Chapter VI: Algeria (2)

TO AÏN-ET-TURK AND BOU-SFER (a day’s excursion from Oran; omn. and
carr., see p. 176; provisions should be taken), an interesting drive,
especially in spring, affording a good idea of the progress of
agriculture in this coast-region. Beyond the headland of Mers el-Kébir
the road is carried round the _Jebel Santon_, high above the sea, by
means of cuttings, and then descends to the fertile _Plaine des
Andalouses_, which is now inhabited chiefly by S. Spanish peasants.
Its name recalls the landing here of the Moors expelled from
Andalusia.

9½ M. (from Oran) _Aïn-et-Turk_ (65 ft.; ‘Turkish well’), a little
village, to which sea-bathers resort in summer, with a church on the
hill (177 ft.), 2½ M. to the S.E. of _Cape Falcon_ (p. 125), from
which it is separated by a chain of sand-hills rising to a height of
397 ft.

The road, now perfectly straight, ascends to the S.W., through
vineyards and corn-fields, to (13 M.) the large village of _Bou-Sfer_
(486 ft.), on the well-watered N. slope of _Jebel Murjajo_, with its
thriving farms where vegetables are largely grown. To Bou-Tlélis, see
p. 185.

From Bou-Sfer a road, with fine views, leads along the hill-side, and
then across the saddle (768 ft.) between Jebel Murjajo and Jebel
Santon, back to (22 M.) _St. André de Mers el-Kébir_.

(3). A splendid walk, especially by evening light, is offered by the *=Promenade des Falaises= (Pl. G, H, 1), to the N.E. of Oran. Tramway No. 3 (p. 176) should be taken to the station outside the Porte d’Arzew (Pl. F, G, 3). Here we go to the left, skirting the town-walls, then to the N.E. across the harbour goods-line (p. 175), through the _Ravin Blanc_ at a distance from the battery of that name, and up the fields to the (20 min.) highly picturesque margin of the plateau, whence we survey the whole coast from Mers el-Kébir on the W. to the Pointe de l’Aiguille and Jebel Orouze to the N.E. A little farther on we reach an avenue of palms which leads in a curve to the (¼ hr.) tramway-terminus in the suburb of _Gambetta_ (Pl. H, 2).

Good walkers, starting very early, may extend their excursion from the
Promenade des Falaises to the _Pointe Canastel_ (784 ft.), near which
ends the road coming from Gambetta (4 M.), and thence along the slope
of _Jebel Kahar_ or _Montagne des Lions_ (2008 ft.), in 4–4½ hrs., to
the Moorish village of =Kristel= (poor cafés), finely situated amid
rich orange groves. Or, in calm weather, we may take a sailing-boat
(see p. 176) from Oran to Kristel. We may now walk or ride (donkey
2½–3 fr.) up the steep hill to the saddle between Jebel Kahar and
_Jebel Kristel_ (1970 ft.); then past the _Ferme Tazout_ (1105 ft.; to
the left the iron and lead mines on _Jebel Borosse_, a spur of _Jebel
Orouze_; p. 199) to the S.E., partly through underwood, and down to
the (2½ hrs.) railway-station of _Saint-Cloud_ (p. 199). We may there
take the train viâ _Damesme_ to _Arzew_ (p. 199) and return to Oran in
the evening.

FROM ORAN TO HAMMAM BOU-HADJAR, 45 M., steam-tramway twice daily
(thrice on Sun., Mon., and Tues.) in 3¾–4¾ hrs. (fares 5 fr. 40, 3 fr.
95 c.). The line starts from the N. end of the Boul. Mascara (Pl. C,
4) and proceeds to the S.E. viâ (4 M.) _La Sénia_ (p. 185) to (7½ M.)
_Valmy_ (p. 185), some distance beyond which it turns to the S.W. and
runs parallel to the S. shore of the _Sebkha d’Oran_ (p. 185). 12 M.
Arbal, on the N. spurs of _Jebel Tessala_ (p. 186); 25 M. _St. Maur_;
39 M. _Aïn el-Arba_. 45 M. _Hammam Bou-Hadjar_ (574 ft.), near which
are the baths of that name (Hôt. des Bains, plain but good). The hot
mineral water (135–167° Fahr.), resembling that of Ems, rises among
the calc-sinter terraces of the _Fer à Cheval_. A cool spring (64°
Fahr.), strongly impregnated with iron, is used for drinking.

Excursion to _Misserghin_, see p. 185.

29. From Oran to Tlemcen.

102½ M. RAILWAY Train, with one 1st and 2nd cl. through-carriage, in
5¼–5¾ hrs.; (fares 18 fr. 55, 13 fr. 35 c., 10 fr.). Dep. from chief
station (p. 175). As far as Aïn-Fezza (p. 186) finest views to the
left. Railway Restaurant (D. 2 fr.) at Sidi Bel-Abbès only.

MOTOR TRIP (p. 173) from Oran viâ Misserghin, Aïn-Temouchent, and
Pont-de-l’Isser to (82½ M.) Tlemcen, returning viâ Sidi Bel-Abbès (128
M.), interesting; good road.

Between _Lamur_ (p. 181) and _Victor-Hugo_, suburbs of Oran, the train crosses the Damesme and Perrégaux line (R. 32). Beyond the small salt-lake _Daya Morselli_, on the left, we enter the _Plaine du Figuier_, on the N. side of the _Sebkha d’Oran_, one of the largest salt-lakes in the Tell Atlas, 26 M. long and 6 M. broad.

3 M. _La Sénia_ (325 ft.), a Spanish village, with productive vegetable-gardens and vineyards; also a station on the steam-tramway from Oran to Hammam Bou-Hadjar (p. 184).

To the S.W. from La Sénia diverges the ORAN AND AÏN-TEMOUCHENT LINE
(from Oran 47½ M., in 2¼–3 hrs.; fares 8 fr. 60, 6 fr. 15, 4 fr. 60
c.). The train skirts the S. base of _Jebel Murjajo_ (p. 182), near
the Sebkha d’Oran. 12½ M. _Misserghin_ (360 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs,
Hôt. de la Paix, both poor; pop. 4400), situated 9½ M. to the S.W. of
Oran by the Tlemcen road, a spot much visited from Oran, possessing a
large pépinière or nursery, and several monastic foundations; charming
walk to the (2½ M.) _Ravin de la Vierge_ through luxuriant orange,
lemon, mandarin, and banana groves.—22½ M. _Bou-Tlélis_ (295 ft.),
whence a road leads viâ the _Forêt M’Sila_ and _El-Ançor_ to
_Bou-Sfer_ (p. 184). 29½ M. _Lourmel_ (300 ft.), near the W. end of
the salt-lake. 35 M. _Er-Rahel_ (450 ft.), connected by road (6¼ M.)
with _Hammam Bou-Hadjar_ (p. 184). We cross the _Rio Salado_ (Arabic
_Oued Malah_) to (40 M.) _Rio Salado_ (279 ft.), famed for its
wine.—47½ M. =Aïn-Temouchent= (847 ft.; Royal Hotel; Hôt. de Londres;
Hôt. de la Poste; pop. 7500), founded in 1851 on the site of the Roman
_Albulae_, chiefly inhabited by Spaniards, lies amidst vineyards and
orchards in the narrow valley of the _Oued Senane_, into which the
_Oued Temouchent_ falls here. The Thurs. market is worth seeing.

