Chapter VI: Algeria (6)

The STEAM TRAMWAY follows the direct road from Maison-Carrée to the N.E. to (12 M.) =Fort-de-l’Eau= (16 ft.; Hôt.-Restaur. du Casino, on the shore; Hôt. de la Plage and others, plain), a small sea-bathing place with many villas and a fine beach. Fine view of Algiers and the spurs of Mont Bouzaréah. The old Turkish coast-fort, _Bordj el-Kifan_, of 1581, stormed by the Foreign Legion in 1833, is now the Caserne de Douaniers. The village, noted for its banana-culture, is inhabited chiefly by ‘Mahonnais’ (p. 233).

From the village we proceed to the N.E., a little inland from the bay, which is now much choked with sand, through tame fields and underwood, to the _Oued el-Hamiz_. Here we turn to the N., soon obtaining a view of the broad Bay of Algiers and the distant Atlas of Blida, and traverse the extensive plateau of _Cape Matifou_ (236 ft.; Arabic _Râs Temendfus_).

17 M. =Matifou= (210 ft.), a poor village, lies about 1½ M. to the E. of the site of the Roman town of _Rusguniae_, where, under the dense brushwood, the remains of baths and the foundations of an early-Christian basilica have been discovered. The church, originally with nave and aisles, was rebuilt in the Byzantine period with double aisles and a W. apse.

The small _Harbour_ beyond the village, where Emp. Charles V. embarked
the remnant of his army in 1541 (comp. p. 221), is now a quarantine
station for vessels and a port for pilgrims (Mers el-Hadjadjeh). The
Mohammedans returning from Mecca, usually including many Moroccans,
have to spend several days here in the large _Lazaretto_ built in
1884.

Besides the _Bordj Temendfous_, the interesting old Turkish fort,
there are also on the peninsula the French _Fort d’Estrées_, a
_Lighthouse_ (207 ft.), visible from 32 M., and a _Semaphore_. On the
shore, where there are traces of a breakwater, a large tunny-net
(_madrague_) is set in summer. The fishermen are mostly Corsicans and
S. Italians from the villages of _La Pérouse_ and _Jean-Bart_.

Beyond Matifou we skirt the E. margin of the peninsula, soon sighting the fine coast of Great Kabylia as far as Cape Bengut (p. 254), and run to the S.E., past some Roman ruins, to the village of _Aïn-Beïda_.

20 M. =Aïn-Taya= (131 ft.; Hôt. du Figuier, R. 2–4, B. ¾, déj. or D. 2½–3, pens. 6–7 fr., quite good), a pleasant agricultural village, is inhabited chiefly by Spaniards. From the chief place a short avenue of plane-trees and palms leads to the N.E. to the steep edge of the coast and the fine bathing-beach.

From the S. margin of the plateau, on the highroad beyond Aïn-Taya, we obtain a delightful *View of the E. Mitidja with its girdle of mountains. The road then descends to (24½ M.) _Rouïba_ (see below), whence we may take the train back to Algiers or else to Menerville (p. 250).

37. From Algiers to Bougie viâ Beni-Mansour.

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).

162 M. _Bougie_, see p. 262.

38. From Algiers to Tizi-Ouzou. From Camp-du-Maréchal to Tigzirt.

From Algiers to _Tizi-Ouzou_, 66½ M., railway in 3½–6¾ hrs.; fares 12
fr., 8 fr. 55, 6 fr. 45 c.; 1st cl. return 16 fr. 90 c. (to
Camp-du-Maréchal, 56 M., in 3–5¾ hrs.; fares 10 fr. 10, 7 fr. 20, 5
fr. 40 c.).—From Camp-du-Maréchal to _Dellys_, 19½ M., light railway
in ca. 1¾ hr. (2 fr. 35 or 1 fr. 70 c.).—From Dellys to _Tigzirt_, 16
M., diligence in 3 hrs. (at night only).—MOTORING TOURS, comp. p. 173.

The railway to Tizi-Ouzou forms the chief approach to =Great Kabylia=
or _Grande Kabylie_, for which the best season is April or May, when
the bare limestone peaks of the Jurjura (p. 258) are still capped with
their winter snow, while the lower hills are clothed with the fresh
verdure of spring. Most travellers are satisfied with a visit to
Fort-National and Michelet and the drive across the Tirourda Pass (R.
39) but the long route from Fort-National to Bougie viâ Azazga and
Taourirt-Ighil (R. 40) also is quite interesting. Beautiful coast
scenery between Dellys and Tigzirt. The ruins at the latter will
interest archæologists. The hotel-charges are everywhere
disproportionate to the services rendered, and the cuisine is
generally indifferent. Fairly good quarters are to be found only at
Tizi-Ouzou, Tigzirt, Michelet, Azazga, and Taourirt-Ighil.

