Duvivier to Souk-Ahras (Tebessa, Tunis).

FROM CONSTANTINE TO SOUK-AHRAS, 134 M., railway in 7–9¼ hrs. (24 fr. 30, 17 fr. 35 c., 13 fr.). Change at Duvivier. Railway Restaurants at Le Khroub, Duvivier, and Souk-Ahras.

FROM BONA TO SOUK-AHRAS, 66½ M., railway in 3¼–5¼ hrs. (11 fr. 95, 8 fr. 55, 6 fr. 40 c.).

Constantine, and thence to (101 M.) Duvivier, see p. 297 and R. 48.—From Bona to (34½ M.) Duvivier, see pp. 309, 308.

We cross the Seybouse and follow the narrow dale of the Oued Melah to the S.E., with its fine growth of underwood. 107½ (or 40½) M. Medjez-Sfa (476 ft.); the village (758 ft.) lies to the right, on the Souk-Ahras road. We then mount to (113 or 46 M.) Aïn-Tahamimine (about 1100 ft.), with its eucalyptus groves.

The finest part of the line lies between this point and Laverdure. We cross the ravine of the Oued Cherf by a viaduct. 116 (or 49) M. Aïn-Affra (1739 ft.). We ascend the hill-side to the N.E., partly through plantations of young cork-trees and underwood, and then on the crest of the hill turn sharply back to the S.W. Below lies the line just traversed. At several points we obtain a splendid view of the distant hills of the Beni Salah (p. 308). Among the cork-trees appear the first evergreen oaks.

124 (or 57) M. Laverdure (2369 ft.). The village (2526 ft.; Hôt. Arena; Hôt. Raschiero), 1 M. to the W., on the Souk-Ahras road, with its woods and beautiful views, attracts summer visitors.

To the left appears Jebel Mahabouba (4144 ft.), often snow-clad in winter. Passing through woods of cork and evergreen oak, fringes of the Forêt de Fedj el-Makta, we come to the Col de Fedj el-Makta (tunnel), the watershed between the Seybouse and the Medjerda (p. 325).

127 (or 60) M. Aïn-Sennour (2552 ft.). The forest-zone is succeeded by a region of meadows, fields, and vineyards. To the left we sight the bare mountains to the N. of Souk-Ahras.

134 (or 66½) M. =Souk-Ahras.=—Railway Restaurant.—HOTELS. Hôtel d’Orient, in the market-place, with good restaurant, R., déj., D., 2½ fr. each, pens. 7½ omn. 1 fr., quite good; Hôt. de l’Univers, similar charges; Hôt. de France.—Café de Marseille, in the market-place.

Souk-Ahras (2297 ft.; pop. 9000) lies very prettily in a lofty, undulating plain enclosed by distant hills. It is a rapidly rising place, with quite a European aspect, and is one of the pleasantest provincial towns in Algeria. It dates only from 1852, when it was founded as a convenient centre for roads radiating to Constantine, Bona, and La Calle, and as a mart for the phosphates of Tebessa (p. 315). It stands on the site of Thagaste, the birthplace of St. Augustine (p. 310), who mentions it with affection in his Confessions. At the foot of the old castle-hill, an excellent point of view, are placed a few antiquities from Khamissa (see below). Cattle-breeding and vine-culture are the chief industries in the environs.

The EXCURSION TO KHAMISSA, about 23 M. from Souk-Ahras, is best made by motor-car as far as Ksar Tifech and thence on mule-back. We follow the Sedrata highroad to the S.W., soon crossing the Medjerda (p. 325). About halfway we enter the Plaine de Tifech, watered by the Oued Tifech and once fertile and populous. We then reach the Ksar Tifech (3150 ft.), on the slope of Jebel Tifech (3609 ft.), with the ruins of a Byzantine fortress, the most considerable relic of the Numidian Tipasa. Thence we ride to the N.W., in the direction of the ancient Roman road, to *=Khamissa= or Khemissa (3084 ft.; no inn), the interesting site of the Roman Thubursicum Numidarum, one of the oldest and most important towns in Inner Numidia. It lies on a hill high above the valley of the Medjerda, which rises a little to the N.W. on the Râs el-Alia (4321 ft.). Among the ruins may be noted the S.E. Gate, a triumphal arch with a single passage, on the Tipasa road; near it, the underground Columbarium (hypogæum); the Thermae; and also, in the Platea Vetus, the chief square in the E. quarter of the town, an unfinished Roman Temple besides other buildings. On the crest of the hill we come upon the foundations of a Byzantine Basilica and a small Byzantine Fortress (‘Ksar el-Kebîr’). On the N. hill-side is the Roman Theatre, with its fairly preserved stage-building (comp. p. 293). The Forum, on the W. margin of the hill, and a Triumphal Arch with three passages were afterwards incorporated with a second Byzantine Fortress. All around are extensive Burial Grounds, some of them with rock-tombs.

From Souk-Ahras to Tebessa, see R. 50; to Tunis, see R. 51.

50. From Souk-Ahras to Tebessa.

79½ M. NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY, in 5½–6½ hrs. (14 fr. 35, 10 fr. 25, 7 fr. 70 c.; 1st cl. return 20 fr. 20 c.). Railway Restaurant at Clairefontaine only. Morsott is preferable to Tebessa for night-quarters.

Souk-Ahras, see above. We cross the Tunis line (R. 51) by a viaduct, and descend to the S. into the valley of the Medjerda (p. 325), latterly through underwood and Aleppo pines. 5 M. Les Tuileries.

We next ascend the narrow and picturesque side-valley of the Oued Chouk, through pine and cork-oak woods. Beyond (9 M.) Oued-Chouk (1975 ft.) we skirt the upper course of the stream, now called Oued el-Hammam, in a barren hill-country, and at places through limestone gorges, bordered with Aleppo pines.

17½ M. Dréa (2634 ft.), an alfa (esparto grass) station.

From Dréa we may visit the native village of Mdaourouch (3058 ft.), 3 M. to the S.E., on the N.W. slope of Jebel Bou Sessou (3566 ft.). This was the ancient =Madaura= or Madauros, the birthplace (about 125 A. D.) of the Roman author L. Apuleius. It was once the seat of a famous school of oratory, at which St. Augustine (p. 310) was educated. On its site, where there are relics of a Roman Mausoleum and the foundations of an early-Christian Basilica, rises the conspicuous Byzantine Castle, dating from the time of Solomon (p. 315), a building curiously irregular in plan, partly enclosed by later (Berber?) fortifications. Large Thermae also have been recently excavated.

Beyond Dréa we traverse fields and poor pastures to the S.W.

22½ M. Mdaourouch (2809 ft.; no inn), the highest point on the line, the watershed between the Medjerda and the Mellègue (see below). In the vicinity is the village of Montesquieu.

A field-road leads to the E. from the station to (4½ M.) the village of Mdaourouch (see above).

Khamissa (p. 313) may be visited from Montesquieu (see above) or Mdaourouch if we are fortunate enough to find mules there. We follow the Sedrata highroad to the W. to (9 M.) the caravanserai (Bordj; 2756 ft.) in the Plaine de Tifech (p. 313), whence we turn to the N. to (13 M.) Ksar Tifech (p. 313) and thence go on to (16 M.) Khamissa.

Beyond Mdaourouch there are long stretches of bleak steppe-like country. The train descends to (30 M.) Oued-Damous (1982 ft.), in the valley of that name. It then skirts the Oued Kebarit and rounds the E. slope of Jebel Kréréga (3251 ft.), a tableland with scanty woods of pine and arbor vitæ. Far away to the left rises Jebel Ouenza (4229 ft.), with the largest iron-mines in Algeria, owned by the ‘Société d’Etudes de l’Ouenza’. (Mineral-line to Bona or to Nebeur projected; comp. p. 325.)

We now ascend the valley of the Oued Mellègue. To the right appear the bare Kef Bou Djabeur (2504 ft.) and Kef Raghma (2700 ft.), similar in type to the hills fringing the Sahara.

38 M. =Clairefontaine= (2146 ft.; Buffet, D. 3 fr., very fair), an important alfa station, with artesian wells. Sunday market.

Passing between Jebel Mestoula (3488 ft.) on the right and Jebel el-Dzeroua (3432 ft.) on the left, we enter, to the S.E., the valley of the Oued Chabrou. To the S., above the steppe, which is overgrown with alfa and enlivened by browsing camels, rise the ranges of Jebel Metloug (4111 ft.) and Jebel Mzouzia (4514 ft.).

60 M. =Morsott= (2559 ft.; Hôt. de Lyon or Sivignon, good cuisine), below Jebel Hout es-Srir (3445 ft.), a thriving European settlement, with its Monday market and alfa trade, is the starting-point of the mineral-line to (9½ M.) Jebel Bou Kadra (4734 ft.) and the iron-mines of the Mokta el-Hadid Company (p. 303).

Here, partly seen from the train, are relics of the Roman Vasampus: a Gateway of solid masonry, perhaps that of a temple-court; Thermae, with unusually small chambers; and two Mausolea. There are also remains of the foundations of an early-Christian Basilica, curiously planned, 40½ by 16¾ yds. (three portals to the nave, apse with four side-recesses, baptistery behind the choir-recess).

69½ M. Youks les Bains-Boulhaf le Dyr, station for the baths of Youks-les-Bains (p. 318), 7 M. to the S.W., and junction of the mineral-line to the phosphate-beds of Jebel Dyr (4977 ft.). On the right rises the ‘Chapeau de Gendarme’ (4393 ft.; Arabic Jebel bel-Khifeh), whose characteristic form we do not see until near Tebessa. A line of rails to the left leads to the phosphate-deposits of Aïn-Kissa.

