72 M. ROAD. Motor-omnibus (p. 262) from Bougie at 6 a.m., in 7½ hrs.
(to Kerrata, déjeuner station, in 4¾ hrs.); from Sétif at 7 a.m., in
6½ hrs.; fare 25 fr. 20 or 12 fr. 20 c. (to Kerrata 11 or 4 fr.);
luggage at the rate of 10 fr. per 100 kilos (220 lbs.) for every 100
kilomètres (62 M.). Also a diligence to Kerrata, both from Bougie and
from Sétif: from Bougie at 3.30 a.m., in 7½ hrs., from Sétif, at 5
a.m., in 6 hrs. (allowing an hour for lunch at Kerrata, 11–12); fare
for the whole journey 15 fr. (intérieur 8 fr.). Those who do not care
for the unattractive drive from Kerrata to Sétif, where there is
direct correspondence in the direction of Constantine and Biskra only,
or who are bound for Djidjelli, will return at once from Kerrata to
Bougie.—Private carr. from one of the hirers at Bougie (p. 262) to
Sétif about 100–140 fr. (or to Kerrata and back 50–60 fr.). Motor-car
at Vogelweith’s (p. 262) ½ fr. per kilomètre Carr. from Sétif to
Bougie 120, half-open (calaffe) 100 fr.; it is possible to drive all
the way in one day, but in the reverse direction (Bougie to Sétif) it
is best to spend a night at Oued-Marsa or Kerrata.
The road skirts the gulf of Bougie (p. 130) all the way to the deep
depression of the Agrioun Valley. Between Bougie and Kerrata it passes
through the finest scenery of =Little Kabylia= or _Petite Kabylie_, a
wooded hill-region, thinly peopled by Berber tribes. The _Chaîne des
Babors_, the higher mountains, unlike those of the Jurjura (p. 258),
rise but little over the intermediate hills. The _Chabet el-Akra_ is
the grandest mountain-defile in Algeria.
_Bougie_, see p. 262. The ROAD leads through the suburb at the station
and then to the S.W. across the plain of the _Oued Srir_ (p. 252).
Passing through the featureless plain on the right bank of the _Oued
Sahel_ (p. 251), we obtain retrospects, growing finer as we advance, of
Bougie and Cape Bouak and then of Cape Noir and Cape Carbon also. We
soon reach the vine-clad coast-plain on the verge of the wooded hills of
_Little Kabylia_, where the cork-oak abounds, and for a time turn away
from the sea.
Halfway between Bougie and Cape Aokas the coast-plain narrows. High
above the rocky shore the road mounts a spur of the _Beni Mimoun Djoua
Mts._, and then the (10½ M.) _Pointe Tichi_, an offshoot of the _Beni
Amrous_ hills, beyond which it descends, in view of the picturesque Cape
Aokas and the coast as far as Cape Cavallo (p. 267), into the vine-clad
valley of the _Oued Djemâa_. At the (12½ M.) bridge over the stony bed
of the stream, we observe up the valley the _Beni Slimane Mts._ (4160
ft.) and those of _Beni Bou Aïssi_, with the lofty _Jebel Imoulentaour_
(5715 ft.).
Beyond the Djemâa valley begins one of the finest parts of the coast.
The hills again come down close to the shore. The road passes the
handsome _Villa Poizat_, with its great wine-cellars, and crosses the
wild _Oued Zitoun_. On the slope above the torrent is a pretty
farm-dwelling, nestling among eucalypti, bananas, and bamboos. We next
round the _Cône d’Aokas_ (1519 ft.), precipitous all round, and come to
a bend in the road at (15 M.) _Cape Aokas_, where we have a beautiful
*View of the whole bay.
Just before the village of _Oued-Marsa_, 6 min. beyond the cape, is the
prettily situated little _Hôt. du Cap Aokas_ (R. 2½–3, B. 1, déj. or D.
3½ fr., quite good). The road now enters the broad coast-plain between
the _Oued Marsa_ and the Oued Agrioun, lately brought under cultivation,
overlooked by the _Beni Hassain Mts._ (4567 ft.), and still showing a
few vestiges of the primæval _Forêt d’Acherit_, a swampy region
notorious for malaria.
We cross the _Oued Sidi Réhane_ and pass the village of that name, with
its kubba shaded by venerable trees. A double tunnel under the bed of
the torrential _Oued Sidi Resgoun_ next brings us to the broad mouth of
the _Oued Agrioun_.
22 M. _Souk et-Tenine_ (Hôt. des Voyageurs, déj. 1½ fr., poor), the
Monday market of the Beni Hassain, lies on a low hill at the entrance to
the Agrioun valley. The road ascends on the left bank of the valley,
flanked with cork-trees and beautiful underwood.
The road to _Djidjelli_ diverges at the 36th kilomètre-stone (22½ M.) to
the left from the Sétif road.