The ROAD TO TLEMCEN, 41 M. (diligence at 7 p.m. in 9 hrs., returning
from Tlemcen at 9 p.m.; coupé 6 fr.) leads to the S.W. from
Aïn-Temouchent through a hill-region, composed mainly of eruptive
rock, and well-watered, to the thriving village of _Aïn-Kial_ (1477
ft.; noted for its cattle), crosses the pass (1998 ft.; fine views) of
_Jebel Sebaa-Chioukh_, and then descends past the onyx-quarries of the
hill-village of _Tekbalet_ to the _Isser Valley_. 20½ M.
_Pont-de-l’Isser_ (807 ft.; Hôt. Pomarès, humble), a village amid
orange-gardens and olive-groves, is almost purely Mohammedan. The
road, now shadeless, affording fine glimpses of Tlemcen, ascends for a
long time in the valley of the _Oued el-Guettara_, and reaches (37½
M.) _Safsaf_ (2493 ft.) and (41 M.) _Tlemcen_ (2658 ft.; p. 187).

Another road (23 M.; omn. at 9 a.m.) leads to the W. from
Aïn-Temouchent to the little seaport of _Beni-Saf_, the outlet for the
iron-ores of the Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid (p. 303). From Beni-Saf a
road (omn. at 6.45 a.m., in 9 hrs.; 5 fr.) leads viâ (5½ M.)
_Rachgoun_ (opposite the island mentioned at p. 125) into the fertile
valley of the _Tafna_, the ancient _Siga_, and to (8¾ M.) _Takembrit_,
the modern name for the ruins of the once important Roman town of
_Siga_. Then, beyond the confluence of the Isser with the Tafna, the
road reaches (27½ M.) _Montagnac_ (735 ft.) and (36 M.) _Hennaya_
(1346 ft.), whence it ascends to (42½ M.) _Tlemcen_ (2658 ft.).

The TLEMCEN RAILWAY, beyond La Sénia, crosses the Plaine du Figuier, and beyond (6 M.) _Valmy_ (p. 184) nears the salt-works on the Sebkha d’Oran (p. 185). 16 M. _Ste. Barbe-du-Tlélat_ (492 ft.) is noted for its table grapes.

Our train here diverges to the S.E. from the line to Perrégaux and Algiers (R. 33), and follows the vine-clad valley of the _Oued Tlélat_. Beyond (20 M.) _St. Lucien_ we pass a barrage or reservoir. 26 M. _Les Lauriers-Roses_ lies on the N.E. spurs of _Jebel Tessala_ (3481 ft.), the mountain which separates the great and fertile tableland of Sidi Bel-Abbès, one of the granaries of the province, from the basin of the Sebkha d’Oran.

The train crosses the _Col des Ouled-Ali_ and the _Oued Imbert_ (1578 ft.) in the fertile valley of that name, and reaches the top of the tableland. 38½ M. _Les Trembles_ (1375 ft.); the village lies on a height to the left, between the _Oued Mekerra_ (Sig, p. 206) and its affluent _Oued Sarno_. We then ascend the Mekerra valley to (42½ M.) _Prudon_ (1477 ft.), where many of the wine-growers are Germans, old soldiers of the French foreign legion.

48½ M. =Sidi Bel-Abbès= (1542 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient & Continental; Hôt. des Voyageurs; pop. 29,080), a prosperous agricultural town, was founded in 1849 on the plan of a Roman camp, with streets at right angles, and is surrounded by suburbs occupied mainly by Spanish immigrants. This is the headquarters of the _Légion Etrangère_, composed mainly of adventurers and deserters from Germany and other countries, the first regiment of whom is located here and the second at Saïda (p. 201). The legion is for the most part stationed on the Sahara railway (p. 199), in Morocco, or in the colonies. Great market on Thursdays. Outside the S. gate, the Porte de Tlemcen, are pleasant public grounds (concerts).

_A. E. W. Mason’s_ novel ‘The Truants’ (London, 1904) deals with the
Foreign Legion.

62½ M. _Tabia_ (2035 ft.), the next important station, is the junction for a line to (48 M.) _Crampel_ (_Ras el-Ma_), used chiefly for the esparto traffic (p. 171).

We now near the main chain of the Tell Atlas of Oran. 77½ M. _Aïn-Tellout_, with the spring of that name and a waterfall. 83 M. _Lamoricière_ (2349 ft.), in a fertile tract, on the _Isser_. Near _Hadjar-Roum_, to the E. of the station, lay the Roman _Altava_.

89½ M. _Oued-Chouly_, on the brook of that name, which bursts forth in cascades from a ravine to join the Isser. Near this, at _Sidi-Hamza_, are considerable onyx-quarries. The train now ascends rapidly to (97 M.) _Aïn-Fezza_ (2855 ft.).

We next enter the upper *_Safsaf Valley_, enclosed by the high limestone slopes of _Jebel Hanif_ (3928 ft.) and _Jebel Chouka_ (3786 ft.), and in a sharp bend, passing through several tunnels, sweep round the gorge of _El-Ourit_ (p. 196), with its waterfalls. We skirt the foot of _Sidi Bou-Médine_ (p. 194), obtaining a beautiful view of the fertile hill-country to the right, and run through olive-groves to (102½ M.) _Tlemcen_ (see p. 187).

30. Tlemcen.

The STATION lies to the E., 6 min. beyond the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine
(Pl. D, 2, 3).

HOTELS. _Hôtel de France_ (Pl. b; C, 3), Rue de Fez, R. 2½–4, B. 1¼,
déj. 3. D. 4, pens. 9–12, omn. 1 fr.; _Hôtel Charles_ (Pl. a; C, 2),
Place des Victoires, R. 3, B. ¾, déj. or D. 3, pens. 7½, omn. 1 fr.,
good, though plain, with restaurant.—CAFÉS in the Place de la Mairie,
Place des Victoires, etc.

CARRIAGES (mostly with three horses, poor but not dear; fares
according to bargain) in the Place des Victoires and Esplanade du
Méchouar.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. B, 2), Boulevard National.

ONE DAY AND A HALF. 1st. Forenoon, *_Great Mosque_ (p. 189), _Museum_
(p. 190), *_Sidi el-Haloui Mosque_ (p. 191), _Agâdir_ (p. 196);
afternoon, *_Mansura_ (p. 193).—2nd. *_Sidi Bou-Médine_ (p. 194).
Mosques open daily 8–11 a.m.; at other times a permit of the
sub-prefect (see Pl. B, 2) is required (comp. also p. 174).