In the foreground appear the hills of Tebessa, to the S. Jebel Tenoukla and Jebel Osmor (p. 318), and S.W. the Jebel Doukkan range (5528 ft.). Tents of the nomads are often seen on the steppe. We cross the Oued el-Kébir, as the Oued Chabrou is called here.

79½ M. =Tebessa.=—The STATION lies to the W. of the town, outside the Porte de Constantine, 8 min. from the Place d’Armes. Omn. twice daily.

HÔTELS. Hôtel d’Orient & de la Métropole, Rue Caracalla, 2 min. from the Arch of Caracalla, R. 3–3½, B. ¾, déj. 2, D. 3, pens. 8–9½, omn. 1 fr.; Hôt. du Cours, Place d’Armes, unpretending, but very fair.

A hasty visit to the sights, in the following order, takes 2–3 hrs.—For the description of Tebessa comp. also Cagnat’s book mentioned at p. 289.

Tebessa (2717 ft.; pop. 5700, mostly Mohammedans), a poor town, now unimportant except as the centre of the E. Algerian phosphate trade, was the ancient Theveste, one of the most prosperous towns in Inner Numidia from the Punic period (about B.C. 250–200) onwards. It was the first headquarters of the Third Legion (p. 286); in 123 A. D. it was connected with Carthage by a Roman military road; and after its destruction by the Berbers it was re-founded in 535 by Solomon, the general of Justinian (p. 541). Its ruins of the late-Roman and Vandal periods are among the finest in Barbary, but as they lie off the beaten track they are almost forgotten.

The town is still enclosed by the =Byzantine Walls= built by Solomon, forming a rectangle of 350 by 306 yds., with fourteen towers, two gates, and a sally-port on the S. side. The old upper gallery and the battlements were removed in 1852 when the walls were restored.

The modern W. Gate, the Porte de Constantine, leads first to the pleasant PLACE D’ARMES, the centre of traffic. Two minutes’ walk to the E. of this is the so-called Porte de Solomon, the most interesting part of the fortifications, with a round-arched passage and two square towers 56 ft. high. Outside of it the natives hold market on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The N. Gate, where the walls project a little on both sides, is formed by the *=Arch of Caracalla=, dating from 214 A. D., once in the middle of the far more populous Roman town, but now at the end of the main street coming from the Place d’Armes.

This arch, resembling the Janus Quadrifrons at Rome, is the most imposing Roman monument of the kind in Algeria, rivalling those of Tripoli (p. 408) and Leptis Magna (p. 412). It forms a square of about 12 yds. each way, with four round-arched passages, 27 ft. high and 15 ft. wide. Each pillar is adorned on its two outer sides with two Corinthian pilasters and two projecting Corinthian columns, all on a common base. Of the sculptures on the keystones of the archways, under the lavishly decorated architrave, there are preserved, on the E. side, a medallion in high relief of Minerva and a Medusa, and on the W. side a Fortuna (goddess of the town) and an eagle holding a bundle of thunderbolts. On three sides, in the middle of the attica, which is 4 ft. high, there are Latin inscriptions referring to Caracalla and his parents, Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. On the N. side, when the arch was restored, there was added an inscription in honour of Solomon. On the S. side is still preserved an ædicula, one of the four destined for statues adjoining the central dome. On the inner side of two of the pillars are long inscriptions from the testament of C. Cornelius Egrilianus, the builder of the triumphal arch.

The highroad now descends to the N. to the (7 min.) so-called **=Basilica=, the most remarkable early-Christian ruin in Algeria, still in some respects an enigma to archæologists. Built mainly of Roman materials, and itself used for centuries as a quarry, it still forms an immense quadrilateral of about 213 by 88–115 yds., systematically excavated for the first time in 1888–92. The oldest parts of the edifice, perhaps of the late 4th cent., are believed to be the basilica and the memorial chapel; the main street, the court, and the ‘stable’ seem to belong to a second building period, perhaps also prior to the Vandal era. The monastery, with its fortifications, and the additions to the memorial chapel date probably from the Vandal period; the small ‘emergency chapel’ is perhaps a later Byzantine addition. The custodian (fee ½–1 fr.) is to be found at the little house near the E. gate.

The E. Gate, the old main entrance, once adorned externally, in the style of a Roman triumphal arch, with Corinthian pilasters and jutting columns, is in fair preservation. Thence ran the paved Main Street, 8 yds. wide, without wheel-ruts, past the Basilica on the right and the court and ‘stable’ on the left, to the W. Gate, the ancient subsidiary entrance.

From the N. side of the main street, formerly flanked with three colonnades, a flight of fourteen steps, 9½ ft. high in all, ascends to the portico of the BASILICA, which was once preceded by eight columns. Three portals here opened into the Atrium, the square forecourt of the church, with remains of the Cantharus, or fountain of purification, in the centre. Near the entrance-wall are two side-rooms whence winding staircases ascended to the upper floor and the church galleries.

The Church, built of solid masonry, consisted of nave and two aisles, 50 by 24 yds. in all; but now nothing remains save the external wall of the left aisle, two arcades of the nave, and the choir-recess. The formation of the arcades, with low pillars and Corinthian columns in front, is peculiar. The site of the choirscreen and of the base of the altar is still traceable. Of the galleries, supposed to have been added on the occasion of a restoration of the church, there still lie fragments of the columns and imposts all around. The mosaic pavement is covered with earth.

From the front part of the right aisle twelve steps descend into an almost square outer building (25½ by 22 yds.), contemporaneous with the church. The middle of this is occupied by the Trichorum, a trefoil-shaped hall, with three rounded apses, probably a MEMORIAL CHAPEL, resembling the early-Christian cemetery-chapels, and dedicated to some martyr or bishop buried under the altar. The four corner-rooms served as Tomb Chambers.

Among the later additions of the Vandal period are the Square Chamber on the S. side of the memorial chapel, which also was used as a burial-place, with its small ante-room, and the Baptistery, accessible only from the atrium by three steps, containing remains of the old font.

To the same period belong the other additions to the basilica. Extending round the church from the memorial chapel on the E. to the W. side of the atrium are twenty-seven square chambers, partly built of heathen tombstones, commonly supposed to have been the Monks’ Cells, though unusually large for that purpose. Between these and the castellated Monastery Wall, whose towers do not project externally in the usual Byzantine fashion, probably lay the Monastery Garden, which was used down to the Moorish period as a burial-ground.

Lastly we note the small ‘Emergency Chapel’ on the N. side of the memorial chapel, a small church, probably hastily built subsequent to the irruption of the Berbers (p. 315), with nave and two aisles, portico, choirscreen, rounded apse, and a square sacristy added on the N. side.

The QUADRANGLE, 60 by 46 yds., on the S. side of the main street, formerly called the forum, was once divided into four sections by two cross-ways bordered by marble balustrades. In spite of the unevenness of the ground these sections are supposed to have been basins (watering-places for cattle and horses?), the water being supplied from the square reservoir still existing at the S.E. corner of the quadrangle. From the cross-ways steps ascended to narrow terraces enclosing the quadrangle on three sides, that on the S. side being a porticus of twenty-two columns.

More enigmatical still is the WEST BUILDING, 53 by 24 yds., a hall with three aisles borne by pillars. This was afterwards converted, by the insertion of two low partitions, into a central chamber of three aisles with eleven two-storied side-rooms on each side of the outer aisles. The curious stone boxes or troughs (mangers?) on the partitions, together with the holes in the walls, of a kind that recur in many Byzantine buildings (perhaps for the rings to which horses were attached), have led to the conjecture that the building was a stable.

The small building behind the Porticus of six columns on the N. side of the main street, opposite the so-called stables, contains similar stone boxes.

The Kubba Sidi Djaballah, about 5 min. to the N. of the Basilica, near the Catholic cemetery, is a Roman mausoleum with a Moorish dome.

On the way back to the town we call at the Bureau des Ponts et Chaussées, on the right, a little off the road, 2 min. before the Arch of Caracalla, to ask M. Coggia, the curator, for the key of the museum.

The so-called *=Temple of Minerva=, the best-preserved Roman temple in Algeria, now used as a museum, dates from the 3rd cent. A.D. The only relic of the old temple-court is the gateway wall, adorned with Corinthian pilasters, now forming the façade of a zaouïa (Mohammedan school) in the main street, close to the Arch of Caracalla. The temple, a pseudo-peripteros of 19¾ by 10 yds., on a substructure 13 ft. high, is in a side-street, adjoining the N. town-wall. A new flight of twelve (once twenty) steps ascends to the portico, with four Corinthian columns in front. The structure of the temple shows many of the peculiarities of African provincial art. Instead of an architrave there is a frieze with bulls’ skulls and eagles grasping serpents; above it is an attica in similar style, overladen with reliefs but without a cornice. Instead of a pediment there was probably a flat terrace on the summit. The present roof and the whole front-wall of the cella are modern.

The =Town Museum= contains antiquities from Tebessa, Morsott, etc. (catalogue for the use of visitors). In the court are relics of antique and early-Christian buildings, inscriptions, altars, Saturn-stelæ and tomb-stelæ, some of them with bowls on the pedestal for the repasts of the deceased. The cella contains bronzes, vessels and sculptures in clay, etc.; a sarcophagus with the Muses; two mosaics from the baths which were removed to make way for the cavalry barracks, one with Nereids and sea monsters, the other with a home-coming ship and numbered figures of a game (bull, ostrich, gazelle, boar, etc.; comp. p. 292).

The =Catholic Church=, at the N.W. angle of the town-wall, is adorned in the interior with a few fragments from the Basilica. Thus, over the high-altar, are remains of an early-Christian sarcophagus with three curious figures in relief (Christian Roma?).

ENVIRONS. The Roman Aqueduct, 547 yds. long, restored in turn by the Moors, the Turks, and the French, still conveys water from the spring of Aïn el-Bled.—About 1¾ M. from the Porte de Constantine (p. 315) are the extensive late-Roman ruins of Tebessa Khalia (‘Old Tebessa’), the nature of which is still unexplained.

