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).