The beautiful DJIDJELLI ROAD (from Bougie 60 M.; motor-omnibus daily,
fare 14 fr. 30 or 10 fr. 30 c.; diligence daily at 5 a.m., in the
reverse direction at 4 a.m., in 12 hrs., fare 10 or 7 fr.; provisions
should be taken for the journey) continues to skirt the bay of Bougie,
passing at places through fine old forest of cork-trees, pines, etc.,
thickly overgrown with creepers. It crosses the Oued Agrioun beyond
the 36th kilomètre-stone and the _Oued Boulzazène_, and then returns,
to the N.E., to the coast.
Near the 42nd kilomètre-stone (26 M.) begin the *_Grandes Falaises_, a
series of bold cliffs, extending along the coast for 1¼ M., through
which the road is tunnelled at places. Fine view of the bay behind us,
as far as Jebel Gouraya. We next skirt two secluded bays, separated by
_Jebel Afoerer_ (473 ft.), pass the _Pointe Ziama_ (450 ft.), and
cross the _Oued Ziama_.
32 M. _Ziama_ consists of a group of settlers’ dwellings near the site
of _Choba_, a Roman seaport, where there are still considerable
remains of the Roman town-walls, of baths dating from 196 A. D., and
of the Byzantine ramparts.
Beyond the cliffs of _Pointe Mansouria_ (hotel), off which rises the
rocky islet of that name, we come to (37½ M.) the mouth of the _Oued
Guelil_ or _Dar el-Oued_, near the stalactite _Grottes de Mansouria_
or _de Dar el-Oued_, discovered in 1901. The chief grotto, 165 yds.
long and 16 ft. high, is lighted with acetylene (adm. 1 fr.).
Passing several caverns on the coast, we next skirt the small _Anse de
Taza_, at the mouth of the _Oued Taza_, which, farther up, has carved
out a grand defile through the S. margin of _Jebel Taounnart_ (2546
ft.). Partly through cuttings and tunnels, the road now leads to (47½
M.) the village of _Cavallo_, near _Cape Cavallo_ (p. 130), the E.
limit of the bay of Bougie. Near it are large granite-quarries.
Off the rocky coast lie on the left the islets of _Grand_ and _Petit
Cavallo_ (p. 131). 50½ M. _Montaigne_ or _Agadie_ is the only European
settlement on this part of the coast. A little beyond the _Oued
Kissir_ a road diverges to the left to the lighthouse on the _Râs
Afla_ (p. 131). Our road skirts the wooded flanks of _Jebel Mes Ritan_
or _Mezritane_ (1294 ft.), and at the _Anse el-Kalâa_ sweeps round to
the S., inland. Lastly, passing the small _Anse des Beni-Caïd_ (see
below), it reaches the Porte de Bougie, the W. gate of—
60 M. =Djidjelli= (Café de France, R. 2 fr., déj. or D. 2 fr., quite
good; pop. 6400, incl. 5000 Mohammedans), a poor seaport, consisting
mainly of two streets planted with fine plane-trees. This was the
ancient _Igilgili_, once an important mart of the Carthaginians, which
in the middle ages long retained its trade as the seat of a Genoese
factory, but after its occupation by Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221) became
a mere den of pirates. The small _Harbour_, open towards the E., and
inadequately sheltered on the N. and N.E. sides, admits lighters and
fishing-boats only. On the adjacent _Crique de l’Ouest_ rise the
_Citadel_ and the _Poudrière_, an old fort. At the _Vigie_, the
clock-tower on the neighbouring aloe-clad hill, we enjoy a charming
view of the hill-region around, noted in spring for its gorgeous
wealth of flowers, backed by _Jebel Sedderts_ (3153 ft.) to the E. and
by the inland hills of Little Kabylia. To the W. of the town,
particularly on the headland between the Anse des Beni-Caïd and the
Anse el-Kalâa (see above), are many _Punic Rock Tombs_, now empty.
A highroad leads from Djidjelli to (42½ M.) _El-Milia_, (84½ M.)
_Collo_ (p. 131), and (95½ M.) _Robertville_ (p. 303; motor-omnibus in
10 hrs., fare 25 fr. 30 or 20 fr. 30 c.); another viâ (66 M.) _Mila_
(Hôt. du Commerce, R. 2 fr., déj. or D. 2 fr., tolerable), the Roman
_Mileum_ (with an interesting, well-preserved Byzantine town-wall), to
(102½ M.) _Constantine_ (p. 297).—Railway viâ El-Milia and Mila to
Constantine projected.
The SÉTIF ROAD ascends gradually to the S., on the left bank of the
wooded Agrioun valley, at the E. base of the hills of the Beni Hassain
(p. 266). On the opposite bank, on the slope of the finely shaped _Jebel
Beni Bou Youssef_ (3061 ft.), runs the new mineral railway of Tadergount
(see below). 25 M. _Aux Deux-Fontaines_ (about 410 ft.; inn).