The so-called _Kabyles_ (from the Arabic _kebila_, tribe) consisted,
as far back as the Roman period, of five Berber tribes, united to form
a state with a democratic constitution. In their remote mountain
villages (_thaddart_) they successively repelled the attacks of the
Romans, the Arabs, and the Turks, and it was not till 1852–7 that the
French after protracted struggles succeeded in subduing them. During
the Turkish period they were called _Zuawas_, whence the modern French
Zouaves derive their name. Their language is a Berber dialect mingled
with Latin and Arabic words. The men in the over-peopled W. and S.
regions often migrate to the Algerian towns and even to foreign
countries as hawkers (_iattaren_), or to the Mitidja as harvest
labourers. The women, who are unveiled and often adorned with valuable
trinkets, are seen to advantage at the wells. Many of the girls have
pretty faces and good figures.

From Algiers to (34 M.) _Ménerville_, see pp. 249, 250. To the left of the train, halfway to Félix-Faure, is the so-called _Mausolée de Blad-Guitoun_, the sadly dilapidated tomb, originally 33 ft. high, of a Christian Berber prince (4th or 5th cent.), in the style of the later Djedar (p. 208), but with an octagonal base. The interior, like that of the Tombeau de la Chrétienne (p. 238), contains a lion in relief, a winding gallery, and a tomb-chamber. The pyramid with its steps has disappeared.

38 M. _Félix-Faure-Courbet._ From the village of Félix-Faure (236 ft.), formerly called _Blad-Guitoun_, near the station, a road (diligence twice daily) leads to the N. through the hilly Sahel to (4½ M.) _Zaatra_ and (5½ M.) _Courbet_ (253 ft.), two villages chiefly inhabited by settlers from Alsace and Lorraine.

The road ends at (8¾ M.) _Port-aux-Poules_ or _Mers el-Hadjadjeh_ (p.
248), a decayed seaport on the site of the Roman _Rusubricari_, the
ruins of which have been almost entirely swept away by the waves.

The train crosses the _Isser_ by viaducts of 110 and 160 yds. in length. 40½ M. _Les Issers_ (82 ft.; Hôt. du Marché, Hôt. des Issers, both humble) is the station for _Isserville_ (213 ft.; Hôt. Sigé), which holds a busy Thursday market. Diligence to (24½ M.) _Dra el-Mizan_ (p. 254).

43½ M. _Bordj-Ménaïel_ (53 ft.; Hôt. du Roulage; pop. 1100) holds market on Fridays.

A ROAD leads to the N. from Bordj-Ménaïel through the Isser valley,
avoiding the sand-hills at the mouth of the stream, and then skirting
_Jebel Djinet_, the ‘frontier pillar’ of Great Kabylia, to (10 M.) the
small bay, opening towards the W., of _Mersa Djinet_, near _Cape
Djinet_ (164 ft.), whose basalt-quarries have yielded paving-stones
for Algiers.

The train leaves the Isser and ascends to the E. in the valley of the _Oued Chender_ to (51 M.) _Haussonvillers_ (492 ft.; Hôt. des Postes), peopled by settlers from Alsace-Lorraine. We are now carried over four viaducts, each over 100 ft. high, and through tunnels on the N. slope of the finely-shaped _Beni Mekla_ hills (2920 ft.), down to the _Sebaou Valley_, the chief valley of Great Kabylia. In the distance appears _Jebel Belloua_ (p. 254).

56 M. =Camp-du-Maréchal= (184 ft.; Hôt. Frœliger), peopled by Alsace-Lorrainers, has a Tuesday and a Thursday market. Cork-tree woods in the environs.

From Camp-du-Maréchal to _Dellys_ and _Tigzirt_, see pp. 254, 255.

We cross the _Bougdoura_. 60½ M. _Mirabeau_ (154 ft.; Hôt. Caratero, humble).