Diligence daily to (11 M.) Youks-les-Bains (2625 ft.), with ‘indifferent’ hot springs (95° Fahr.), 2 M. to the S.W. of the Meskiana and Aïn-Beïda road (p. 273).

To avoid the long return-journey from Tebessa to Souk-Ahras, we may ride or drive to the N.W. viâ (26 M.) Haidra (p. 362) to (40½ M.) Thala (p. 362) or to (37½ M.) rail. stat. Kalaâ-Djerda (p. 362). A mineral-line also runs thence to the Algerian frontier and the phosphate-beds on Jebel Kouif (3871 ft.; leave to travel by it is usually granted by the manager).

A road leads to the S.W., past Jebel Osmor (5052 ft.), noted for its Punic rock-tombs, then across the Tenoukla Pass, between Jebel Tenoukla (5118 ft.) on the right and Jebel Bou Roumane (p. 320) on the left, and past Bou-Chebka (caravanserai), to (47 M.) Feriana (p. 371). Diligence viâ Feriana to Gafsa (p. 383) in two days (fare 30 fr.).

VII. TUNISIA.

Route Page Geographical and Historical Sketch. Preliminary Notes 319 51. From (Constantine, Bona) Souk-Ahras to Tunis 325 Thuburnica, 325.—Simitthu. From Souk el-Arba, through the Kroumirie, to Tabarca, 326.—From Pont-de-Trajan to Béja. From Béja to Tabarca. Chaouach, 328. 52. Tunis 329 a. The New Town, 333.—b. The Old Town (Djamâa ez-Zitouna, Souks, Dâr el-Bey, Kasba, Mosque of Sidi Mahrez), 334.—c. Environs (Jardin du Belvédère, the Manoubia Hill, the Bardo, etc.), 338. 53. Carthage 343 Jebel Khaoui, 351. 54. From Tunis to Bizerta 351 Ferryville. Barrage des Pêcheries, 352.—From Tunis to Bizerta by road (Utica, Porto-Farina), 353. 55. From Tunis to Dougga (Le Kef) 354 Henchir Maâtria (Numluli), 355.—From Medjez el-Bab to Le Kef, 357. 56. From Tunis to Le Kef and Kalaâ-Djerda 358 From Bir-Kassa to La Laverie, 358.—From Smindja to Zaghouan. From Tunis to Zaghouan by road. Jebel Zaghouan, 359.—Maktar, 360.—Kalaât es-Senam. Haidra. From Kalaâ-Djerda to Kasserine viâ Thala, 362. 57. From Tunis to Susa 363 Jebel Bou-Kornin, 363.—From Fondouk Djedid to Menzel Bou-Zelfa. From Soliman to Korbous. From Bir Bou-Rekba to Nabeul, 364.—Takrouna. Hergla, 365.—From Susa to Mehdia viâ Moknine, 369.—Chebba, 370. 58. From Susa to Kairwan 370 From Aïn-Ghrasesia to Metlaoui (Sbeïtla, Kasserine, Thelepte, Feriana), 370. 59. From Susa to Sfax 378 60. From Sfax to Metlaoui viâ Gafsa 383 From Gafsa to El-Guettar, 385.—Gorges du Seldja, 386. 61. From Metlaoui to the Djerid 386 The Djerid, 386.—Kebilli. El-Hamma, 388. 62. From (Sfax) Graïba to Djerba viâ Gabes and Médenine 388 The Monts des Ksour, 390.—Tatahouine, 391.—The Island of Djerba, 393.

Tunisia, the eastmost part of the Maghreb (p. 93), a territory of about 50,000 sq. M., has a population of ca. 1½–2 millions, the great majority being Mohammedans (Berbers, Arabs, Moors, Kuluglis, and negroes). Of the remainder about 60,000 are Jews (Arabic Ihûdi, pl. Ihûd), either natives or settlers (from Spain and the so-called Livornese), 105,680 Italians, 40,850 French, 12,200 Maltese (p. 397), and 4800 other Europeans. The coast, about 620 M. long, extends from Cape Roux (p. 131) to Râs Adjir (p. 406).

The abrupt coast of the Tell Atlas (p. 169), which stretches from the Fedja Grandpré (3783 ft.) on the Algerian frontier to Cape Blanc (p. 129), and comprises the wooded hill-country of the Kroumirie, the Nefza and Mogod Mts., and several ranges of lower heights, is broken by the small coast-plain of Tabarca alone. The dunes to the E. of Bizerta, rising to 1033 ft., the greatest range of sand-hills on the Mediterranean, separate the Lake of Bizerta from the Gulf of Tunis (p. xxx), into which fall the Medjerda and the Oued Miliane, the two chief rivers of the country, forming a number of lagoons and tongues of land at their mouths.

The Algerian Sahara Atlas (p. 170) extends to the N.E. from Jebel Bou Roumane (5250 ft.) and Jebel Zebissa (4167 ft.) near Tebessa (p. 315) to Cape Bon (p. 153), broken by stony plateaux (Hammada, Kalaâ, Dyr), and finally descends abruptly to the sea. Its most important peaks in Tunisia are Jebel Chambi (5217 ft.), Jebel Bireno (4655 ft.), Jebel Rekaba (or Râs Ali Bou-Mouzine, 4987 ft.), Jebel Serd (4511 ft.), and, beyond the deep depression of Jebel Faroua (2362 ft.), Jebel Zaghouan (4249 ft.), which last is the most striking landmark for mariners in all Tunisia. The S. slope of the Sahara Atlas is remarkable for its terraced formation due to the action of water. The whole country consists mainly of great basins with floors of clay or sand of recent origin, separated from each other by elliptically shaped hills of more solid rock, chiefly of chalk formation. The Oued Hathob (pp. 362, 370) flows through no fewer than six basins of the kind.

From the Gulf of Hammamet, on the S. margin of the peninsula of Cape Bon, to the Lesser Syrtis, now the Gulf of Gabes, extends an alluvial plain of marine formation. This steppe-like tract, with its large fresh-water lake (Lac de Kelbia, p. 370) and many salt-marshes (Sebkha, comp. p. 169), is thinly peopled by nomads only, except on the strip of coast, with its lagoons, flanking the Sahel. To the W. of the Gulf of Gabes lies the region, 250 M. long, of the Shotts (Chotts el-Fedjedj, Djerid, and Rharsa), belonging to the great Bassin du Melrir (p. 170); it forms the N. fringe of the desert, lying largely below the sea-level, and contains the finest palm-oases in Barbary. The transition from the shotts to the highlands of Tripoli is formed by Jebel Tebaga (1608 ft.), and by the Monts des Ksour (2460 ft.), famed ever since the time of Herodotus for their troglodytes or cave-dwellers, and bounded on the S.W. by the Erg Oriental (p. 285).

Tunisia, unlike its neighbour Algeria, which is shut in all round by high mountains, covered with snow in winter, opens due E. upon the Mediterranean and enjoys a mild winter climate, but in summer and autumn is directly exposed to the sirocco (Arabic samûm), the burning wind from inland Africa, which is hotter and drier here than in Algeria. The mean temperature of January is at Tunis 51° Fahr. (minimum 28½°), at Aïn-Draham 42½° (min. 9½°), at Le Kef 45° (min. 23°), at Kairwan and Tozeur 50° (min. 25°), at Djerba 54½° (min. 35½°). The mean temperature of August at Tunis is 81° (maximum 122°), at Kairwan 85° (max. 120°), at Djerba 81° (max. 115°), and at Tozeur reaches 91° (max. 120°). The greatest rainfall in N. Africa is in the region of the Kroumirie (65 inches per annum at Aïn-Draham); to the S. of the Medjerda it decreases to 20–24 inches (at Le Kef 21½ in.); it is still lower at Tunis (17¾ in.), on the E. coast (Susa 16½, Sfax 9¾ in.), and particularly in the district of the shotts (at Tozeur 5 in.). The rain falls in short, torrential showers; owing to the destruction of the forests and the paucity of reservoirs the water rushes down unhindered to the salt-lakes and the sea, inundating the plains on its way. A few hours after each shower the thirsty soil is as dry as before, but the devastation caused by erosion is aggravated.

The fauna and flora are almost identical with those of Algeria (p. 171). The chief products of Tunisia are the tanner’s bark and cork of the Kroumirie, early vegetables from the environs of Tunis, cereals from the Medjerda valley and from the dales of the Sahara Atlas (here horse and cattle breeding also thrive), alfa or esparto grass (p. 171), olive-oil from the Sahel and from Sfax, and dates from the oases of the Sahara. Fish abound on the coast and the sponge fishery also is productive, while the coral-fishing has sunk into complete insignificance. The principal ores worked here are zinc, lead, iron, and copper. At Kalaât es-Senam, Kalaâ-Djerda, Metlaoui, Redeyef, and Aïn-Moularès there are immense deposits of phosphate, the yield of which has rapidly increased the traffic of Tunis and Sfax, and is expected greatly to augment that of Susa after the completion of its harbour.

Tunisia owes its ancient culture, the earliest in Barbary, to its numerous Phœnician colonies, such as Utica, Kambe, Hadrumetum (Susa), Leptis Minor, and Carthage. The Carthaginians wisely introduced the irrigation system of Mesopotamia into N. Africa and promoted the corn and vine culture, but the agricultural prosperity of the country was confined chiefly to the littoral, inhabited by Libyan-Phœnicians, a mixed Berber and Phœnician race, and to the valley of the Medjerda. The contiguous region of Numidia was first opened up to Punic culture by Masinissa (B.C. 201–149), the most distinguished of the ancient Berber kings.

