54 M. RAILWAY in 3–4¾ hrs. (9 fr. 75, 7 fr. 30, 5 fr. 35 c.). Railway
Restaurant at Col-des-Oliviers.
_Constantine_, see p. 297. Running to the N., the line pierces the
_Rocher Sidi M’Cid_ (p. 302) by tunnels, proceeds high above _Hammam
Sidi M’Cid_ (p. 302) and the Rhumel, with a splendid retrospect of
Constantine, and then curves round to (4½ M.) _Le Hamma_ (1614 ft.),
station for the _Oasis du Hamma_, a luxuriantly fertile dale with
countless fruit-trees, watered by the Hamma and several springs.
8 M. _Bizot_ (1805 ft.). It then descends to the _Oued Smendou_, a
tributary of the Rhumel, and ascends its right bank to (17 M.)
_Condé-Smendou_ (1838 ft.).
We cross several feeders of the Oued Safsaf (see below) and pass through
the _Hills of El-Kantour_ in several tunnels, below the pass of that
name, now called also _Col-des-Oliviers_.
25½ M. _Col-des-Oliviers_ (1365 ft.; Rail. Restaurant), station for a
group of small villages inhabited by immigrant farmers. Thence a steep,
winding descent, in a hill-region denuded of its forest, to (31 M.)
_Bougrina_, like Robertville, a station for the large village of
_El-Arrouch_.
35½ M. =Robertville= (348 ft.; several inns), a village on the _Oued
Ahmar_, is the starting-point of the fine hill-roads through the _Massif
de Philippeville_ viâ (23 M.) _Bordj Tamalous_ to (40 M.) _Collo_ (p.
131; diligence twice daily in 8 hrs.), and to _Djidjelli_ (p. 267;
motor-omnibus, see p. 267).
The train now descends into the valley of the _Oued Safsaf_, where wild
olives, poplars, and cork-trees abound.
42½ M. _St. Charles_ (138 ft.; Hôt. du Lion d’Or), the oldest farming
settlement in the district, founded by Germans and Belgians in 1840, was
at first defended by four small forts.
FROM ST. CHARLES TO BONA, 61½ M., railway in 4–5 hrs. (7 fr. 50, 5 fr.
5, 4 fr. 5 c.). 9 M. _Râs el-Ma_, with a quicksilver-mine; 15½ M.
=Jemmapes= (312 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient; pop. 2800), on the _Oued Fendek_,
a little town founded in 1848, the chief place on the roads from
Philippeville to Bona and to Guelma (p. 308); 19½ M. _Oued-Hammimine_,
a small bath-hotel (pens. with bath 6 fr.), with three hot
sulphur-springs (95–115° Fahr.; season Sept.–Nov. only); 41 M.
_Aïn-Mokra_ (85 ft.), on a slope near the malarious flats of _Lac
Fetzara_, a swamp of about 35,000 acres, and the now abandoned
iron-mines of the Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid; 45½ M. _Aïn-Daliah_, for
the new mine of _Marouania_ belonging to the same company. 61½ M.
_Bona_, see p. 309.
We descend the narrow Safsaf valley to (47½ M.) _Safsaf_. 50½ M.
_Damrémont_ (33 ft.) is the station also for _Valée_ (122 ft.), a
village on the vine-clad right bank, on the Bona and Guelma road (see
above).—The train leaves the Safsaf, crosses its tributary _Oued
Zeramna_ (p. 305), and passes through a tunnel under the W. slope of
_Mont Skikda_ (p. 304).
54 M. =Philippeville.=—The STATION (Pl. C, 2; no buffet) is not far
from the quay, a few paces from Place de Marqué.
ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. RR. 20, 22). The steamers of the Gén.
Transatlantique (agent, Fauré, Place de Marqué) moor at the quay;
those of the Transports Maritimes (agent, Caffa) and of the Navigation
Mixte (agents, Daprela & Campiglia, Place du Commerce) anchor in the
Grande Darse (Pl. C, D, 1). Cab-fares, see below. Portefaix (porter)
for articles under 20 kilos (44 lbs.) to the station 25, to the town
40 c.; trunk 50 or 75 c.
HOTELS (comp. p. 174). _Grand-Hôtel_ (Pl. a; C, 2), Place de Marqué,
with fine views, R. 3–5, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 8½ fr., good; _Hôt.