_Tlemcen_ (2658 ft.), the old capital of the central Maghreb (Maghreb el-Oust), was in the middle ages, along with Fez, one of the great trading stations between the W. Sahara and the Mediterranean, and had a factory of the Genoese and the Venetians. It is now, after Oran, the most important town in the province, with 37,300 inhab. (including 25,500 Mohammedans, chiefly Berbers and Moors, and 5000 Jews); it possesses the only Medersa (p. 228) in the province of Oran, founded in 1904, and is the chief military post on the W. frontier of Algeria. The town is very charmingly situated on a flat hill at the base of a ridge crowned with the _Kubba Lalla-Setti_ (3363 ft.), a spur of the _Jebel Terni_ or _Massif de Tlemcen_. Beyond the extensive hilly region to the N., sloping steeply down to the valleys of the Isser and the Tafna (p. 185), we descry the bold mountains of the Traras group (p. 198) and of Jebel Sebaa-Chioukh (p. 185). The nearer environs of the town, on the upper margin of the plateau, are exuberantly fertile. Luxuriant fruit-bearing hedges are interspersed with groves of gigantic olive, carob, and pistachio trees, from whose shade peep forth the white domes of numerous tombs of saints (p. 172).

Tlemcen still contains historic memorials of its mediæval prime and a number of Moorish works of art, mostly of the Abdelwadite and Merinide periods (p. 188). These last, like the buildings of Fez and Kairwan (p. 372), are among the most interesting in Barbary. Their great charm consists in the fact that their native characteristics have been preserved in a picturesque environment where customs and dress differ but slightly from those of the ancient East.

_Pomaria_, the earliest settlement in this region, was once, like
Altava (p. 186) and Numerus Syrorum (p. 197), a Roman camp for the
defence of the most important military road in Mauretania Cæsariensis
(p. 244), but in Roman times, notwithstanding its favourable position,
it was outstripped by Siga (p. 185). On its site, by the time of Sidi
Okba (p. 322), there had already sprung up the Berber settlement of
_Agâdir_, which, under Idris I. (p. 95) in 790, became the fortified
capital of the E. province of Morocco for defence against the
Kharijite kingdom in Tiaret (p. 208). For seven centuries from that
time onwards it was involved in all the party struggles for the
possession of Barbary. During the conflicts of Omaiyades (p. 69) and
Fatimites (p. 323), the governors of Agâdir, descendants of Solaïmân
ben-Abdallah, brother of Idris I., maintained their position as
vassals of one or other of these dynasties, but in 973 the town was
sacked by Bologgîn ez-Ziri (p. 323) in the course of a war against the
Omaiyades.

In 1081 the Almoravide Yûsuf ibn Têshufîn (p. 95) appeared before the
gates of Agâdir, and on the site of his camp (Berber ‘tagrârt’)
founded the new town of _Tagrârt_, afterwards the _Telensîn_ or
_Tlimsân_ of the Moors, and united W. Algeria with Morocco. In 1145
the vicinity of Tagrârt witnessed the decisive battle between Tâkhfîn
ben-Ali (p. 183) and Abd el-Mûmen (p. 95) which sealed the fate of the
Almoravide kingdom. Since then Tagrârt appears in history as the seat
of Almohade governors of the family of Abd el-Wâd, settled near
Tlemcen, a branch of the powerful Berber tribe of the Zenata, and also
as a military camp, while the lower classes only inhabited Agâdir.

The fall of the Almohades (p. 95) gave rise to the kingdom of Tlemcen,
which was soon extended to the W. to the Mulûya (p. 124) and to the E.
to Bougie (p. 262). The first independent monarch was Yarmorâsen
ben-Zeiyân (1239–82), of the _Abdelwadites_, who, with the aid of
Moorish artists from Andalusia, transformed Tlemcen, his capital, into
a rival of Fez as one of the most brilliant art-centres in Barbary.

Embellished in legend and in poetry, and most famous among episodes in
the annals or the Maghreb were the two sieges of Tlemcen by the
Merinides (p. 95). The first siege by Abû Yakûb and his grandson
Abû-Tsâbit Omar (1299–1307) commenced with the foundation of the
fortified town of _El-Mahalla el-Mansura_, which, saving the mosque,
was razed to the ground by the Abdelwadites after the withdrawal of
the Moroccan army, but was rebuilt by Abû’l-Hasen Ali (1335–7) on the
occasion of the second, and this time successful, siege of Tlemcen.

To the brief sway of the _Merinides_ (1337–59) Tlemcen is indebted for
almost all the important buildings outside of its walls. The chief
residence of Abû’l-Hasen Ali (d. 1348), next to Fez, was Mansura,
where he erected a new ‘palace of victory’ as his kasba; but the place
was abandoned under Abû Inân Fâres (1348–58), and from that time down
to the French period it merely served as a stone-quarry.

During the brilliant reign of Abû Hammu Mûsa II. (1359–89), the first
of the _Ziyanides_ (1359–1517), the younger Abdelwadite dynasty, his
court vied with that of Granada as a resort of artists, poets, and
scholars; but from that time onwards Tlemcen shared the general
decadence of Barbary. It was not only the chief scene of all the
conflicts between the Merinides and Hafsides (p. 323), but was
grievously torn by internal dissensions also, so that it soon lost all
importance. After the overthrow of the Ziyanides by Horuk Barbarossa
(p. 221), and after a short occupation by the Spaniards (1518),
Tlemcen became a poor provincial town in the beylic of Oran. The
present town-walls (1855–6) and a whole new quarter are creations of
the French régime, under which, in 1842, Tlemcen was incorporated with
their new colony of Algeria.

Comp. _Marçais’s_ book on Tlemcen mentioned at p. 175 and _A. Bel’s_
‘Tlemcen et ses Environs’ (Oran, 1909).

From the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine (Pl. D, 2, 3), the chief gate of the town, the Rue de Sidi Bel-Abbès leads in 2 min. to the ESPLANADE DU MÉCHOUAR (Pl. C, 3), planted with fine plane-trees. On the left rises the—

=Méchouar= (Arabic _meshwâr_, the king’s castle), the residence of the Abdelwadites and Ziyanides, erected by Yarmorâsen about 1255, a great quadrangular pile, forming like the Alhambra a complete quarter of the town. The building was largely destroyed during a revolt against Hassan, Bey of Mascara, in 1670, and in 1842 was replaced by French barracks. The only relics of the original edifice are the _Castle Wall_, built by Abû’l-Abbâs Ahmed, the thirteenth Ziyanide, with its modern clock-tower of 1843, and the _Castle Mosque_, founded in 1317, which was long used as a storehouse. The latter, having been converted into a chapel for the military hospital, has lost its original character in the interior (adm. on application).