The Roman republican period was unfavourable for the development of the new province of Africa. The chief events were the war with Jugurtha (111–106), the grandson of Masinissa, and the battles between Pompey, whose adherents were aided by Juba I., and Cæsar, which, after the battle of Thapsus (p. 369), led to the annexation of Numidia as the province of Africa Nova. The marvellous progress of the country during the first centuries of the Roman empire is evidenced by the colonization of the central Tunisian and S. Algerian steppe, a triumph of Roman enterprise. A great network of roads was constructed, chiefly from the reign of Hadrian onwards, to connect Carthage, the new capital, and other towns with Tebessa, Hippo Regius (p. 309), Tripolitania, and even the distant Mauretania Tingitana (p. 95), and numerous towns were founded in the interior of Tunisia and Numidia. But soon (about 238) a period of decline set in. Its causes were manifold. The Berbers were constantly rebelling, the Roman soldiers quarrelled, advancing Christianity and expiring paganism were struggling fiercely for the mastery, and the Christians, at length victorious, persecuted with the greatest ferocity. To add to these troubles, the terrible peasant-war of the so-called Circumcelliones broke out in the 4th cent., followed in the 4th and 5th cent. by the religious wars between Catholics and Donatists.

Once more, however, the ancient glory of Tunisia revived, though for but a brief period (439–77), under Genseric, the Arian king of the Vandals. After he had completed his victorious expedition from S. Spain to Carthage (429–39) he proceeded, in alliance with the Donatist Berbers and with the still Punic speaking inhabitants of the coast, to attack the effete western empire. With his newly formed fleet he conquered Sicily (440), Rome (455), Tripolitania, Malta (456), and Sardinia (458), and in 476, after the overthrow of the W. Roman empire, was recognized by Zeno, the E. Roman emperor, as lord of the whole western Mediterranean. But the incompetence and intolerance of his successors soon shattered this new empire, and in 533 king Gelimer was defeated by Justinian’s able general Belisarius. Even in Justinian’s time, however, the new rulers were incessantly attacked by the Berbers of the mountains, while the Byzantine governors (534–698) persecuted Donatists and Arians alike, with the result, according to Procopius’s estimate, that five millions of the inhabitants of N. Africa perished. The fate of the country was thus sealed and its conquest by Islam greatly facilitated.

After eight successive campaigns (647–98) the first Arabian governors (representing the caliphs), Abdallah ibn Saâd, Moauya ibn Hodeij, Sidi Okba ben-Nâfi (founder of Kairwan, p. 372), Zoheir ibn Kaïs, and Hassan ibn en-Nôman (destroyer of Carthage, p. 346), drove the Byzantines out of ‘Ifrikia’ and overcame the desperate resistance of the Berber mountaineers, thus sweeping Christianity from African soil and destroying the last vestiges of Punic and Roman culture. Ere long, however, their ineradicable love of independence led the Berbers, who after the conquest of Andalusia (p. 50) had formed the sect of the Kharijites and later that of the Shiites, to unite in opposing the orthodox Arabs and to found (about 740) several small states of their own, such as that of the Ibadites in Tiaret (p. 208) and that of the Sofrites in Sijilmassa (Tafilet, p. 96). In Tunisia the Aglabides (800–909), a Berber dynasty, who were originally governors under Hârûn er-Rashid, declared themselves independent, and in 827 they proceeded to conquer Sicily. Under the Fatimites, who also were Berbers, the seat of government was transferred in 916 from Kairwan to Mehdia (p. 369), and in 973, after the conquest of Egypt, it was removed to Cairo (comp. p. 443). The revolt of the Zirites, a new dynasty of Tunisian governors, named after Bologgîn ez-Ziri, led in 1045 to the fateful irruption of the Beni Hilal (Hilalides) and Beni Soleïm, two marauding tribes of nomadic Arabs. At the instigation of the Fatimites they overran Barbary like a swarm of locusts, defeated the allied Zirites and Hammadites (p. 270), destroyed Kairwan and many other towns, demolished most of the forests and the irrigation-works, and drove the Berbers back to their mountains. After a time the Zirites partly succeeded in subduing these hordes, but in 1148 the whole of the Sahel with its capital Mehdia was wrested from them by the Normans of Sicily (p. 148). In 1160 the Normans were expelled by Abd el-Mûmen (p. 95), and Tunisia was incorporated with the great empire of the Almohades. At length, under the Hafsides (1206–1573), Tunisia regained independence, with Tunis as the capital. Towards the end of this period troubles began anew. After interminable wars with the Merinides (p. 95) Tunis was captured by Kheireddin (p. 221) in 1534, and was attacked, though without permanent success, by the crusading Maltese knights (p. 398), by Emp. Charles V. (in 1535), by Juan de Vega (1551), and by Don John of Austria (1573). From 1574 to 1650 Tunisia was governed by Turkish officials (pashas, deys, beys), after which the dynasty of the Husseinites was founded by Hussein Ali ben-Turki. From 1705 onwards Tunisia, often only a nominal dependency of Turkey, degenerated into a mere pirate-state, which down to 1830 took an active part in the marauding expeditions of its barbaresque Algerian neighbours.

Since 1881 the French protectorate has paved the way for a new period of prosperity and opened up the greatly impoverished and thinly peopled country to European trade and culture. The present bey is Sidi Mohammed en-Nasr (born in 1855). The minister for foreign affairs is the French resident-general, and the minister of war is the commandant of the French garrison. Finance, postal arrangements, public works, and education are all superintended by French officials, with whom are associated a Mohammedan prime minister and a secretary of state. Europeans and their dependents are under the jurisdiction of the French law-courts; the natives are dealt with by the courts of the Ouzara and the ‘Shaâra’. The bey is allowed a body-guard of 600 men of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery, uniformed like the Zouaves.

Lovers of art will find Tunisia a most attractive country. As in Algeria and Morocco, so here also the megalithic monuments (dolmens, basinas, etc.), built of huge blocks of stone, are the chief memorials of the Libyan (or ancient Berber) culture. The Punic art of Tunisia, at first under Assyrian, Egyptian, and Greek influence, but exclusively Greek after the first campaigns in Sicily, has become better known of late, especially since the rich yield of the rock-tombs of Carthage. Apart from the tomb at Dougga (p. 355), as little of Punic architecture remains as in Algeria. On the other hand no other country can boast of such a profusion of Roman ruins (called by the Mohammedans Henshir) as Tunisia.

The early Moorish art of Tunisia, as in the whole of the Maghreb, betrays the influence of Andalusian masters, but most of the buildings are no earlier than the Turkish period. Contrary to their Algerian methods the French have preserved the Oriental character of the country, so that the seaports of the E. coast, Kairwan, and the oasis villages still contain fine Moorish buildings.

Travellers may explore any part of the country in safety and without escort, but they should not enter Mohammedan burial-grounds or shrines (comp. p. xxv). The only mosques and zaouïas open to Christians (but not to Jews) are those of Le Kef, Kairwan, Gafsa, and Tozeur.

The means of communication are similar to those in Algeria (comp. p. 173). The network of RAILWAYS, mostly belonging to the company of the Chemins de Fer de Bône-Guelma (p. 173), extends to central Tunisia only. Between Susa and Sfax (until the opening of the new railway) and between Sfax or Graïba and Gabes the motor-omnibus or the diligence (p. 173) is at present the only conveyance. The shotts are visited by carriage from Metlaoui, or, if preferred, from Gabes. A visit to S.E. Tunisia (Monts des Ksour, Gightis, Djerba) is usually paid from Gabes, where introductions had better be obtained from the authorities of the Territoire Militaire. Susa, Sfax, Gabes, and Djerba are also steamboat-stations (comp. R. 64). In Tunisia mid-European time (1 hr. ahead of Greenwich time), which is observed also on the Italian steamers, has recently been introduced.

First-class HOTELS are to be found in Tunis only. Those in country places are similar to the Algerian (p. 174), but still plainer and less up to date, apart from a few creditable exceptions. In the steppe and on the Sahara one must often have recourse to the fortified caravanserai or to the hospitality of the local authorities.

The POST OFFICE of the regency of Tunis has its own stamps (letter-postage within Tunisia or to France 10, to Italy 20 c. etc.; post-cards 5 c.). A passport visé by the consul must be shown in order to obtain delivery of registered letters.

The COINAGE, since the introduction of the gold standard (1891), has been French, with Arabic and French inscriptions. The gold coins are of 10 and 20 francs, the silver of ½, 1, and 2 francs, the copper of 5 and 10 centimes. Italian, Swiss, Belgian, and Greek silver coins (except 5 fr. pieces) and copper coins are rejected. English or American money should be exchanged for banknotes of the Banque de France or the Banque de l’Algérie (p. 174), or for gold of the Latin monetary union.

BOOKS (comp. also pp. xii, 175). Douglas Sladen, Carthage and Tunis (2 vols., London, 1906; illus.); Frances E. Nesbitt, Algeria and Tunis (London, 1906; illus.); G. Petrie, Tunis, Kairouan, and Carthage (New York, 1909; $4.80); A. M. Broadley’s ‘Tunis, Past and Present’ (London, 1882) gives an interesting account of the French conquest of Tunisia. Of French books may be mentioned La Tunisie (Législation, Gouvernement, Administration) by D. Gaudiani et P. Thiaucourt (Paris, 1910; 12½ fr.); H. Lorin, L’Afrique du Nord (Paris, 1908); J. Toutain, Les Cités Romaines de la Tunisie (Paris, 1896; 12½ fr.); R. Cagnat et H. Saladin, Voyage en Tunisie (Paris, 1887); R. Cagnat, L’Armée Romaine d’Afrique (Paris, 1892; 40 fr.); Charles Diehl, L’Afrique Byzantine (Paris, 1896; 20 fr.); H. Saladin, Tunis et Kairouan (Paris, 1908; 4 fr.). Carthage is the scene of Gust. Flaubert’s historical novel Salammbô.