Foy_, same square (Pl. B, 2), new, R. 3–6 fr., B. 60 c., déj. or D.
2½, pens. from 8 fr.; _Hôt. de France & de la Marine_ (Pl. b; B, 2),
same square, No. 3, R. 2–3, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.; _Hôt. Léger_, Rue
Nationale, R. 2–5, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 6–7 fr., plain but good;
_Nouvelle Poste_ (Pl. d; B, 2), Place du Commerce, _Cinq Nations_ (Pl.
e; C, 3), Rue de Constantine, corner of Rue Gambetta, both plain.
CAFÉS-RESTAURANTS. _Café de Foy_, at the hotel (see above); _Boutin_,
Plage du Château-Vert (in summer).
POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 5; B, 2), Place du Commerce.
BANKS. _Banque de l’Algérie_, Avenue du Troisième-Zouaves; _Comp.
Algérienne_ and _Crédit Lyonnais_, Rue Nationale 30 and 51.
BATHS in the _Grand-Hôtel_; also _Tenienski_, Rue Buffon.—SEA BATHS.
_Bassin du Château-Vert_ (see below); at _Stora_ (p. 306), etc.
THEATRE. _Théâtre Municipal_ (Pl. 7; B, C, 3), Place Corneille
(sometimes Italian pieces).—BAND on Sun. in the Place de Marqué.
CABS (stand, Place Corneille). Drive 1 fr.; first hr. 2½, each addit.
hr. 2 fr.; half-day 10, whole day 18 fr.—DILIGENCE to Stora (50 c.),
St. Antoine (25 c.), etc.
BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, _W. H. Miller_, Rue Téophile Réguis.
_Philippeville_ (Arabic _Skikda_; pop. 26,000, incl. 16,000 Europeans,
mostly Italians and Maltese, and 4800 Mohammedans), the youngest
Algerian seaport, was founded by Marshal Valeé in 1838 as a harbour for
Constantine. It lies on the fine _Gulf of Stora_ (p. 128), about 1 M. to
the W. of the mouth of the Safsaf (p. 303), in a ravine between _Mont
Skikda_ (548 ft.) to the E. and _Jebel Bou Yala_ to the S.W. Its site is
that of the ancient _Rusicade_, once a Phœnician town, but founded anew
by the Romans in 45 B.C. Under the empire, as the _Colonia Veneria
Rusicade_, it belonged to the league of Cirta (p. 298), but, according
to local tradition, it had ceased to exist by 484. The chief harbour in
the gulf, being well sheltered, was formerly the neighbouring
_Asthoret_, now _Stora_ (p. 306), but it has been superseded by that of
Philippeville, constructed in 1860–80 at a cost of some 20 million
francs.
The =Harbour=, after Bona (p. 309) the chief outlet for the produce of
the province of Constantine, consists of an excellent inner basin of 50
acres (_Grande Darse_; Pl. C, D, 1) and an _Avant-Port_ (Pl. A, B, 1) of
75 acres. The _Grande Jetée du Nord_ (Pl. D, 1), running out from Cape
Skikda, is 1 M., the _Jetée du Château-Vert_ (Pl. A, 1), on the W. side,
¼ M. in length.
The best points for viewing the harbour and bay are the _Place de
Marqué_ (Pl. B, C, 2; popularly _Pl. de la Marine_), the pretty _Petit
Bois_ or _Jardin de l’Hôpital_ (Pl. C, 2), adjacent on the E., and the
lofty _Place des Zouaves_ (Pl. D, 2, 3; drilling-ground).
[Illustration: PHILIPPEVILLE]
Past the Place de Marqué runs the RUE NATIONALE (Pl. B, C, 2–4), the
main street, connecting the chief gates, the N.W. _Porte de Stora_ (Pl.
B, 2) and the S. _Porte de Constantine_ (Pl. C, 4), whence issue the
Constantine, Bona, and Guelma roads. The narrow gorge affords room for
only a few parallel streets. The side-streets ascend the hill-sides
partly in steps.