From the E. end of the Esplanade the Rue du Théâtre leads to the PLACE DES VICTOIRES (Pl. C, D, 2), planted with trees, from the parapet of which we look down on the E. Mohammedan quarter (p. 191) and the hills of the Safsaf valley.

A little to the N.W. is the PLACE DE LA MAIRIE (Pl. C, 2), which, together with the Place d’Alger (p. 190) on its W. side, forms the business centre of the town. On its S. side rises the _Mairie_ (Pl. C, 2), erected in 1843. In the court are two onyx columns from Mansura, bearing two huge stone balls which were thrown into the town during one of the Merinide sieges.

The *=Great Mosque= (Pl. C, 2; Arabic _Jâma el-Kebîr_), the back of which bounds the N. side of the square, now the only edifice of the Almoravide period at Tlemcen, is very important in art-history as one of the few Moorish buildings of the 12th cent. that have survived without alteration. The inscription on the frieze of the drum of the mihrâb dome records the name of the founder, the caliph Ali ibn Yûsuf, who with the aid of Andalusian artists erected the court and the house of prayer adjacent to the _Kasr el-Kadîm_, or royal castle, in 1135–8. The minaret was not added till the reign of Yarmorâsen (after 1250). The kubba at the S.W. angle, adjoining the Rue de France, once perhaps the tomb of Yarmorâsen and several of the Ziyanides, now contains the vault of _Mohammed ben-Merzûg_. On the E. side of the mosque, near the old vine in the side-street, is a second saint’s tomb, the kubba of _Ahmed Bel-Hasen el-Ghomari_ (d. 1466). The library, a later addition next to the minaret, has been removed by the French.

The square court of the mosque, which we enter on the E. side, is flanked on three sides by triple or quadruple arcades; the two aisles of the N. arcade, which precede the minaret, are of later date. The irregular plan of the arcades and of the main portal leading into the nave of the mosque was probably due to the situation of the castle. The onyx pavement of the court is preserved in part only.

The INTERIOR, consisting of a central nave (15 by 10½ ft.) with twelve narrower aisles, is entered by five portals on the S. side of the court, whose arches are of round or pointed horseshoe form or multifoil, and also by two E. portals. The arcades, whose arches are mostly horseshoe-shaped, but in a few cases pointed, rest on short pillars. The open roof is well preserved. The nave is crowned with two domes, the nearer rising behind the sedda (p. 180), while the second, over the mihrâb chapel, shows beginnings of stalactite vaulting. The great candelabrum under the central dome is modern and is for the most part an imitation of the old one said to have been presented by Yarmorâsen and now in the Museum (see below). The mimbar and kursi (p. 451) are of no artistic value, and the maksûra (p. 71) has disappeared. The elegant stucco ornamentation of the *Mihrâb, which even extends to the exterior, where the stone slabs are framed with multifoil arches, recalls the mosque of Cordova. The prayer-niche is lighted by three perforated windows of plaster. Behind the mihrâb is the sacristy.

The MINARET, 115 ft. high, resembling the tower of Agâdir (p. 196), affords a beautiful view of the town and environs.

On the W. side of the PLACE D’ALGER (Pl. C, 2), where the ruins of the famous _Medersa Jadîda_ or _Tâkhfînîya_, a school for the learned erected by the Abdelwadite Abû Tâkhfîn (1322–37), existed down to 1876, rises the—

*=Sidi Bel-Hassen Mosque=, now the _Museum_ (Pl. 2, B, C, 2; custodian in the court of the Mairie; fee ½ fr.), erected in 1296 by the Abdelwadite Abû Saïd Otsmân. It consists of nave and two aisles, with a low minaret. Used by the French successively as a storehouse and a school, it was carefully restored in 1900, and is now a perfect gem in the interior. The stucco *Decoration of the walls, preserved in part only, with its rich and graceful arabesques (p. 445), and the geometrical ornamentation of the round-arched plaster windows, recall the sumptuous rooms of the Alcázar at Seville and the Alhambra of Granada. The half-dome of the **Mihrâb, whose horseshoe mural arch rests on two small columns of onyx, is borne by stalactite or honeycomb vaulting. The ancient roof of cedar is well preserved in the left aisle only.

Below the two friezes with Cufic inscriptions adjoining the Mihrâb are
fragments, built into the wall, of fayence tiles from the old Medersa
Tâkhfînîya and the Méchouar. The beautiful onyx basin once belonged to
the latrine-court of the Great Mosque. Along the walls are several
Roman and numerous Mohammedan tombstones, some of them belonging to
kings of Tlemcen. Near the entrance is the so-called Coudée Royale, a
marble slab from the Kessaria (comp. p. 191), bearing an ell-measure
and regulations for the trade of Christian merchants with the natives
(1328). In the second room are the old candelabrum and remains of the
old maksûra of the Great Mosque (comp. above), Moorish and Turkish
tiles, etc. On the first floor is the _Geological Museum_.

The dirty streets to the S. of the Place de la Mairie and the Place d’Alger, which have been laid out in straight lines under the French régime, belong to the _Jewish Quarter_, where, however, a few of the old one-storied houses with a kind of sunken flat, still survive.

A pleasanter walk may be taken through the =Mohammedan Quarters=, especially that to the E. of the Place de la Mairie, where we may witness, especially on market-day (Mon.), the most lively and picturesque scenes of native life. The busiest points are the _Marché Couvert_ (Pl. C, 2) in the Place du Kessaria, where the Italian merchants had their offices in the middle ages, and also the Rue de Mascara (Pl. C, D, 2, 1) and the Rue Kaldoun (Pl. C, D, 1). Adjoining the Rue de Mascara, once the Sûk el-Berada’in (saddlers’ market), is an impasse called the Derb el-Msoufa, in which is situated the little _Mosque of Sidi Senoussi_ (Pl. D, 2; his tomb is near Sidi Bou-Médine, p. 194), with a graceful minaret inlaid with tiles and a small house of prayer on the first floor.

In the street between the Rue de Mascara and the Rue Kaldoun are the so-called BAINS DES TEINTURIERS (Pl. D, 1; _Hammâm es-Sebbâghîn_), an ancient Moorish bath-house (12th cent.?), the plan of which seems to have been an exact copy of the Roman bath.

The ante-room, now much altered, was apparently the tepidarium.
Straight on we come to the apodyterium, a domed room on twelve short
mediæval columns, with a gallery running round it. To the left of this
room is the caldarium in three sections, with the heating apparatus on
the E. side. The S. side-room is the frigidarium.

At the end of the Rue Kaldoun we leave the town by the Porte de l’Abattoir (Pl. D, 1; road to Agâdir, see p. 196), and turn to the left, skirting the town-walls, above the dilapidated _Sidi Lahsen Mosque_, built by Abû’l-Abbâs Ahmed (p. 189), which has an elegant minaret and an interior restored in the Turkish period.

