The Romans in the old days had marched, fought, and colonised all over
Algeria, and their doings have been recorded by their history writers.
One of these, Herodotus, has described how in one part of Algeria
there were many wonders, such as springs of water in which the water
came out boiling, donkeys which had horns like rams' horns on their
heads, and lastly that there was a great mountain made of solid salt.
Of course, he got a good deal laughed at, and was entirely disbelieved
by the Romans who stayed at home, but all the same his yarns were not
far off the truth.
We ourselves were camped near one of the numerous hot springs in
Algeria, Hammam Mousketine, it was called; clouds of steam used to
rise from it always.
Also, we met many English sportsmen tramping and camping among the
mountains in search of the "moufflon," a kind of mountain wild sheep,
which, at a short distance, looks very like a donkey with big ram's
horns on its head.
In the course of our tramp we paid a visit to the Salt Mountain, and
found that Herodotus had told nothing more than the truth.
The mountain is about 900 feet high, and about three miles long, and
consists of a jumble of crags and fissures, chiefly of yellow
sandstone, in which are imbedded great blocks and sheets of salt.
The natives for miles round come with picks and mattocks, and cut as
much of it as their donkeys can carry to market.
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