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).