On a slope near the N.E. angle of the town-walls, below the railway, and formerly below the Bâb Sidi’l-Haloui, is the tomb of the saint of that name (d. 1307), adjoined by the—

*=Sidi el-Haloui Mosque=, a creation of the Merinide Abû Inân Fâres (p. 188). The pinnacled outer gateway leads to the now freely restored chief portal, with its fine inlaid mosaic tiles, two friezes with inscriptions, and a projecting timber roof.

The ground-plan of this mosque is similar to that of the slightly earlier mosque of Sidi Bou-Médine (p. 194). From the court, enclosed by a single arcade, we enter the house of prayer with its nave (11 ft. broad), double aisles (10 ft.), and transept. The square mihrâb chapel is covered by a slightly elevated tiled roof instead of a dome. The old timber ceiling of the interior has recently been much restored, and remains of the superb stucco decoration have lately been brought to light from under the whitewash. The mihrâb has lost all its rich ornamentation save the stalactite vaulting. The eight onyx *Columns, brought from Mansura, which support the pointed horseshoe arches of the arcades, are remarkable for their beautiful capitals in the Moorish style.

The minaret added at the W. angle of the court, with its multifoil arched niches in the two lower stories and reticulated work on the upper, resembles that of the mosque of Sidi Bou-Médine. A portal opposite with a projecting roof leads to the domed _Latrines_.

We now follow the path to the W., skirting the town-walls, and affording fine views, to the Porte du Nord (Pl. B, 1), through which we enter the Rue de France. From this street the Boulevard National soon diverges to the right to the large PLACE CAVAIGNAC (Pl. B, 1, 2), the chief square in the uniformly built French quarter. The font in the church of _St. Michel_ (Pl. B, 2) came from the mosque of Mansura.

On the E. side of the church runs the Rue Ximénès, intersecting the whole town. This street, or the Rue de la Victoire (Pl. C, B, 2), which begins at the Place d’Algier, forms the chief approach to the _S. W. Mohammedan Quarter_, which was inhabited in the Turkish period mainly by Kuluglis (p. 171). At the S. end of the Rue Ximénès, on the left, is the interesting _Ecole Professionnelle Indigène de Tapis_ (Pl. C, 4; adm. daily 8–11 and 2–5, except on Sun., Frid., and great festivals).

The busy Rue Haëdo, prolonging the Rue de la Victoire, leads to the S.W. to the Porte de Fez (Pl. A, 4). In the Rue Sidi-Brahim, the first side-street on the left, is the—

SIDI BRAHIM MOSQUE (Pl. B, 3), formerly belonging to the _Medersa Yakûbîya_. The Medersa was built in 1362 by Abû Hammu Mûsa II. (p. 188), and named after his father, but the last vestiges of it were removed in 1846. This small mosque, with nave and double aisles, received its present decoration in the Turkish period. The mihrâb, adorned with the Turkish crescent, has mural tiles with gold lustre in the Gubbio style. The present pulpit, from which the Friday prayer was recited for the Kuluglis, was executed by the Turkish artist Mohammed Ben-Hasen Ben-Ferfara (1831–2), and the door of the old sacristy was carved by Sâlim Bu-Jenân Ben-Ferfara. The _Kubba of Sidi Brahim_ (d. 1401), adjoining the mosque, still contains its old geometric stucco decoration and mosaic tiles.

The _Oulâd el-Imâm Mosque_ (Pl. B, 3), to the N. of the Rue Haëdo, was built about 1310 by the Abdelwadite Abû Hammu I. as a chapel for the Medersa el-Kadîma, the oldest school of the learned at Tlemcen, but is now in a sad state of ruin. The minaret still shows traces of fayence mosaics. The fine mihrâb was probably redecorated under the Ziyanides.

In the Rue d’Hennaya, near the Fez Gate, rises the modern _Medersa_ (Pl. A, B, 3), a tasteful new-Moorish edifice (visitors admitted).

To the W. of the modern town-walls, between the Porte de Fez and the Porte d’Oran, lies the =Grand Bassin= (Pl. A, 3; Arabic _Sahrîj el-Kebîr_ or _ben-Bedda_), a large reservoir, similar to the reservoirs of Kairwan and Marakesh, constructed of concrete, 220 yds. long, 110 yds. broad, and 10 ft. deep, now used as a drill-ground. It is said to have been made by Abû Tâkhfîn (p. 190). According to a tradition the last of the Ziyanide dynasty were drowned here by Horuk Barbarossa (p. 221) in 1517.

To the N.W. of the French town-walls, between the Porte d’Oran and the Porte du Nord (p. 192), rises the *=Bâb el-Kermâdîn= (Pl. A, 1; potters’ gate), which already existed in the time of Yarmorâsen (p. 188), so named from the potsherds contained in its concrete masonry. The gateway, with its four towers and quadrangle, resembles the propugnaculum of late-Roman town fortifications.

* * * * *

The *=Ruins of Mansura=, the old entrenched town of the Merinides (p. 188), are reached from the Porte de Fez (p. 192) by the road to Lalla-Marnia (p. 197), to the S.W., in 20–25 min. (carr. there and back 2½–3 fr.), The road passes (¼ hr.) the so-called _Bâb el-Khemîs_, a brick structure of unknown use, now much restored. A little above it are the ruins of a second building of uncertain origin (possibly the ancient _Mosalla_).

In 6 min. more we reach the old *_Town Wall_ of Mansura, near the former E. gate of the town, within the precincts of which, to the left, above the road, is ensconced the modern agricultural village of Mansura amid luxuriant vegetation. The walls, 40 ft. high, constructed of concrete, enclose a great irregular quadrilateral space of about 4400 yds. in length, and are still largely preserved on the N.W. and S.W. sides. Of the towers, about 80 in number, connected by a crenellated passage, most are rectangular in form, but the four far-projecting corner-towers, like the eight gate-towers, are quadrangular.

Near the old E. gate, above the road, are a _Bridge_ and remains of a rudely paved _Street_ of the Merinide period. Of the old _Palace of Victory_, the Kasba of Abû’l-Hasen Ali (p. 188), once sumptuously fitted up, there are now, on the highest ground in the town precincts, at the S.E. angle of the present village, a few scanty relics only, the chief of which is the inner court, resembling the myrtle court of the Alhambra (p. 83).

Close to the old W. gate, on a plateau above the road, rises the **_Mansura Tower_ (130 ft.), the minaret of the chief mosque, founded by Abû Yakûb (p. 188). The back-wall, the staircase, the upper platform, and the muezzin’s turret have fallen in, but the ruin, with its golden-toned masonry glowing in the sunshine, its peaceful surroundings, and the superb view from its base, has an indescribable charm. The ruin was restored in 1877.