FROM MIRABEAU TO BOGHNI, 18¾ M., light railway (continuation of the
line from Dellys), in ca. 1¾ hr. (2 fr. 25 or 1 fr. 65 c.). The train
at first runs to the S. on the Dra el-Mizan road (p. 254), through a
eucalyptus avenue in the broad and featureless lower valley of the
Bougdoura, to beyond (4½ M.) _Tléta_. A little farther on it leaves
the highroad and penetrates very narrow cuttings up the winding upper
Bougdoura valley, past (12 M.) _Maatkas_, in the territory of the
tribe of that name, to (18¾ M.) =Boghni= (755 ft.; Hôt. Ricard, Hôt.
Grossiard, both humble). The little village lies in the fertile green
valley of the stream, here called _Oued Boghni_, between the lower
hills and _Jebel Haïzer_ or _Haïzeur_, the chief peaks of which are
_Râs Tachgagalt_ or _Pic Ficheur_ (7044 ft.) to the E. and _Tamgout
Haïzer_ (6965 ft.) to the W. From Boghni to _Aïn-Sultan_ and
_Fort-National_, see pp. 258, 257.

FROM MIRABEAU TO DRA EL-MIZAN (26 M.). The highroad, beyond the
cuttings near Tléta (p. 253), crosses the Bougdoura and runs to the W.
for a short time in the valley of the _Oued Aguergoun_, in view of the
fine S. slopes of the Beni Mekla Mts. (p. 253). It then bends to the
S.W. into the pretty and secluded valley of the _Acif Tléta_ or _Oued
Kessari_, which here intersects the lower hills and for a distance of
17 M. contains not a single human habitation. The hill-sides, however,
are carefully cultivated by the neighbouring villagers, and are well
planted with fig and olive-trees, eucalypti, and cork-oaks. We then
ascend a high plateau, with a superb view of Jebel Haïzer (see above),
to the village of (26 M.) =Dra el-Mizan= (1525 ft.; Hôt. Bellevue,
Hôt. du Commerce, both humble), once famed for its textile fabrics,
situated on the N.W. spurs of the _Beni Smaïl Mts._ (p. 250; 10 M. to
the W. of Boghni; diligence). A picturesque road (7½ M.; diligence)
leads from Dra el-Mizan, to the S.W., across the _Tizi el-Arba_
(beyond this, another view of Jebel Haïzer), to the rail. station of
_Aomar-Dra el-Mizan_ (p. 250).

The train next crosses the _Oued Sebt_, approaches the Sebaou after a long bend to the N., and then ascends past the Alsatian village of (64½ M.) _Bou-Khalfa_ (161 ft.), near the wooded W. slope of the finely situated _Jebel Belloua_ (2280 ft.).

66½ M. =Tizi-Ouzou= (620 ft.; Hôt. Lagarde, R. 3–5, B. 1¼, déj. 3, D. 3½, omn. ½ fr., quite good; Hôt. du Square and Hôt. du Roulage, unpretending; pop. 29,620), the chief town and market (Sat.) in the interior of Great Kabylia. Jebel Belloua may be ascended hence, and the poor and dirty Kabyle village at the N. end of the little town may be visited by the curious.

From Tizi-Ouzou to _Fort National_ and _Michelet_ (Tirourda Pass), see
R. 39.

* * * * *

The LIGHT RAILWAY TO DELLYS (19½ M.; p. 252) descends to the N. from _Camp-du-Maréchal_ (p. 253) through the broad _Sebaou Valley_, past unimportant stations; then, near the mouth of the stream, it turns to the N.E., away from the highroad, and skirts the coast, which is at first flat and sandy and afterwards bold, and abrupt. To the left rises the lighthouse, famed for its view, on _Cape Bengut_ (207 ft.), a spur of _Jebel Ouamri_ (1227 ft.), composed partly of basalt and other eruptive rocks.

We now proceed to the E., at first through orchards and then on an embankment 26 ft. high, on the brink of a grand abraded terrace, 1 M. long, flanked with narrow perpendicular ledges of sandstone. We then pass through a short tunnel under the ‘dagger-pointed’ _Cape Dellys_.

19½ M. =Dellys= (203 ft.; Hôt. de la Colonie; pop. 3000, of whom 2000 are Mohammedans, mostly Berbers of the Arab type), a quiet little seaport, the W. sea-gate of Great Kabylia, probably on the site of the Roman _Cissi_, rises in terraces with luxuriant gardens on the E. slope of Cape Dellys, at the end of which is a small lighthouse. The deserted harbour is fairly protected against N. and N.W. winds only; the unfinished works at the end of the headland have been destroyed by the waves. Dellys offers little attraction beyond the strikingly beautiful view, stretching as far as Cape Tedlès (p. 256). A few relics of Roman _Cisterns_ and _Thermae_ also may be visited. The _Native Quarter_ is very picturesque. The _Ecole Nationale d’Apprentissage des Arts et Métiers_, numbering many Kabyle pupils, was transferred hither from Fort-National (p. 257) in 1871.