MAPS of the Service Géographique de l’Armée (comp. p. 175): sheets on the scale of 1 : 50,000, each 1½ fr.; on the scale of 1 : 100,000, each 1 fr. 20 c.; and on the scale of 1 : 200,000, each 70 c.—A general survey is afforded by the Carte des Routes et des Chemins de Fer de la Tunisie, 1 : 500,000 (Tunis, 1908). See also Map, p. 319.

51. From (Constantine, Bona) Souk-Ahras to Tunis.

RAILWAY from Souk-Ahras to Tunis, 154 M., direct train with dining-car between Ghardimaou and Tunis (déj. 4, D. 4½ fr.) in 7 hrs. (27 fr. 80, 20 fr. 85, 14 fr. 90 c.; from Constantine to Tunis 14¼ hrs.); also ordinary train in 11¼ hrs. on Mon., Wed., & Frid.—Custom-house examination at Ghardimaou, strict as to tobacco and cigars, which are a government monopoly in Tunisia. All luggage not accompanied by the owner will be detained at the custom-house.

MOTORISTS from Bona (p. 309) to Tunis must go viâ La Calle (p. 131), Tabarca (p. 327), and Béja (p. 328).

From Constantine to (134 M.) Souk-Ahras, see RR. 48, 49.—The line from Souk-Ahras to Tunis, opened in 1879 (before the establishment of the French protectorate), crosses the Tebessa line (R. 50) and then descends to the S. into the Medjerda Valley (pp. 313, 320), called by the Carthaginians Makar, and by the Romans Bagradas, the most fertile and most important in Tunisia.

Beyond (5½ M.) Tarja (1611 ft.) the valley forms a short ravine. 10½ M. Sidi-Bader, in a meadowy dale, the future junction of the line from Bona to the mines on Jebel Ouenza (p. 314).

The train traverses a lonely mountain-region to (20½ M.) Oued-Mougras (1171 ft.), a finely situated village, and then runs through a narrow valley in the frontier-hills, with dense underwood, to (30½ M.) Sidi el-Hemessi (853 ft.), the last Algerian village.

37 M. =Ghardimaou= (673 ft.; Rail. Restaurant; Hôt. du Commerce; Algerian and Tunisian frontier, see above), a colonists’ village (Tues. market) at the entrance to the Regba, the upper plain of the Medjerda, which is fertile only in rainy seasons.

About 7 M. to the N. of Ghardimaou, beyond the Oued Raraï, lies Henchir Sidi Ali Bel-Kassem, on a hill between the Oued el-Hammam and the Oued Henja. This was the Roman town =Thuburnica=, among the ruins of which are the cellæ of two temples and a Byzantine fortress.

45 M. Oued-Meliz (584 ft.; Mon. corn-market), a village a little above the Oued Raraï (p. 325) and the mouth of the Oued Meliz.

Oued-Meliz is the station for the village of Chemtou (590 ft.), 2 M. to the N.E., at the influx of the Oued Melah into the Medjerda, the =Simitthu= of the Carthaginian and Roman periods. Its once famous quarries of yellowish red ‘Numidian’ marble are now abandoned. Among the ruins are a Roman bridge across the Medjerda, where the old road to Le Kef diverges (p. 360); also remains of the forum (44 by 27 yds.), of thermæ, cisterns, and an aqueduct; an interesting Roman wall on the bank of the Melah; the fairly preserved *Theatre; and, near the ancient Tabarca road, the burial-ground with its numerous tombstones. On the slope of the town-hill (830 ft.), which is crowned with a small Byzantine fortress, lies the so-called Temple des Boucliers, of the Punic and Roman periods.

50 M. Sidi-Meskine, at the mouth of the Regba, between Jebel el-Herrech (2277 ft.) on the left and Jebel Bou-Rebbah (2431 ft.) on the right. The train now enters the Dakla, the central plain of the Medjerda, about 25 M. long, partly swampy in winter and malarious and extremely hot in summer, which from ancient times till now has been the chief granary of Tunisia.

57½ M. =Souk el-Arba= (470 ft.; Rail. Restaurant; Hôt. du Commerce; Hôt. de France; pop. 1500), a thriving village of immigrant farmers, partly built with materials from Bulla Regia, and named after its Wednesday (‘fourth day’) corn-market, the most important in N. Tunisia next to those of Béja and Mateur. Road to Le Kef (p. 360) viâ the small village of Nebeur, the terminus of the railway from Béja (p. 328), with important iron-ore mines.

From Souk el-Arba a field-road leads to the N., in the direction of the conduit, somewhat apart from the Tabarca road, to (4½ M.) =Bulla Regia=, the prosperous ancient capital of the Dakla in the Carthaginian period, and in 203 the scene of Scipio’s victory over Hasdrubal and Syphax. The village lies on a terrace on the S. slope of Jebel Rebia (2123 ft.) and owes its modern name Hammam-Darradji to its spring. Among the interesting Roman ruins are the large *Thermae; a *Nymphaeum, or fountain; a Temple of Apollo, an open court with three cellæ in the style of Punic sanctuaries (comp. p. 357); a *Dwelling House, with an almost intact groundfloor, a mosaic pavement, vaults, and stairs to the upper floor. The Cisterns now serve the natives as habitations and the old Byzantine Fortress is now a caravanserai. The ruins of the Amphitheatre are less important. Three well-preserved subterranean Palaces and a Punic Fortress have been recently excavated. The rock-tombs of the Necropolis date partly from the Punic period.

FROM SOUK EL-ARBA TO TABARCA, 42 M., by the highroad. (Diligence to Aïn-Draham, in summer only, at 1 p.m., in 6 hrs.; from Aïn-Draham to Tabarca at 10.45 a.m., in 6 hrs., there and back 6 fr.) This excursion, only suitable for the warmer season, introduces us to the most beautiful parts of the *=Kroumirie=, which, thanks to its ample rainfall (p. 321), is the most richly wooded region in Barbary. Now and then we meet with an almost virgin forest of cork-trees, evergreen oaks, elms, ashes, and other trees, in whose shade grow luxuriant ferns, while babbling brooks refresh the wayfarer. It was owing to violations of the frontier and thefts of cattle committed by the Kroumirs that the French at length occupied Tunisia in 1881, but the natives are now peaceable herdsmen, wood-cutters, and charcoal-burners. The tombs of this Berber tribe still recall the ancient megalithic monuments of their ancestors.

The road ascends to the N.W. from the Dakla, through a depression between Jebel el-Herrech and Jebel Rebia (p. 326), to the saddle on the N.E. slope of Jebel Halloufa (1512 ft.), and then turns to the N. into the valley of the Oued Rzella, a feeder of the Oued Bou Heurtma (see below). It passes (13 M.) Fernana (820 ft.; Restaurants Dauteroche and Richetti) and ascends, soon more rapidly, to the (19½ M.) forester’s house of Camp de la Santé and (20½ M.) Les Chênes (2461 ft.; Hôt. des Chênes), a small summer resort superbly situated amid venerable evergreen oaks. The road descends in windings for a short time and then ascends again between Jebel Bir (see below) on the right and Kef Sidi Abdallah (2861 ft.) on the left, on whose slope is the kubba of Sidi Abdallah Ben-Djemel, the chief saint of the Kroumirs.—25½ M. =Aïn-Draham= (about 2625 ft.; Hôt. de France, Hôt. Serrières, both quite good; Mon. market), an agricultural village amidst cork-trees and evergreen oaks, lies in the heart of the Kroumirie, at the N. base of *Jebel Bir (3327 ft.), which commands a splendid survey of the Kroumirie and the Nefza Mts. (p. 328), stretching to the N. to the sea, to the N.W. to the lakes near La Calle (p. 131), and to the S. to the Dakla.

The road now descends across the Col des Ruines (2382 ft.) in windings to (30½ M.) Babouch (1637 ft.; frontier custom-house), a village of immigrant farmers, where the road to La Calle diverges to the W. (22½ M. from Aïn-Draham; diligence 5 fr.). Our road, flanked at first by cork-trees and then passing through groves of olive and fig-trees, now descends the picturesque valley of the Oued el-Kébir, the ancient Tusca, the boundary between the Roman province of Africa (p. 321) and Numidia.

42 M. =Tabarca= (Hôt. Tiret, plain but quite good; Hôt. de France; pop. 1300, of whom 1100 are Europeans; Frid. market), a quiet little seaport in the fertile coast-plain between the Oued el-Kébir and Cape Tabarca, was the Roman Thabraca, the busiest harbour on the coast-road between Utica (p. 353) and Hippo Regius (p. 309), the outlet for the marble of Simitthu (p. 326) and for the timber and the wild beasts of the Kroumirie. Hardly a trace of that period now exists. The loftily situated Turkish Bordj Djedid is now used as barracks. Opposite lies the bare island of Tabarca, rising abruptly on the N. side, with a picturesque old Genoese castle. Of the two, originally Carthaginian, quays connecting the island with the mainland the westmost has lately been restored, but the shallow harbour is scarcely used except by Sicilian fishermen. The steamers of the Comp. Gén. Transatlantique (p. 130) anchor in the open roads.—For the future railway to Mateur, see p. 352.

From Tabarca to Béja, see p. 328.

64 M. Ben-Bachir, not far from the influx of the Oued Mellègue, the ancient Muluth, and of the Oued Tessa (p. 357) into the Medjerda. We cross the Oued Bou Heurtma, the Armascla of the Romans. Fine view of Jebel Gorra (p. 355).

71½ M. Souk el-Khemis (427 ft.; ‘fifth-day market’), a thriving agricultural village, the largest at this end of the Dakla. The valley now contracts. 79½ M. Sidi-Zehili.

