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).