The *COAST ROAD TO TIGZIRT (16 M.; diligence, see p. 252) leads to the E. from Dellys, up and down hill, in many windings, past small headlands and bays and the estuaries of torrents. At first we observe isolated European settlements, but farther on we pass through underwood and the fields and fig-groves of the Kabyle hill-folk. The latter half of the route leads through remains of the _Forêt de Mizrana_.

16 M. =Tigzirt= (66 ft.; Hôt. des Ruines-Romaines, plain; pop. barely 200), a poor little agricultural village founded in 1888, with a lively Wednesday market, occupies part of the site of the ancient _Rusuccuru_. This, as the name indicates, was originally a Berber settlement; it afterwards became a Phœnician seaport. In the late-Roman period it vied with Saldæ (p. 263) as one of the most populous places on this part of the coast, and under the Byzantines it was still fairly prosperous.

The village lies on a low coast-terrace behind _Cape Tigzirt_, a small headland, running out to a storm-beaten rocky island, with which in the Roman period it was connected by a quay. The _Roman Town Wall_ extended from one shore to the other, as did also the shorter _Byzantine Wall_, which was nearer the promontory. The new buildings erected by the Byzantines, now a mass of ruins overgrown by bushes, superseded most of the Roman edifices on the promontory. The sole relic of the latter is a small *TEMPLE (14¾ by 7 yds.) of the time of Septimius Severus, of unusually heavy and massive form, which, according to the inscription, was dedicated to the genius of the municipium of Rusuccuru. The lofty front-wall of the cella, borne by two columns, immediately adjoins the small court of the temple without an intervening vestibule.

The Roman ruins between the two town-walls, on the inland side, have been mostly either destroyed or built over by the modern villagers.

The most important of the old buildings at Rusuccuru is the *BISHOP’S CHURCH, situated close to the Roman town-wall in the E. part of the village. Originally a columnar basilica, 44 by 23 yds., probably of the 5th cent., it is now a picturesque chaos of ruins, with remains of the old mosaic pavement.

The entrances were through the chief portal in the narrow W. vestibule
and by three smaller doorways in the wall of the façade, leading into
an inner vestibule built into the nave. There are still traces of the
two arcades of the nave, borne by clustered columns, all brought from
ancient buildings, which rested without bases on stone pedestals. The
rich plastic decoration of the imposts, with a touch of the Punic
style, is noteworthy. The galleries over the aisles, accessible by
outside stairs on the N.E. side only, were ruined by fire at an early
period.

On each side of the oldest altar-table at the end of the nave four
steps ascended to the choir-recess, where remains of the columns of
the later ciborium altar still exist. Two small doors led from the
apse into the sacristies, which were shut off from the aisles. The
diaconicon, on the left, was adjoined by the quatrefoil-shaped
baptistery, also on the left, containing fragments of the old font.
The W. portal of the baptistery led into a rectangular hall.

In the late Byzantine period the E. half of the nave was walled off
for the use of the greatly reduced congregation, while the old aisles
and the sacristies were converted into burial-places.

A few paces to the S. of the bishop’s church, above part of the ancient Roman baths, are relics of a smaller early-Christian _Basilica_, ending in a trilateral apse. Outside of the town lay the E. burial-ground, with an early-Christian _Chapel_ of similar design.

From Tigzirt we may climb, 1 hr. to the N. E., through underwood, to
the Berber village of =Taksept=, on the crest of the abrupt _Cape
Tedlès_ (870 ft.). Among the stone huts of the villagers are many
fragments of Roman buildings, hardly now recognizable, probably the
ruins of _Iomnium_, whose harbour lay on the E. side of the
promontory. On the highest point of the cape stands the chief landmark
of this part of the coast, the so-called _Phare_ or _Mausolée de
Taksept_, a late-Roman tomb, still about 29 ft. high, with an
octagonal substructure adorned with eight Corinthian columns, above
which probably once rose a step-pyramid.