87½ M. Pont-de-Trajan (Rail. Restaurant), misnamed after a three-arched *Bridge of the time of Tiberius, 99 yds. long and 8 yds. wide, one of the oldest Roman structures in Barbary.

FROM PONT-DE-TRAJAN TO BÉJA, 9 M., branch-line in 24 min. (1 fr. 45, 1 fr. 10 c., 80 c.). The line ascends the bare valley of the Oued Béja, to the N.—9 M. =Béja= (715–1000 ft.; Hôt. de France, etc.; pop. 12,000, incl. 1600 Europeans), the Vaga of the Roman period, when it had a great market and was one of the most thriving places in the Medjerda valley, owes its present prosperity to the grain-trade and the culture of early vegetables. To the E., bordering the Avenue de la Gare, is the new quarter of the Italian and French farmers, with the Halle aux Grains. To the W., on the slope beyond the Oued Bou Zegdem, rises the picturesque old town. On its N.E. margin the Grande Rue leads to the Marché (cattle-market, Tues.) and to the Souks (p. 335). The Grande Mosquée, built in the form of an Egyptian cross (p. 376), one of the oldest in Tunisia, is famed for its borrowed wealth of ancient Roman capitals. The only Roman ruins are the Bâb el-Aïn (‘fountain-gate’) and relics of Thermae and of a Basin. The Town Walls, with their many towers, were originally Byzantine, but have been repeatedly restored. With the exception of the ‘keep’, the Byzantine fortress on the top of the hill has been superseded by the Kasba, built largely of Roman materials. On the Bou Hamdan (1047 ft.), a hill 1 M. to the N.W. of Béja, lies a large Punic Burial Ground, with rock-tombs.—Railways run from Béja to the N.E. to Mateur (p. 351) and to the S.W. to Nebeur (p. 326).

The picturesque route to Tabarca (45 M.; motor-omnibus or diligence) leads to the N. from Béja, past the zinc-mines of Jebel Charra (1414 ft.), and through the now treeless valleys of the Oued Béja (Oued Djorfane in its upper course) and the Oued Sersar. It next passes the richest calamine or zinc-ore mines in Tunisia (Jebel Damous, Aïn-Roumi, Jebel Sidi Ahmed) and leads through the grand ravine of Khanguet Kef Tout into the valley of the Oued Maden. 25 M. Djebel-Abiod (Hôt. des Nefzas, quite good), a village in the Nefza Mts., famed for their cork-tree woods, their abundant game, and their great deposits of hæmatite. (Railway from Mateur to Djebel-Abiod, see p. 352; thence to Tabarca under construction.) We now drive to the W., between Jebel Kherouf (2035 ft.) on the left and a chain of *Dunes (650 ft.) on the right, to Râs er-Radjel, and cross the Oued el-Kébir to (45 M.) Tabarca (p. 327).

From Pont-de-Trajan to Teboursouk (Dougga), see p. 355.

The Medjerda, in its sinuous course, then forces its way through the bare hill-country below Pont-de-Trajan. For a short distance the train runs to the N.E. into the side-valley of the Oued Zarga, stopping at (100½ M.) Oued-Zarga (322 ft.), and then returns to the E., through hilly country, and below Toukabeur and Chaouach (see below), into the valley of the Medjerda.

113 M. =Medjez el-Bab= (197 ft.; Hôt. des Colons; omn. to the diligence office 30 c.), a considerable village on the right bank of the Medjerda, 1¼ M. to the S. of the station, was formerly Membressa, a busy place on the Roman road from Carthage to Tebessa (p. 315). The eight-arched Medjerda Bridge was built in the 18th cent. with the materials of the Roman bridge; and the Roman Triumphal Arch, to which the village owes its name (‘ford by the gateway’), has lately been almost entirely demolished for a similar purpose. Important corn-market on Mondays.

On the slope of Jebel Chaouach (1778 ft.), some 5½ M. to the N.W. of Medjez el-Bab, lies Chaouach (1480 ft.), with the ruins of the small Roman town of Sua (triumphal arch, nymphæum, town-wall, etc.). About 1¼ M. to the W. of Chaouach are the ruins of Toukabeur (1221 ft.), the Roman Thuccabor, with its ancient cisterns, gateways, temple, etc.

From Medjez el-Bab to Teboursouk and Dougga (Le Kef), see R. 55.

The train now proceeds, generally somewhat apart from the tortuous stream, at the foot of bare hills (Jebel Heïdous, Jebel Lansarine, etc.), to (119 M.) El-Heri and (122½ M.) Bordj Toum.

133 M. =Tebourba= (133 ft.; Hôt. Cafort, R. 2, B. ½, D. 2½, pens. 6 fr.; pop. 2000) is pleasantly situated among olive-groves. On a height (164 ft.) crowned with the kubba of Sidi Ras-Allah, between the village and the Medjerda, are the scanty ruins of the Roman town of Thuburbo Minus. About ½ hr. to the S. of Tebourba lies the dam or *Bridge of El-Bathan, originally Roman, but restored to form a reservoir for watering the olive-trees. Adjacent are a small manufactory of chechias (a kind of fez) and barracks. Near Tebourba are large quarries of gypsum.

139 M. Djedeïda, junction for Bizerta (R. 54), with a barrage and an agricultural school and farm of the Alliance Israélite.

The train crosses the Medjerda and, at the arches of the *Aqueduct of Carthage (p. 348), still 7½ M. long, the watershed between the Medjerda valley and the undulating plain of Tunis.

148 M. La Manouba (p. 342). We then pass Kassar-Saïd (on the left; p. 342) and the (150½ M.) Bardo (p. 339), and for a short time skirt the N. side of the Sebkha es-Sedjoumi (p. 332). Lastly the train rounds the S. edge of the old town (Rebat Bab-Djazira, p. 337) and passes close to the Manoubia Hill (p. 339) and the Zaouïa Sidi Bel-Hassen (p. 339).

154 M. Tunis (Gare du Sud, see below).

52. Tunis.

ARRIVAL BY SEA. The Quay where almost all the steamers (p. 331) are berthed is 10–15 min. from the hotels. The Douane is close by. It is best to entrust luggage at once to the hotel servants; if a porter (hamal) is required his charge should be asked (usually 10 c. for small packages, and 25 c. for each trunk carried to the cab or omnibus). Cab (into the town 1 fr., each trunk 15 c.) and tramway (No. 1), see p. 330.

=Railway Station.= Gare du Sud (Pl. E, 5; Restaurant), Place de la Gare (Rue es-Sadikia).—Railway and sleeping-car office in the town, König & Co. (p. 331).

=Hotels= (comp. p. 324; often full in Feb.-April). *TUNISIA PALACE HOTEL (Pl. c; E, 4, 5), Avenue de Carthage, behind the Casino Municipal (p. 331), with a small garden, R. 4–10, B. 1½, déj. 5, D. 7, pens. 13–20, omn. 1½–2 fr.; *HÔT. DE PARIS & IMPÉRIAL (Pl. a; D, 5), Rue al-Djazira 23bis, R. 3–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½–4, D. 4–5, pens. 9–16, omn. without luggage 1 fr.—*GRAND-HÔTEL (Pl. b; D, 4), Avenue de France, R. 3½–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4½, pens, from 10, omn. 1 fr.; *HÔT. ST. GEORGES, Avenue de Paris (N. of Pl. E, 2), near the Belvedere Park (p. 338), suitable for some stay, R. 3–4, B. 1½, déj. 3, D. 4, pens. 9–12½ fr. (with dépendance HÔT. SUISSE, moderate); HÔT. DE FRANCE (Pl. d; D, 5), Rue Léon-Roches 8, quiet site, pens. 9–11, omn. 1 fr.—Plainer: HÔT. EYMON (Pl. e, D 4; ‘Gigino’), Rue de l’Eglise 1, corner of Place de la Bourse, R. 3–4, B. ¾, déj. or D. 2½, pens. 8 fr., good; TUNIS HOTEL & DE GENÈVE (Pl. f; D, 4, 5), Rue d’Italie 12, R. 2½–6, B. ¾, déj. 2–2½, D. 2½–3, omn. 1–1¼ fr.; HÔT. D’ANGLETERRE, Ave. Jules-Ferry 37, R. 2½–5, B. ¾, déj. 2, D. 2½, pens. 7½, omn. 1¼ fr.; HÔT. MAISON DORÉE, Rue de Hollande 10 (Pl. E, 5), with restaurant, similar charges; HÔT. MODERNE (Pl. g; D, 4), Rue de Constantine 12, corner of Rue de Bône, R. from 3½, déj. or D. 3, pens. from 9½ fr.; HÔT. DE LA POSTE, Rue d’Espagne 5 (Pl. D, 5).—=Hôtels Garnis.= HÔT. BELLEVUE (Pl. h; D, 4), Rue es-Sadikia 1; HÔT. RÉGENCE (dépendance of the Hôt. Eymon), Ave. de France, R. 3–8, B. 1 fr.; SPLENDID HOTEL, Ave. Jules-Ferry 74; ROYAL HOTEL, Rue d’Espagne 19, R. from 3 fr.; HÔT. CENTRAL, Ave. de Paris 8; FAMILY HOTEL, Rue d’Allemagne 15 (Pl. D, 5), near the marché (p. 333), plain.—Furnished Rooms (20–70 fr. per month) abound.

=Cafés.= Café du Casino, in the palmarium of the Casino Municipal (p. 331), with a summer terrace in the Ave. Jules-Ferry; Café-Restaurant de Tunis, Ave. de France 2, in the Hôt. Bellevue, much frequented; Café de Paris, same street, No. 16. Arabian cafés (p. 174) in the Halfaouine quarter (Pl. B, 2), at the Bab Djedid (Pl. C, 6), etc.—CONFECTIONERS. Engerer, Place de la Bourse 1; Wagner & Co., Rue d’Italie 24, and Ave. de Paris 8; Montelateci, Ave. de France 7.