The portal of the minaret formed the central entrance to the court of
the mosque. Of the three concentric gateway arches the inmost
horseshoe arch, resting on two onyx columns, has been entirely
renewed. The first story here, as in no other Moorish minaret, is
adorned with a balcony, borne by corner brackets and stalactite
pendentives, now without columns. The second story, relieved by narrow
window openings, has the usual reticulated ornamentation, while the
upper story is adorned with multifoil arched niches. Remains of the
fayence mosaics are still visible at places.

The custodian, who has generally to be asked for in the village, shows
the ruins of the court and of the mosque itself, which once had
thirteen arcades.

* * * * *

The hill-village of =Sidi Bou-Médine= (2841 ft.), picturesquely situated amid olive-groves on the slopes of _Jebel Mefroûch_, 20 min. to the E. of Tlemcen, contains, like Mansura, some of the finest existing memorials of the Merinide period. It was once named _Eubbâd el-Fûki_ (‘upper Eubbâd’), and at a very early period belonged to a monastery, the _Ribât el-Eubbâd_, but it derives its present name from _Sidi Abû-Median_, a scholar from Seville (about 1126–97), who was buried here by order of the Almohade Mohammed en-Nâsir (1198–1213). Around the kubba of that great scholar and saint, which for centuries attracted countless pilgrims, are grouped the buildings of the Merinide sovereigns.

The road to Sidi Bou-Médine, only the lower half of which is fit for driving, branches to the right from the Sidi Bel-Abbès and Aïn-Temouchent road, 2 min. from the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine, and passes below the _Mohammedan Cemetery_ (makbara), with its wealth of cypresses. By the wayside are a number of saints’ tombs, mostly in ruins, among which is the kubba of _Sidi Senoussi_ (d. 1490), with its green-tiled roof. We pass also the remains of mosque walls and a ruined minaret, which belonged to the village of _Eubbâd es-Sefli_ (‘lower Eubbâd’) once situated here.

We ascend through a defile shaded with fine old fig and cherry trees, and soon reach the lower entrance of the village, whence we go straight on to the mosque, with its conspicuous minaret, and the kubba of the saint (guide quite needless). The outer gateway, decorated anew in the later Turkish period, with its clumsy wooden penthouse in front, is the entrance to a forecourt, within which are the two sacred edifices and the _Maison de l’Oukil_ (now the works-office), a building of the time of Mohammed el-Kebîr (p. 178), on the site of the ancient Zaouïa or pilgrims’ hospice.

The _Kubba of Sidi Bou-Médine_, to which steps descend to the left under the penthouse, was restored by the Merinide Abû’l-Hasen Ali (p. 188), and towards the end of the 18th cent. was injured by a fire. It owes its present decoration, save the four onyx columns from Mansura and the sacred fountain in the vestibule, to Mohammed el-Kebîr, whose artist, named in the inscription on the frieze of the gateway, was El-Hâshmi ben-Sarmashîk (1793). The vault, richly garnished with flags, ostrich-eggs, votive offerings, etc., contains the coffins of Sidi Abû-Median and the Tunisian saint Sidi Abd es-Selâm side by side (custodian 20–30 c.).

The *=Mosque=, erected in 1339 by Abû’l-Hasen Ali, about the same date as the myrtle-court palace of the Alhambra (comp. p. 80), is one of the most brilliant creations of the exuberant Moorish art of the 14th cent.; and, thanks to the sanctity of its site, it has survived the wars of the Ziyanide age and resisted the decadence of the Turkish period without serious damage. The custodian is usually to be found in the vestibule of the gateway.

The **_Chief Portal_, now skilfully restored, is a masterpiece of artistic decoration. The superb outer gateway, whose lofty horseshoe arch opens into the vestibule, is lavishly enriched with fayence mosaics, which show beautiful arabesque patterns in the rectangular stonework of the doorway, and geometrical designs above the frieze with the inscriptions. The gateway is crowned by a tiled roof resting on narrow brackets.

Eleven steps ascend to the vestibule, where the stucco decoration of the upper wall-surfaces vies in beauty with the stalactites of the dome. At the inner gateway the lower part of the doors of cedar-wood has been skilfully encrusted anew with bronze. The door-knockers resemble those of the present Puerta del Perdón at Cordova (p. 70).

We now cross the simple _Court of the Mosque_, flanked with single arcades, to the _Mosque_ itself, with its nave and double aisles. The somewhat broader nave and the transept by the wall of the mihrâb recall the ground-plan of Sidi Okba’s Mosque at Kairwan (p. 374). The arcades, whose horseshoe arches, like those in the court, rest on pillars of masonry, and all the wall-surfaces are encrusted with stucco. The richly coffered stucco ceiling of the aisles is well preserved, but the perforated dome of the mihrâb chapel was tastelessly restored in the later Turkish period. The *Mihrâb, with its stalactite half-dome, its friezes with Cufic inscriptions, and the three perforated plaster windows, deserves special attention. The capitals of the two onyx columns which support the horseshoe arch of the niche are the finest at Tlemcen. The pulpit is modern.

The *_Minaret_, like the Kutubia at Marakesh, which it resembles in its lowest story, still shows the three copper balls on its muezzin-turret. The rosette ornamentation under the platform is peculiar. The ascent is recommended for the sake of the fine survey we obtain of the village and the beautiful view of the hilly plain of Tlemcen with the minarets of Agâdir (p. 196) and Mansura.

A few paces above the outer gateway of the mosque court a flight of steps on the right ascends to the old =Medersa=, now a national school. This edifice, erected by Abû’l-Hasen Ali in 1347, is the only learned school of the kind still preserved in Barbary, besides that of Marakesh; but it has been almost entirely restored, first by Mohammed el-Kebîr about 1793, and lately by the French government. The building is usually shown by the teacher (50 c.).

The portal, ornamented with fayence mosaics and surmounted by a projecting roof like the chief door of the neighbouring mosque, opens into a court, adorned with a fountain and flanked with an arcade. On each side are six cells for the students (tholba, sing. thaleb); and there are four others in the small court adjoining the S.E. angle. The niches in the walls for the books and lamps of the students should be noticed. In the centre of the S. wall of the court is the entrance to the old room for study and prayer, with a mihrâb and a wooden dome which was probably restored in the time of Mohammed el-Kebîr. The stucco enrichment of the walls is best preserved on the entrance side. The old court of ablutions adjoins the N.W. angle of the main quadrangle.

The platform of the upper floor of the court, where there are twelve more cells, affords the best view of the minaret of the mosque.

At a small house near the Medersa we obtain the key (fee 30 c.) of the
so-called _Petit Palais d’el-Eubbâd_, a ruin popularly called _Dâr
es-Soltân_ (palace of the sultan), situated below the Kubba of Sidi
Bou-Médine. The building, which also dates from the Merinide period,
was more probably a hospice for the richer pilgrims. It comprises
three courts with small side-rooms or alcoves, like those of the
Alhambra, and remains of baths and latrines. A visit to it hardly
repays if time is limited.