39. From Tizi-Ouzou viâ Fort-National to Maillot or Tazmalt.

65 or 63½ M. ROAD. From Tizi-Ouzou to Fort-National 17 M. (diligence
in 4 hrs., at 5 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.; returning at 8.45 and 1.15). From
Fort-National to Michelet 12½ M. (diligence in 2½ hrs., at 5.15 p m.,
returning 6 a.m.). From Michelet to Maillot 35½ M., to Tazmalt 34 M.
(no diligence). Carriage from Hôt. Lagarde at Tizi-Ouzou to
Fort-National 25–45, to Michelet (two days) 50–75, to Maillot or
Tazmalt 125–175 fr.; cheaper at the diligence office of Aug. Passicos
(p. 257), who will send a carriage to the Tizi-Ouzou station if
ordered by letter or telegram. Mules also may be hired at Michelet (on
Frid. they must be ordered in advance). The Tirourda Pass is seldom
fit for driving before the end of April.

_Tizi-Ouzou_, see p. 254. The FORT-NATIONAL ROAD descends to the E. into the valley of the Sebaou, where, at the bridge (259 ft.) across its affluent _Oued Aïssi_, we enjoy a splendid *View of the Jurjura Mts. (p. 258). It then branches off to the S.E., a little before the village of _Sikh ou Meddour_, from the Azazga road on the left bank (p. 260), and begins to ascend rapidly to the long _Massif de Fort-National_, the most important branch of the *=Massif Kabyle=, which extends from the Sebaou to the base of the Azerou-Tidjer (p. 259).

The road ascends in short windings, dangerous for motorists descending, at one time following the S.W. slope of the hill above the Oued Aïssi, where we have splendid mountain views, at another running along the N.E. slope, above a second side-valley of the Sebaou. On every side we see countless fig-trees, the favourite fruit-trees of the natives. We pass isolated cottages and a few small Kabyle villages (_Adeni_, _Tamâzirt_, and others), where the curious may obtain access to one or other of the poor and uninviting huts. Lastly, the road ascends by a long bend (cut off by a mule-track) to the N. to the top of the hill.

=17 M. Fort-National.=—HOTELS (comp. p. 174). _Hôtel des Touristes_,
R. 3, déj. 3, D. 3½ fr., food tolerable; _Hôt. Bellevue_,
humble.—CARRIAGES at the diligence-office, kept by _Aug.
Passicos_.—Picture post-cards at _Boussuge’s_, photographer.

_Fort-National_ (3035 ft.; pop. 1000), in the territory of the _Beni Raten_ or _Iraten_ tribe, was built in 1857, to overawe the natives, on the site of a Kabyle village, and is now the capital of the Massif Kabyle, with a busy Wednesday market, and like Michelet (p. 258), is a favourite centre for excursions. It consists of little more than a single main street between the two town-gates. Several shops contain Kabylian pottery and wood-carvings. The trinkets sold here are often of Moroccan manufacture. The ‘cavalier’ or high bastion of the _Citadel_ (3153 ft.; adm. only by leave of the commandant) is a fine point of view, reached from the N.W. town-gate by the short Rue Maréchal. A similar distant view is obtained by walking round the _Town Walls_ on the N.E. side, and also from the Michelet road (p. 258).

EXCURSIONS. The best insight into the character of the people and
their land is afforded by the interesting, but rather fatiguing walk
or ride through the =Djemâa Valley= to _Michelet_ (5–6 hrs.; mule 4–6
fr.; path unfit for riding at places). We leave the road a few hundred
paces outside the S.E. gate of Fort-National, pass the large village
of _Taourirt-Amokran_ (2424 ft.), the capital of the _Aït Ousammeur_
tribe, a place noted for its quaint old-fashioned pottery, and then
descend abruptly to the S. to the (1 hr.) _Djemâa Bridge_ (about 1300
ft.). On the left bank of the brook we ascend through the territory of
the _Beni Yenni_, well known for their various art-industries, to the
village of _Aït-Larbâa_ (2166 ft.; mission-house of the White Fathers
in the vicinity; p. 247), and then to the S.E. to (9½ M.)
_Taourirt-Mimoun_ (2435 ft.), whose white school-house is conspicuous
from a distance. The main track now leads to the S.E. on the crest of
the Beni Yenni Mts. viâ _Taourirt el-Hadjadj_ (2598 ft.) to _Tassaft
ou Guemoun_ (2545 ft.), and thence down steep zigzags to _Souk
el-Djemâa_ (1477 ft.), where we reach the steep road ascending to
_Menguellet_ (3350 ft.) and _Hôpital Ste. Eugénie_ (p. 258). Shorter,
but often impassable after rain, is the mule-track from
Taourirt-Mimoun to the (¾ hr.) _Djemâa Ford_ (about 1395 ft.), and
thence through a side-valley to (1¼ hr.) Menguellet.