The _Théâtre Municipal_ (Pl. 7; B, C, 3), in the narrow Place du
Commerce, on the W. side of the Rue Nationale, stands on the foundations
of a Roman temple. A little farther, on the E. side of the street, is
the pretty _Square Carnot_ (Pl. C, 3).—To the W. from this square the
Rue Gambetta leads to the _Collège Communal_ (Pl. B, 3). On the N.E.
slope of Jebel Bou Yala, behind the school (apply to the concierge here,
30–50 c.) lies the—
=Roman Theatre=, the largest in Algeria, erected at the earliest under
Hadrian; but as it was used as a quarry for building the modern town,
little of it is now left. Of the cavea, 90 yds. wide, which held 5–6000
spectators, only a few steps, two passages, and relics of vaulting
remain. The stage is below the school-building.
From the Rue Gambetta the Rue Valée (Pl. B, C, 3, 4) leads through the
heart of the Mohammedan quarter to the Rue St. Augustin and the—
=Museum= (Pl. 3; C, 4). The collections include some valuable Roman
antiquities. Adm. daily, 8–6; Sun. and Thurs. free; on other days 1 fr.;
catalogue (1901) 1 fr. 10 c.; curator, M. L. Bertrand.
The GARDEN contains numerous Roman columns, statues, etc.
The PAVILLON CENTRAL has archæological collections on the groundfloor.
In the centre, 173. Roman milestone, from Hadrian’s road from Rusicade
to Cirta (p. 298); 151. Antoninus Pius, in marble. In the first
wall-press are objects from Roman tombs, mostly from Rusicade; 687.
Genius, a statuette in marble. Detached, 749. Punic tomb-stela. In the
second wall-press, Roman vases and lamps; also, *805. Bust of a youth,
after an Attic work of the age of Praxiteles; 806. Bust of Agrippina
the Elder; 778. Punic stela of the goddess Tanit, from Carthage; 779.
Mithras stone; 783. Boy’s head; 904. Clay statuette of a woman
bathing; 968. Bust of Hadrian. By the following end-wall, Roman
inscriptions and altars. At the other end, one early-Christian (293)
and two late-Roman sarcophagi (224, 331), Roman inscriptions, etc.—The
1st Floor contains ethnographical and natural history collections and
pictures.
The PAVILLON NORD contains coins and medals, the PAVILLON SUD a small
collection of weapons and flags.
EXCURSIONS. Bearing a little to the left from the Porte de Constantine
(see above), we cross the large Place des Chameaux (Pl. D, 4), where an
interesting _Cattle Market_ is held on Thursday mornings, and then
follow the S. slope of Mont Skikda (p. 304), past the _Cemetery_, to (½
hr.) the =Château Landon= or _Domaine des Lions_, which has a beautiful
garden. (Visitors require the permission of M. Gallard, the
superintendent, Rue Galbois.)
The St. Charles (and Constantine) road leads through the _Faubourg de
l’Espérance_ in the fertile dale of the _Oued Zeramna_, past the (2½ M.)
_Ecole Pratique d’Agriculture_, to the prettily situated village of (3¾
M.) _St. Antoine_ (33 ft.; diligence 25 c.).
From St. Antoine we may visit, viâ the Route de Praxbourg, the _Oued
Amida_, or upper valley of the Zeramna, a hill-region where cork-tree
plantations abound, and a favourite resort of wild-boar and jackal
hunters. Or we may follow the Chemin de la Carrière Romaine across the
_Col Chambœuf_, on _Jebel Soubouyou_ (1050 ft.), to _Damrémont_ (p.
303).
To the W. of the Porte de Constantine a picturesque road leads viâ
_Montplaisant_ to the dale of _Beni Melek_, famed for its wine. We may
return thence viâ the Porte des Citernes (Pl. A, 3) and Rue d’Orléans,
or descend the Chemin du Beni-Melek to the Route de Stora.
For a visit to =Stora= we may take the *_Route de la Corniche_, the
beautiful new shore-road which starts from the Place de Marqué (Pl. B,
C, 2) and at places is tunnelled through the living rock (ca. 2 M.;
diligence). Or we may follow the picturesque _Route de Stora_ (2½ M.),
the old upper road, beginning at the Stora Gate (p. 305). _Stora_, a
fishing-village with sea-baths, is now inhabited chiefly by Italians.
The fine view hence extends to Jebel Filfila and the Cap de Fer (p.
131). On the steep shore are fragments of an _Aqueduct_, partly
underground, and several _Cisterns_ (restored), relics of the Roman
Asthoret (p. 304). A vault now used as a laundry probably belonged to a
_Nymphaeum_ or fountain.