=Restaurants.= *Brasserie du Phénix, Ave. Jules-Ferry 74, in the Splendid Hotel (see above); Café-Restaurant de Tunis, see above; Salvarelli, Ave. de France, adjoining the Grand-Hôtel; Maxéville, Ave. Jules-Ferry 63 (déj. or D. 1½ fr.); Maison Dorée, in the hotel (see above); Restaurant du Rosbif, Ave. Jules-Ferry 56; Restaurant de la Poste, Rue d’Angleterre 8.

Carriages. │ │ Voiture │ Voiture de Place │de Remise ═══════════════════════════════╪═══════════════════╤═════════╪═════════ │ │With two │ │ With one horse │ horses │ │ (2–3 │ │ │ │ pers.) │(4 pers.)│ „ │ Drive (course) in the town │ │ │ │ (petite banlieue) │ 0.80│ 0.90│ 1.—│ 1.60 Outside the town, up to 8 │ │ │ │ kilomètres (5 M.) │ 2.50│ 2.70│ 3.—│ 4.50 Hour in the town │ 1.30│ 1.50│ 1.80│ 2.40 Hour outside the town │ 1.80│ 2.—│ 2.40│ 3.20 Day (12 hrs.) │ 12.—│ 12.—│ 15.—│ 20.—

The chief limits of the inner town are the Bardo and the Belvedere Park. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (or in April-Sept. 11–5) a fare and a half is charged. During festivals and races, and also for long drives, bargain advisable. Small packages free; trunk 15 c.—There are also TAXIMETER MOTOR CABS (comp. tariff).

=Motor Cars.= Auto-Palace, Rue d’Autriche Prolongée 3; Garage Peyrard, Rue de Belgique 10; Tunisienne Automobile, Rue de Grèce.

=Tramways= (fares by zones, from 5 c. upwards; also transfer-tickets), from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.: =1.= Porte de France (Pl. D, 4), Ave. Jules-Ferry (Pl. E, 4), Ave. du Port, Harbour.—=2.= Porte de France, Rue al-Djazira (Pl. D, 5, 6), Ave. Bab-Djedid (Pl. D, C, 6), Place de la Kasba (Pl. B, 5).—=3.= Porte de France, Rue des Maltais (Pl. D, 4), Place Bab-Souika (Pl. B, C, 3), Kasba.—=4.= Rue al-Djazira (Rue d’Algérie; Pl. D, 6), Rue es-Sadikia (Pl. D, 5; Gare du Sud), Rue de Rome (Pl. D, 4), Ave. de Paris (Pl. E, 4, 3), Place Bab-Souika, Bab Bou-Saâdoun (Pl. A, 2).—=5.= Place Bab-Souika (Pl. B, C, 3), Bab Bou-Saâdoun, Bardo (p. 339; every ¼ hr., 15 c.), La Manouba (p. 342; every ½ hr., 30 c.).—=6.= Porte de France, Rue des Maltais (Pl. D, 4), Bab el-Khadra (Pl. C, 2), Cimetière Municipal, Belvedere Park (p. 338; Ave. Carnot, 15 c.).—=7.= Rue de Rome (Pl. D, 4), Ave. de Paris (Pl. E, 4–2), Belvedere Park (Rond-Point; every 10 or 15 min., 15 c.; on week-days there and back 25 c.), Ariana (p. 338; every ½ hr., 30 c.).—=8.= Ave. de France (Pl. D, 4), Ave. de Carthage (Pl. E, 5–7), Bab Alleoua (Pl. E, 7), Abattoirs (to the S. of Pl. E, 7).—For the electric tramways to Carthage and La Marsa, see p. 343.

=Post & Telegraph Office= (Pl. D, 5), Rue d’Italie 30; branches on the quay and in the Place Bab-Souika.

=Steamboat Agents.= For the Comp. Gén. Transatlantique (RR. 21, 22), Banque de Tunisie, Rue es-Sadikia 3, and on the Quai Ouest; for the Società Nazionale (RR. 25, 26, 64), Florio, Rue d’Alger 1; for the Comp. de Navigation Mixte (RR. 21, 26, 64), Ave. Jules-Ferry and Quai Ouest; for the Hamburg-American Line, the Hungarian Adria, and the German Levant Line, Siebert & Co., Rue d’Italie 5bis; for the North German Lloyd, Heckmann, see below.

=Tourist Offices.= Eisen (travel and sport), Rue Léon-Roches 6; König & Co., Rue es-Sadikia; Pernull & Myddleton, Ave. Jules-Ferry 39; R. Heckmann (Universal Tourist Office), Ave. de Carthage, opposite Tunisia Palace Hotel; Lubin, Ave. de France 5.—Comité d’Hivernage, Ave. de Carthage 8.

=Consuls.= British Consul-General, E. J. L. Berkeley, Place de la Bourse (Pl. D, 4); vice-consuls, Chas. A. Goodwin, R. Schembri.—U. S. Vice-Consul, A. J. Proux, Ave. de France.

=Physicians.= Dr. Domela, Ave. Jules-Ferry 72; Dr. Valetta, Rue d’Espagne; Dr. Zammit, Rue Amilcar (all three speak English); Dr. Jaeggy, Rue d’Autriche; Mlle. Dr. Gordon, Rue de Rome 18.—CHEMIST. Heyler, Ave. Jules-Ferry 54 (Théâtre Rossini, Pl. E, 4).

=Baths.= Dublineau, Rue d’Allemagne 17 (Pl. D, 5; well fitted up; bath 1½, Turkish 3 fr.); Bains Français, Rue de Suisse 8; Bains Maures (comp. p. 175), Ave. Bab-Menara.

=Banks= (comp. p. 174). Banque de l’Algérie, Rue de Rome 18; Comp. Algérienne, Rue de Rome; Banque de Tunisie, Rue es-Sadikia 3; Comptoir d’Escompte de Paris, Ave. de France; Cooperativa Italiana, Rue es-Sadikia 7; Krieger, Rue al-Djazira 45.

=Goods Agents.= Meyer, Porte de France 35; Dana, Rue es-Sadikia 9.

=Booksellers.= Niérat & Fortin, Ave. de France 15, and Saliba, No. 17.—PHOTOGRAPHS (and photographic materials). Lehnert & Landrock, Ave. de France 17, and Garrigues, No. 9; Neuer, Rue Léon-Roches 6; Vella, Rue d’Allemagne 4.—NEWSPAPERS. Dépêche Tunisienne, Tunisie Française, Unione (Ital. and Fr.).—SHOP for European goods, Magasin Général, Ave. de France 22 (fixed prices). Oriental goods at the Musée Ahmed Djamal, Souk el-Attârîn 11 and Rue d’Autriche 108; Pohoomull Frères, Ave. de France 17. The Oriental articles in the SOUKS (pp. 335–337) and even the fezes (chechia) are mostly of European make and may be bought cheaper at home. Important purchases should not be made without the aid of a friend who knows the country and its ways (bargaining necessary). The services of touts, guides, and hotel servants should be declined, as they tend to raise prices.

=Theatres.= Théâtre du Casino Municipal, in the Casino Municipal (see below), entrance in the Ave. Jules-Ferry, for operas and operettas, 15th Nov. to 15th April; Théâtre Rossini (Pl. E, 4), Ave. Jules-Ferry 48, for Italian and French dramas.—CASINO MUNICIPAL (Pl. E, 4), Ave. de Carthage 1, with hall for concerts and varieties (‘Palmarium’), a summer terrace, card-rooms, and American bar. The Pavillon du Belvédère, in the park of the Belvedere (p. 338), is the summer casino of the same company.—BAND on Sun. and Thurs. afternoons, Place de la Résidence; on Wed. in front of the Cercle Militaire.

=English Church.= St. George’s (‘Egl. anglic.’; Pl. C, 3), Rue Bab-Carthagène 39, service at 10.15 a.m.

=Sights.= Bardo Museum, same as Musée Alaoui, see below.

Bardo Palace (p. 340), week-days, at any hour; tickets at the Musée Alaoui (comp, below).

Bibliothèque Française (p. 333), week-days 9–11 and 2–4 (in summer 8–11 only).

Dâr el-Bey (p. 336), daily, 9–11 and 3–5; fee ½–1 fr.

Jardin d’Essais (p. 338), daily 8–11 and 1–5 (April-Oct. 7–11 and 3–6).

Musée Alaoui (p. 340), daily except Mon. and great Catholic festivals 9.30–11.30 and 1–4 (16th Feb. to 15th Oct. 2–5), 1 fr. (Sun. free); the same ticket admits to the Bardo Palace also, if visited on the same day.

=Two Days.= 1st. Forenoon, Ave. Jules-Ferry and Ave. de France (p. 333); walk through the Souks of the Medina (p. 335) and the adjoining Mohammedan Quarters (p. 334); visit to Place el-Halfaouine (p. 337). Afternoon, Bardo Museum (p. 340) or Belvedere Park (p. 338), or, by carriage, both.—2nd. Excursion to Carthage, see R. 53.

Tunis, Ital. Túnisi, capital of the Régence de Tunis, and seat of the French Resident-General (p. 323) and of the Mohammedan university, is the largest city in N. Africa after Cairo and Alexandria, and vies with Sfax as a most important harbour. Population about 200,000, of whom about 115,000 are Mohammedans, 22,500 Jews, 41,000 Italians, 14,000 French, 5400 Maltese, and 250 Greeks.