To =Boghni= (8–9 hrs.; mule 8–10 fr.), a pleasant day’s excursion.
From Fort-National we first follow, to the S.W., the fine open road to
the village of _Aït-Atelli_ (2648 ft.), and then descend viâ
_Aït-Frah_ (2126 ft.) to the _Lowest Djemâa Ford_ (about 900 ft.).
Thence we follow the right bank of the _Oued Aïssi_ (p. 256) and go
through the side-valley of the _Acif Djerra_ to _Souk el-Haad_ (about
1300 ft.), the chief market of the _Ouadhia_. We then skirt the S.
slope of _Jebel Iril ou Moula_, crowned with the village of that name,
and reach _Aïn-Sultan_ (1313 ft.), a copious spring shaded by huge
nettle-trees (Celtis australis L.), 3¾ M. from _Boghni_ (p. 254).

Good climbers, properly equipped, may in the warmer season explore
some of the fine passes among the *=Jurjura= or =Djurdjura Mts.=, the
Roman _Mons Ferratus_, and ascend some of the higher peaks. Provisions
and guides necessary; night-quarters are obtainable at the
school-houses. =1.= To _Souk el-Haad_, see p. 257 and above; then viâ
_Aït-Krelifa_ (2230 ft.), along the W. spurs of the _Chenacha Mts._,
and through the wild valley of the _Beni Bou Addou_ to the _Lac de
Tizi-Koulmin_, one of the few mountain-lakes in the Atlas. The lake
lies at the foot of the pass (5813 ft.) of that name, which separates
the _Râs Tachgagalt_ or _Pic Ficheur_ (p. 254) from the
_Azerou-Ncennad_ or _Pic de Galland_ (7002 ft.), the westmost peak of
_Jebel Akouker_. From the pass we descend to the S.W. through remains
of a fine cedar-forest to _Bouïra_ (p. 250).—=2.= From Fort-National
viâ _Taourirt-Amokran_ (p. 257) to _Aït-Lahssen_ (2851 ft.), the
north-westmost village of the Beni Yenni (p. 257); then viâ _Souk
el-Arba_ (1221 ft.), a market-village in the valley of the _Acif
el-Arba_, to _Aït-Touddeurt_ (2271 ft.) and _Taguemoun_ (3852 ft.), on
the S. slope of _Jebel Kouriet_ (5027 ft.), one of the Chenacha Mts.
(see above); thence across three passes, the _Col de Taguemoun_ (3681
ft.), the _Tizi Guessig_, on the E. side of the _Azerou es-Guessig_,
one of the Akouker group, and the _Tizi Boulma_ (5532 ft.), between
the Azerou-Ncennad (see above) and the _Râs Timedouine_ (7563 ft.),
the highest peak of Jebel Akouker; thence down to _Bouïra_.—=3.= Viâ
_Souk el-Arba_ (see above) to the village of _Tiroual_ (2664 ft.), on
the spurs of the _Azerou ou Gougane_ (7080 ft.) and _Azerou Thaltatt_;
next across the _Tizi n-Assoual_ (5683 ft.) to _Ansor el-Akhal_ or
_Ansor Lekhal_ (about 2950 ft.), and through the valley of the _Oued
Beurd_ to _El-Adjiba_ (p. 251).

The ROAD TO MICHELET (29½ M.; diligence, see p. 256), starting from the S.E. gate of Fort-National, leads at first along the S.W. slope of the Massif de Fort-National, soon affording a superb *View of the Jurjura Mts., from Jebel Haïzer (p. 254), on the W., and from Jebel Akouker (see above) to the Lalla Khedidja (p. 259). To the right, in the valley, lies the village of Taourirt-Amokran (p. 257); opposite us, beyond the deep ravine of the Oued Djemâa (see p. 257), rise the Beni Yenni Mts. (p. 257).

About 4½ M. beyond Fort-National a rough road diverges to the left to
(20 min.) the small hill-village of _Icherridêne_ (3494 ft.) and the
_Monument d’Icherridêne_, erected by the French in memory of the
decisive battles of 1857 and 1871. Near the pyramid we obtain a
splendid distant *View. We may descend to the highroad on the other
side.

For a short distance the road skirts the E. margin of the hills and overlooks the hill-country of the _Aït Yahia_. It then ascends in windings, passing near the villages of _Azerou-Kellat_ and _Taskenfout_ on the right, to a height where the road to (20 min.) _Hôpital Ste. Eugénie_ and _Menguellet_ (p. 257) branches off to the right.