On the way to the ‘Dâr es-Soltân’ we pass the _Latrine Court_ of the
mosque and the so-called _Kubba of Sidi el-Eubbâd_. From (2 min.
farther) the E. end of the village we may descend, and cross the
railway, to (6 min.) the Sidi Bel-Abbès road.

This road leads to the E. through olive-groves, and then, turning to
the S., through the _Safsaf Valley_ to (¾ hr., or from Tlemcen 1 hr.)
the gorge of *=El-Ourit= (p. 186; carr. there and back 4–5 fr.). The
bridge across it affords a fine view of the valley and the lower
waterfalls. (Rfmts.)

* * * * *

The road to Aïn-Temouchent (p. 185) diverges to the left from the Sidi Bel-Abbès road, at a point 10 min. from the Porte de Sidi Bou-Médine (p. 188), and about ½ M. farther passes near the gorge of the _Oued Metchkâna_, which lies a little to the left. Here, beneath superb old terebinths (p. 202), on the site of the old _Cemetery of Agadîr_ (‘Cimetière de Sidi Yacoub’), are situated the pretty kubba of _Sidi Wahhâb_, the oldest saint of this region, said to have been a companion of the prophet, and the so-called _Tombeau de la Sultane_, a dilapidated octagonal domed building (12th cent.?), which served in 1412 as a tomb for a Ziyanide princess.

The ruins of =Agâdir= (p. 187) may be reached in about 10 min. from the Porte de l’Abattoir (Pl. D, 1; p. 191) by the old Safsaf road to the N.E. (p. 185). Of the chief mosque founded here by Idris I. (p. 95) the only relic is the elegant *_Minaret_, 105 ft. in height, erected by Yarmorâsen at the same time as the tower of the Great Mosque (p. 190). The substructures, 19 ft. high, composed of Roman blocks of stone from the ancient Pomaria, and with Roman inscriptions built into them outside and in the staircase, probably belonged to an earlier minaret.—A little to the E., beyond the ravine, are preserved a few fragments of the _E. Wall_ of Agâdir built by the Berbers. A few paces to the N. of the road rises the handsome _Kubba of Sidi’d-Dâoudi_ (d. 1011); the present building is probably of the Merinide period.

31. Prom Tlemcen to Nemours viâ Lalla-Marnia.

64 M. RAILWAY to (36½ M.) Lalla-Marnia (two trains daily in ca. 2¼
hrs.; fares 6 fr. 65, 4 fr. 75, 3 fr. 55 c.), going on thence to (43
M.) _Zoudj-el-Beghal_, the terminus on the Moroccan frontier.

The RAILWAY, admirably engineered, skirts the N. side of Tlemcen, and then, near the Bâb el-Kermâdîn (p. 193), turns to the S.E. to (3 M.) _Mansura_ (p. 193) and crosses the _Col du Juif_ (2664 ft.). Behind us there is a fine view of Tlemcen, while the distant view extends to the Plaine des Angad and Jebel Beni Snassen (see below). We next skirt the N. spurs of the _Jebel Terni_ group (p. 187) and pass through superb valleys and ravines.

7½ M. _Aïn-Douz._ Beyond (9½ M.) _Zelboun_ we are carried through the valley of the _Oued Zitoun_, one of the chief tributaries of the Tafna (p. 185).

18½ M. =Turenne= (1969 ft.; Hôt. Fournier and Hôt. Leclerc, poor), a thriving village in a well-watered region. Esparto is the chief export.

28½ M. _Sidi-Medjahed_, with a camp of wedded spahis (p. 390). 31 M. _Tralimet_.

36½ M. =Lalla-Marnia= (1197 ft.; Hôt. de France; Hôt. de la Renaissance), properly _Lalla-Maghrnia_, on the site of the Roman castle of _Numerus Syrorum_, was founded in 1844 on the occasion of the campaign against Morocco, and named after the tomb of a female saint. It is now the most important frontier-town of the province of Oran; it was made a free mart in 1895, and holds a great Sunday *Market, much frequented by Moroccans. Lalla-Marnia forms the portal of the _Plaine des Angad_ or _Plaine d’Oudjda_. This great plateau is bounded on the N. by the _Traras Group_ (p. 198) and the fertile _Jebel Beni Snassen_ (4659 ft.), both inhabited by Berber tribes only, and on the S. by the main chain of the Tell Atlas. The old caravan route to Fez by Tâza, the key to N. Morocco, has been the scene of all the expeditions of the Arabs against Morocco ever since that of Sidi Okba in the 7th century.

From Lalla-Marnia a new road (motor-omnibus twice daily) leads to the
S.W., crossing the frontier of Morocco halfway, to (ca. 15 M.)
=Oudjda= or _Ujda_ (2241 ft.; Hôt. Figari, good, quarters should be
engaged by telegraph; pop. ca. 8000), the chief town of E. Morocco,
which is said to have been founded by the governors of Tlemcen in the
10th cent., and was occupied by the French in 1814, 1859, and 1907.
The picturesque town, the most fertile oasis in the Angad steppe, lies
amidst orchards and olive-groves, not far from the _Oued Isly_, the
battle-field of 1844 (p. 221). We enter the town, passing the kubba of
Oudjda, by the N. gate (Bâb el-Khemis). Straight on is the French
Consulate in a pretty garden, while to the left are the Custom House
and Post Office. In the S. quarter of the town rises the _Kasba_ or
_Dâr el-Makhzen_, the seat of the Moroccan Amel or governor. At the N.
angle of the Kasba is the _Chief Mosque_, dedicated to Sidi Okba, to
the N.E. of which lies the _Sûk_ (p. 335). Behind the mosque is the
new _Ecole Franco-Arabe_. Outside the E. gate, the Bâb Sidi Abd
el-Wahhâb, is the camping-ground of the caravans; and outside the S.
gate (Bâb Oulad Amran), on a slight eminence 10 min. from the town,
are the quarters of the French troops of occupation. The Thursday
market is important. Famous horse-races in October, in connection with
those of Lalla-Marnia.

For a visit to Oudjda travellers may use also the railway as far as
_Zoudj-el-Beghal_ (comp. p. 197) on the Moroccan frontier, whence
Oudjda is about 8 M. distant.

The ROAD TO NEMOURS (diligence) leads to the N. from Lalla-Marnia through a hilly region, crosses the _Oued Mouïlah_, a tributary of the Tafna, near the _Hammam Sidi-Cheikh_, a small bath with saline springs (91° Fahr.), and then winds up, past the _Kubba Sidi-Abdallah_ (on the left), towards the _Traras Mts._, which are famed for the beauty of their outlines. In the _Jebel Masser_, near the top of the pass, the _Col de Bab-Taza_ (2664 ft.), is a cadmium mine, worked like the neighbouring mines of _Jebel Maaziz_ by a Belgian company.—We now descend to the N.E. in many windings, passing not far from the onyx-quarries near the _Kubba Sidi-Brahim_, into the valley of the _Oued Zebaïr_.