The town lies in 36°47′ N. lat. and 10°10′ W. long., on the E. margin of the narrow tongue of land (rising to 190 ft.) between the Lac de Tunis (or Lake Bahira, p. 129) and the small salt-lake Sebkha es-Sedjoumi, an old lagoon. The central part of the sea of houses composing the old town is the Medina, the oldest Moorish quarter, built largely out of the ruins of Thunes, Carthage, and Utica, and now the chief focus of trade and industry. Adjacent, to the N. and S., are two poor quarters, also chiefly Mohammedan, the Rebat Bab-Souika and Rebat Bab-Djazira, formerly N. and E. suburbs. The monotonous European new town in the low ground to the E. of the Medina, exposed in summer to the exhalations of Lake Bahira, is gradually extending from the Porte de France (formerly Bab el-Bahar, sea-gate) towards the harbour. On the brow of the hill to the W. of the old town are the old Kasba and most of the public buildings, almost all built under the French protectorate. Some of these lie outside the Turkish town-wall, once 6000 yds. long, erected in the 17th century.

Tunis, the ancient Thunes, a Berber name given to an earlier Phœnician colony, appears in history in 508 B.C. as an ally of Carthage. In 395 it was destroyed by rebellious Berber tribes. It was from Thunes that Agathocles (p. 163) and Regulus (p. 345) advanced against Carthage, and here, after the first Punic war, the discontented mercenaries from Sicca Veneria (p. 360) established themselves. Tunis was probably destroyed by the Romans at the same time as Carthage (146 B.C.) and rebuilt later. After the downfall of Carthage Utica (p. 353) entered into the heritage of her proud neighbour, but for a short time only; for from 29 B.C. onwards Carthage resumed her ancient supremacy and continued to flourish down to her second destruction in 698 A.D. This time Tunis was her natural successor. But the nomadic Arabs, being ignorant of navigation, and the Aglabides (p. 323) preferred Kairwan (p. 372), which had recently been founded in the heart of the Tunisian steppe; and the succeeding Fatimite and Zirite dynasties favoured the Sahel, with Mehdia (p. 369) as their new capital, to the detriment of N. Tunisia. At length, under the Hafsides (1206–1573; p. 323), Tunis became the capital, and rapidly grew to be the greatest and fairest city in the land, as well as a zealous promoter of the glorious Moorish art and science of the 13th and 14th centuries. The most distinguished of the Hafside sovereigns was Abû Abdallah Mohammed el-Mostanser Billah, who in 1270 defended his capital successfully against Louis IX., the Saint (p. 346). After the decline of that dynasty at the close of the 15th cent. and the capture of Tunis by Kheireddin (p. 221) in 1534, the city was attacked by the Spaniards in three different campaigns (p. 323), and was conquered four times by the Turks and the Algerians (in 1569, 1573, 1689, and 1757); yet in the 17th and 18th centuries, thanks to its Oriental trade and the booty of its pirates, it again enjoyed great prosperity.

The only mediæval buildings in the old town which have survived all these vicissitudes are three mosques, now much modernized. The distinctive character of the present town is of Mauro-Turkish origin. Those who cross the threshold of the Orient here for the first time will be specially struck with the narrow and crooked lanes of the Mohammedan quarters, only 12–16 ft. wide, with the motley crowd in the Souks (p. 335), and with the picturesque concourse of all the tribes of N. Africa and the Sahara. The poor Jewish quarter (p. 337) is less interesting. The strange costume of the women, with their kufias or sugar-loaf hats, loose jackets, and tight-fitting trousers, is now rarely seen except on members of the older generation, while the pretty, old-fashioned costume of the girls is a thing of the past.

John Howard Payne (b. 1792), author of ‘Home, Sweet Home’, was United States consul at Tunis from 1842 until his death in 1852.

a. The New Town.

From the Harbour (Port; see inset map, Pl. E, 1), which together with the Bahira Canal (p. 129) was constructed in 1888–96, the short Avenue du Port (tramway No. 1, p. 330) leads through the Piccola Sicilia, a group of workmen’s huts, into the town, ending at the bronze statue of Jules Ferry (1832–93), the French statesman who brought about the occupation of Tunisia.

The AVENUE JULES-FERRY (Pl. E, 4), or AVENUE DE LA MARINE, the finest street in the new town, 66 yds. wide and 710 yds. long, is planted with double avenues of fig-trees. On the left, just beyond the divergence, to the right and left, of the unfinished Avenue de Paris (p. 338) and Avenue de Carthage (Pl. E, 5–7), which together are 2¼ M. long, rises the Casino Municipal (Pl. E, 4; p. 331).

The Ave. Jules-Ferry ends at the PLACE DE LA RÉSIDENCE (Pl. D, 4; band, see p. 331), the centre of the new town. To the left, on the S. side, rises the =Palais de la Résidence= (Pl. D, E, 4), or Maison de France, built in 1856–60 for the French consulate (see p. 334), and tastefully remodelled in 1890–2 by Dupertuys as a dwelling for the resident-general. The beautiful garden is not accessible. Opposite the Residence is the =Cathedral= (Pl. D, 4); erected in 1893–7. The Rue es-Sadikia leads to the S. from the W. end of the square to the Gare du Sud (p. 329).

The Ave. Jules-Ferry is continued by the much narrower AVENUE DE FRANCE (Pl. D, 4), intersecting the older European quarter, the favourite promenade of the town. A little to the S. of it, in the Rue d’Italie, which leads to the Post and Telegraph Office (Pl. D, 5), is the Marché (Pl. D, 5; interesting from 7 to 10 a.m.).

In the Rue de Russie, the southmost street in this quarter, is the Bibliothèque Française (Pl. D, 5; adm., see p. 331), which is well supplied with literature relating to N. Africa.

b. The Old Town.

At the W. end of the Ave. de France (p. 333), the starting-point of several tramway-lines (see p. 330), is the Porte de France (p. 332), and beyond it lies the PLACE DE LA BOURSE (Pl. D, 4), which presents a busy scene all day. In and near this square are most of the =Consulates= (British among others), as during the Turkish period. The old French Consulate (about 1650 to 1860), which served also as a warehouse (fondouk), is at No. 15 Rue de l’Ancienne-Douane.

To the W. from the Place de la Bourse run the two chief thoroughfares of the Medina. To the right is the RUE DE LA KASBA (Pl. D, C, 4, 5; p. 336), leading past the Jewish quarter (p. 337) and the Souk el-Grana (Pl. C, 4) to the upper boulevards (p. 336), to which it is the chief approach. To the left is the RUE DE L’EGLISE (Pl. D, C, 4, 5), leading direct to the Souks of the Medina, the main business street of the Christian merchants in the Turkish period.

We follow the Rue de l’Eglise. On the left is the small church of Ste. Croix (Pl. C, D, 4, 5; 1662), to which the street owes its name. Then, on the right, is the Administration des Habous, the headquarters of the Mohammedan pious foundations. Lastly we pass through a vaulted passage under the Direction des Antiquités.

The Rue de l’Eglise ends at the Rue de Djamâa ez-Zitouna, on the E. side of the chief mosque, the =Djamâa ez-Zitouna= (Pl. C, 5), which is said to trace its origin to the tomb of St. Oliva of Palermo, a Christian saint revered even by many Mohammedans. The mosque was founded in 732 by Obeïd Allah ibn el-Habbab, enlarged by the Aglabide Sijadet Allah I. (p. 374), and repeatedly altered under the Hafsides. When Tunis was plundered by the troops of Emp. Charles V. the mosque was used as a stable. Since then the edifice has been much modernized, and is lavishly adorned with spoils from Carthage. The chief portal, behind the colonnade in the Rue de Djamâa ez-Zitouna, where on Fridays the clergy receive the Sheikh ul-Islam, or supreme pontiff, and the side-portal in the Souk des Etoffes (p. 335) have each an ornamental ancient pillar as a lintel. The many-aisled interior, with its 161 columns and two domes over the nave, is similar in plan to the Sidi Okba Mosque at Kairwan (p. 374). The new minaret, 145 ft. high, erected in the Andalusian style by Si Slîmân Ennigro in 1894, is a free copy of the old tower. The pile of buildings is best surveyed from the roof of the Dâr el-Bey (p. 336).

The mosque serves also as a lecture-room for the Mohammedan University. The instruction is under the direction of the Sheikh ul-Islam; there are about a hundred teachers and 400 students. Admittance to the twenty-two medersas, or colleges, for students from other parts of the country, and to the library famed for 7000 Oriental MSS. is granted to none but Mohammedans.

The Zitouna Mosque lies in the region of the *=Souks= (Pl. C, 5; Arabic sûk, market), the market quarter of the Medina, dating from the Hafside period (13th cent.). As usual in the East the lanes are roofed over. The small narrow shops are shut in by a counter, over which the trader swings himself into his seat with the aid of a rope. Most trades have their own streets. It is interesting to watch the people at work in those souks where the wares are made on the spot. The larger bazaars in some of the streets are designed solely to attract foreigners. The busiest time is the early morning. Friday is the Mohammedan, and Saturday the Jewish day of rest. As to purchases, see p. 331. In and near the Souks are many small Arab coffee-houses and barbers’ shops.

From the Rue de Djamâa ez-Zitouna we turn to the right to visit the =Souk el-Attârîn=, the spice-market, founded in 1249. Besides the spices and perfumes sold here (such as essence of jasmine and rose-geranium, sometimes palmed off on strangers as attar of roses), we observe amber, dried henna-leaves, henna-powder (p. 108), and the big candles, often branched, which are used at weddings and for the tombs of saints.—The side-street to the right, opposite the N. side of the mosque, is the Souk el-Blagdjia, for leather-wares.

At the W. end of the spice-market, to the left, opposite the Rue Sidi Ben-Arous (see below), is the =Souk des Etoffes=, on the W. side of the mosque, with its display of silk and woollen stuffs, carpets from Kairwan, and rugs from the Djerid (p. 386) and from Djerba (p. 393).

Adjoining the Souk des Etoffes is the busy Souk des Femmes, the only one frequented by Mohammedan women, where female apparel, trinkets, and slippers of Saffian leather (p. 109) are sold.

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