29½ M. =Michelet= (3543 ft.; Hôt. des Touristes or Calanchini, R. 3–3½, B. 1–1½, déj. 3, D. 3½ fr., clean and quite good; mule to the Tirourda Pass 4–5, to Tazmalt 6 fr.; pop. 200, chiefly French), the capital of the _Canton du Djurdjura_, one of the most thickly peopled districts in Algeria, is prettily situated, on the partly vine-clad S.W. slope of the hills, with fine views all around.

From (½ hr.) the crest of the hill (4042 ft.), to which a path ascends
to the left from the Hôtel des Touristes, we have an extensive
*Panorama of the neighbouring Jurjura Mts., among which the Lalla
Khedidja (see below) stands forth grandly, of the Massif Kabyle, the
depression of the Sebaou Valley, and the distant coast hills. The view
is peculiarly impressive in the early morning, when the snow-capped
Jurjura and the green lower hills with their countless Kabylian
villages protrude like islands from the sea of mist in the valleys.

The *=Lalla Khedidja= (7572 ft.), the highest of the Jurjura Mts., may
be ascended from Michelet by one of two different routes. One route is
viâ _Souk el-Djemâa_ (p. 257), the hill-villages of _Aït-Saada_ (3055
ft.) and _Darna_ (3314 ft.; night-quarters), and the passes _Tizi
Tirkabin_ (4587 ft.) and _Tizi n-Kouïlal_ (5178 ft.), near the sources
of the _Oued el-Hammam_. The other route is viâ the _Tirourda Pass_
(p. 260), the village of _Aït-Ouabane_ (about 3380 ft.), in the basin
between the offshoots of the _Azerou Tidjer_ (see below) and the
_Azerou Madène_ (6401 ft.), and across the Tizi n-Kouïlal, where the
mules are left behind. The ascent is, however, easier and shorter from
Maillot (p. 251). A bridle-path leads thence to the (4½ hrs.) village
of _Tala Rana_ (4508 ft.; night-quarters). Then 1 hr. through
cedar-forest (see p. 210), and lastly an ascent on foot, over loose
stones, in 2 hrs. more to the top, where three ruinous stone huts
afford some shelter. The imposing view embraces the whole mountain
region of Great Kabylia, the main ranges of Little Kabylia (p. 266),
the Sahel valley (p. 266), the Chaîne des Biban (p. 270), and the
extensive Hauts-Plateaux (p. 169). Early in the morning in clear
weather we may descry, with the aid of a telescope, the white houses
of Algiers, while the sea is visible in the direction of Bougie. In
the height of summer, on seven Thursdays, hundreds of the neighbouring
Kabyles make this ascent.

Beyond Michelet begins the finest part of the road, which now rapidly nears the Jurjura range. After ½ hr. it skirts for a short time the E. slope of the range, where a path to the left diverges to the village of _Aït-Mellal_; then, returning to the W. slope, it passes close below the villages of _Tifferdout_ (3927 ft.) and _Tazerout_ (3884 ft.). The *View is particularly grand at a bend near the 53rd kilomètre-stone (33 M.), whence we observe a road-mender’s house in the foreground, at the foot of the bare _Azerou Tidjer_ (5745 ft.), which conceals the Lalla Khedidja. Opposite, on the hill beyond the head of the Oued Djemâa valley (p. 257), lie the three large villages of the _Beni Akbil_.

35 M. _Maison Cantonnière_ (4111 ft.; closed in winter). The road soon crosses (7 min.) the narrow saddle between the lower hills and the Azerou Tidjer, and is then carried along the abrupt E. slope of the latter by means of numerous embankments, galleries, and two short tunnels. On the left lies the deep-set _Tirourda Valley_, enlivened by herds of cattle in summer, with the village of _Tirourda_ (about 3870 ft.), viâ which the pass may sometimes be reached when the road is blocked with snow. Behind it rise the four bare peaks of _Jebel Tizibert_ (5754 ft.) and the pointed cone of the _Azerou n-Tohor_ (p. 260).

The road at length pierces the E. margin of the _Azerou n-Tirourda_ (6437 ft.) by means of a cutting called the _Porte Civili_ after its engineer, and ascends in a curve to the pass.

39½ M. =Col de Tirourda= (5775 ft.), the most frequented pass in the Jurjura, where we have a striking view of the hills of the Sahel valley, the Chaîne des Babors (p. 266), and Chaîne des Biban (p. 270).