53½ M. (from Tlemcen) =Nédroma= (1312 ft.; inn; pop. 4900), superbly situated in a fertile basin, is an antiquated little Berber town, with fine mediæval mosques. The *Market (Mon. and Thurs.) is worth seeing for the sake of the picturesque costumes of the peasants who flock to it from the mountains around. Home-industries are much in vogue in the environs.

The _Jebel Fillaoussen_ (3727 ft.), the highest of the Traras group,
to the E. of Nédroma, commands an extensive view, embracing in very
clear weather the Sierra Nevada in the far N.

The road soon leaves the Oued Zebaïr and turns to the N.W. to the lower course of the brook, which takes the name of _Oued Tléta_ farther on, and from the influx of the _Oued Taïma_ to the sea that of _Oued el-Mersa_.

In the upper valley of the Taïma, on the slope of _Jebel Kerkour_
(1884 ft.), are the _Kubba Sidi-Brahim_, where a small French force
under Col. de Montagnac was almost entirely cut to pieces in 1845, and
the _Kubba Sidi-Tahar_, where Abd el-Kâder (p. 221) surrendered in
1847. The former event is recalled by a monument in the _Vallée des
Jardins_, ¾M. to the S. of Nemours.

64 M. (from Tlemcen) =Nemours= (Hôt. de France; pop. 3900), a pleasant little town, noted for its mild and healthy climate, was founded in 1844 on the site of the Roman _Ad Fratres_, a name derived from two rocks near the beach. The banana culture thrives in the environs. On the _Plateau de Taount_ (407 ft.), to the N.E. of the town, are the ruins of _Djemâa el-Ghazaouât_ (‘marauders’ community’), once a Berber village, but afterwards a notorious den of pirates (p. 221).—Nemours is a steamboat station (comp. R. 18).

32. From Oran to Beni-Ounif de Figuig (_Colomb-Béchar_) viâ Damesme and
Perrégaux.

396 M. STATE RAILWAY. Direct communication with dining-car (déj. 3, D.
3½ fr.) and sleeping-car (12 fr. extra) three times a week only
(Tues., Thurs., and Sat.; returning Sun., Wed., and Frid.); express
viâ (129½ M.) _Saïda_ to (305½ M.) _Aïn-Sefra_ in 16 hrs.; thence by
ordinary train to _Beni-Ounif_ in 5¼ hrs.; trains start from the Gare
d’Arzew at Oran (p. 175). As far as (55½ M.) _Perrégaux_ we may travel
by the Oran and Algiers train on the main-line (R. 33), noting that
the stations there are 550 yds. apart (omn. 25 c.). Fares to Aïn-Sefra
39 fr. 35, 29 fr. 50 c. (sleeping-car, 1st cl. only, 12 fr. extra; 2nd
cl. similar to Engl. 3rd); to Beni-Ounif 50 fr. 95, 38 fr. 20 c.
(return-ticket, valid 16 days, 71 fr. 30 or 53 fr. 50 c.).—A good
supply of copper coins will be found very useful.

The journey from Oran to the Sahara is most interesting, as it carries
the traveller from the seaboard through a cultivated region, across
the Tell Atlas to the Hauts-Plateaux, and then over the Sahara Atlas
to the margin of the desert. The only good intermediate resting-place
is _Aïn-Sefra_. A stay of several days at _Beni-Ounif_ will be found
pleasant, especially in spring. The oasis of Tiout is now eclipsed by
that of Figuig, one of the most beautiful in the Sahara. The line goes
on from Beni-Ounif to _Colomb-Béchar_, its present terminus.

_Oran_, see p. 175. Our train crosses the Algiers main-line (R. 33), passes the suburb of _Victor-Hugo_ and the _Daya Morselli_ (p. 185), and runs to the E. through vineyards, fields, and dwarf-palm underwood in succession, and then past the S. base of _Jebel Kahar_ (p. 184) to (12½ M.) _Fleurus_.

17½ M. _St. Cloud_ (502 ft.; hotel) lies pleasantly on the spurs of _Jebel Kristel_, 6¼ M. to the S.E. of Kristel (p. 184). 21 M. _Renan-Kléber_ (433 ft.). The village of _Kléber_ (505 ft.; Hôt. Voinson) lies 2 M. to the N.W., at the foot of _Jebel Orouze_ (2070 ft.; semaphore), with its large quarries of white, yellow, and red marble (‘rosso antico’).

26 M. _Damesme_, on the _Bay of Arzew_, the ancient _Laturus Sinus_. The village lies above the station, to the S.

A BRANCH LINE (3 M., in 12–15 min.) connects Damesme with =Arzew= or
_Arzeu_ (7 ft.; Hôt. de la Nièvre; Hôt. des Bains; Brit. vice-consul,
A. Gautray; pop. 6000), a small seaport at the foot of _Jebel Sicioun_
(532 ft.), whence a goods-line runs to the S. to the (9 M.) salt-works
on the _Lac Salin d’Arzew_, or _El-Mellaha_. The harbour, naturally
one of the best and most sheltered in Algeria, but as yet little used,
has been improved since 1906. From here chiefly alfa (p. 171) is
exported to Great Britain and Germany.

From Damesme the train runs to the S.E., close to the shore. 28 M. _St. Leu_ (177 ft.; Hôt. de l’Europe). To the S.E. of the village of St. Leu, and 1 M. from the station, is the Berber village of _Bettioua_, near which are the scanty ruins of _Portus Magnus_, the only Roman settlement on the bay of Arzew.

34½ M. _Port-aux-Poules_ (Etablissement Thermal), with sulphur-baths, a sea-bathing place in summer. The train skirts the narrow strip of sand-hills and passes the mouth of the _Macta_.

37 M. =La Macta=, a village at the N. end of the _Marais de la Macta_, or swamps of the river-plain of the _Sig_ (p. 206) and the _Habra_, very malarious in summer, is connected by a branch-line with (7½ M.) _La Stidia_, a village founded by German peasants in 1844, and with (18½ M.) _Mostaganem_ (p. 207).

The train now runs inland, past the E. margin of the morasses, to (48½ M.) _Debrousseville_, in the broad _Plaine de l’Habra_. The village belongs to the _Domaine de l’Habra et de la Macta_, the largest estate in Algeria, watered by a network of cuttings (276 M. in length) from the reservoir of the Oued Fergoug (see below). Since the failure of two private companies the estate has been owned by the Crédit Foncier de France. Of its 70,000 acres 44,000 are pasture-land, and the rest is devoted to grain and fruit. Its headquarters are at _La Ferme-Blanche_, near the railway.

At (55½ M.) =Perrégaux= we cross the Oran-Algiers line (p. 206).