The road ascends more steeply, high above the river-bed. At a bend just
before the 43rd kilomètre-stone we have a splendid survey of the central
Agrioun valley, enclosed in a semicircle by the lofty and barren crests
of the _Chaîne des Babors_. The road then descends to the S.W. into the
valley again. To the left we look into the lateral valley of the _Oued
Tiraz_, with the iron-glance mines of _Tadergount_, on the slope of
_Jebel Beni Felkaï_ (4452 ft.). Wild oleanders abound in the bed of the
Agrioun. On the wayside are several Kabylian huts with orange and
fig-gardens.
Beyond the 49th kilomètre-stone we see, high above us, on the right,
_Beni-Ismaïl_ or _Smaïl_, a mission-house of the White Fathers (p. 247)
called after the tribe of that name, placed near a waterfall between
Jebel Imoulentaour (p. 266) and _Jebel Takoucht_ (6221 ft.).
Beyond the 50th kilomètre-stone (31 M.) two massive pillars of rock mark
the lower end (about 590 ft.) of the **=Chabet el-Akra=, the grand
‘ravine of death’ (4½ M. long), between the bold and partly bush-clad
Jurassic rocks of Jebel Takoucht, on the W., and _Jebel Adrar Amellal_
(5817 ft.) and _Kef Randek_, on the E. An inscription on the rock to the
right records the construction of the extremely costly road (1863–70).
Monkeys (p. 171) are sometimes seen on the hill-sides.
Near the 54th kilomètre-stone (33½ M.) the road crosses the stream,
which dashes over huge rocks far below the bridge, whence we have a fine
view down the valley. About ½ M. farther the valley again contracts to a
narrow defile. An inscription on a slab of rock in the bed of the stream
recalls the first march of French troops through the gorge (1864). In
the foreground rises a great rocky cone called the *_Pain de Sucre_
(Arabic _Drâ-Kalawi_), apparently closing the valley. Passing some
strange rock-dislocations, with vertical strata, we reach (35½ M.) the
upper end of the gorge.
37½ M. =Kerrata= (1575 ft.; Hôt. du Chabet, R., déj., D., each 2½–4 fr.,
very fair; Hôt. de Kerrata, humble; Tues. market), a village of the
_Beni Meraï_ tribe, lies in a bleak hill-plain, adjoining the stony S.
slope of the Chaîne des Babors.
FROM KERRATA VIÂ AÏN-ABESSA TO SÉTIF, 34 M., pleasanter, by carr. or
cycle, than the main road viâ El-Ouricia, particularly in the reverse
direction. This road leaves the highroad near (3¾ M.) the mouth of the
_Oued Atteba_, one of the sources of the Agrioun, ascends its valley,
and crosses a pass to (17½ M.) _Aïn-Talaouart_. Here to the right
diverges the so-called Route des Caravansérails to the little town of
_Aïn-Roua_ (3806 ft.), at the foot of _Jebel Anini_ (5243 ft.), noted
for its mineral wealth, and to the sulphur-baths of _Hammam-Guergour_
or _Sidi el-Djoudi_, in the _Massif de Guergour_, which were already
known to the Romans. From Aïn-Talaouart our road turns to the S.E. and
ascends past the (20½ M.) village of _Aïn-Abessa_ (3616 ft.; Hôt.
Copel) to the saddle (4019 ft.) between _Jebel Megriss_ (5700 ft.) and
_Jebel Matrona_ (4679 ft.). Descending to the _Oued Bou Sellam_ (p.
251) the road here rejoins, a little before (30 M.) _Fermatou_ (see
below), the main road to (34 M.) Sétif.
The highroad ascends out of the Agrioun valley, soon offering a glimpse
of _Jebel Babor_ (6575 ft.) on the left, and mounts in windings, to the
S.E., through a once wooded hill-region to the (48 M.) _Tizi N’Béchar_
(2910 ft.), 1¼ M. below the large Berber village of _Takitount_ (3448
ft.), and 2 M. to the W. of _Aïn el-Hamda_, a village noted for its
mineral water, known as ‘eau de Takitount’. We descend from the pass to
(52½ M.) _Amoucha_ (Hôt. des Voyageurs, déj. 3½ fr.), in the upper
valley of the Agrioun.
A road leads to the S.E. from Amoucha to (7½ M.) =Périgotville=, the
chief village in the Canton de Takitount, on the _Oued Aïn-Kebira_. It
lies on the site of the small Roman town of _Satafis_. The school-yard
contains a few antiquities. Diligence viâ _El-Ouricia_ (see below) to
_Sétif_ (p. 271).
As the road ascends we have another view of Jebel Babor. It winds up to
the S. to the (59½ M.) _Teniet et-Tine_ (3806 ft.), a pass on the N.
margin of the plateau of Sétif (p. 271) commanding fine views, and then
descends to (64½ M.) _El-Ouricia_ (3543 ft.), a village near the head of
the _Oued Bou Sellam_ valley (p. 251), with a few vineyards. 68 M.
_Fermatou_, at the mouth of the brook of that name.