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).
[Illustration: BLIDA]
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.
[Illustration: ALGER]
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_.