Most travellers are satisfied with the ascent of the slight hill on
the right of the road. The view is, however, much more extensive from
the _Azerou n-Tirourda_ (see p. 259 and above), and still more so from
the marabout on the _Azerou n-Tohor_ (6181 ft.), which may be scaled
in ½ hr. from the _Piste de Chellata_, the road to the _Col de
Chellata_ (4806 ft.; p. 251).

The road descends from the pass in many windings into the valley of the _Oued Aghbalou_, called _Oued Tixiriden_ lower down, and beyond the (44½ M.) _Maison Cantonnière d’Aïn-Zebda_ crosses to the right bank. The small villages of _Selloum_ (about 2630 ft.) and _Tixiriden_ (about 1970 ft.) lie a little to the right. Near the 94th kilomètre-stone (58½ M.) we reach the road in the valley, above the left bank of the Sahel, about halfway between (65 M.) _Maillot_ and (63½ M.) _Tazmalt_ (p. 251). The direct descent to Tazmalt by the bridle-path is preferable to the long drive round by the road.

40. From Fort-National viâ Azazga to Bougie.

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).

65 M. _El-Kseur-Amizour_, and thence to (80 M.) _Bougie_, see p. 252.

The new Bougie road reaches, on the S. slope of _Jebel ou Chiouen_ (3289 ft.), the upper valley of the _Oued el-Kseur_, a dull, uninhabited forest region, and then nears the S. base of the bare _Jebel Arbalou_.

Farther on, in the vale of the _Oued Rhir_, we cross the La Réunion and Toudja road (p. 252).

=Toudja= (650–1000 ft.) is a group of Kabylian villages in the
abundantly watered upper valley of the Oued Rhir and on the S.E. slope
of _Jebel Toudja_ (1998 ft.), the E. spur of _Jebel Arbalou_ (4291
ft.), the latter of which may be scaled in 3–3½ hrs. Toudja is famed
for its oranges. The modern Bougie, like the ancient Saldæ (p. 263),
is supplied with water from the springs of Toudja. The _Roman
Aqueduct_ was 13 M. long; remains of its pillars are still to be seen
on the _Col d’El-Hanaïat_ (about 1475 ft.), ½ hr. to the N.E. of
Toudja.

Lastly we descend into the vale of the _Oued Srir_ (p. 252) and reach (77½ M.) _Bougie_ (see below).

41. Bougie.

RAILWAY STATION (Pl. B, 3), in the plain, to the W. of the old town,
not far from the Kasba hill.

ARRIVAL BY SEA. The steamers of the Comp. Générale Transatlantique
(RR. 20, 22; office on the quay) anchor close to the Jetée Abd
el-Kader (Pl. D, 3). Landing or embarkation 30, trunk 30–60 c.; small
articles free.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). _Hôt. de France & Royal_ (Pl. a; C, 2), Chemin
de l’Hôpital, quiet, R. 4–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 12–14, omn. 1
fr.—_Hôt. d’Orient_ (Pl. b; C, 2), R. 3–6, B. 1, déj. 3, D. 3½, pens.
10½–13½, omn. ½ fr.; _Hôt. des Voyageurs_ (Pl. c; C, 2), poor; these
two in Rue Trézel, with splendid view.

CAFÉ. _Richelieu_, with terrace, Rue Trézel.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 3; B, 3), Place Gueydon, corner of Rue
Trézel.—BANKS. _Banque de l’Algérie_, next to the post-office; _Comp.
Algérienne_, etc.

CARRIAGES let out by _Spiteri_, _Pacce_, and _Ali ben Abdelkrim
Frères_. Arrangements should be made personally with these or the
drivers.—MOTOR CARS let out by _Vogelweith_, Rue Jeanne d’Arc.—MOTOR
OMNIBUS, Messageries Automobiles Djidjelliennes.—DILIGENCE OFFICES,
Place Gueydon and Rue Trézel.

SEA BATHS in the bay of Sidi Yahia (p. 264).

ONE DAY (when time is limited). In the morning, visit to Cape Carbon
(p. 264); in the afternoon, walk round the town and the bay of Sidi
Yahia. Photographing and sketching in or around Bougie are prohibited.

The quiet seaport-town of _Bougie_ (pop. 11,000, of whom 6000 are Mohammedans and 600 Jews), defended by several forts, rises in terraces on the W. shore of the bay of that name, at the S. base of the steep _Jebel Gouraya_ (p. 265). The _Anse de Bougie_ or _d’Abd el-Kader_, a small bay between two headlands, the _Kasba Hill_ to the W. and the _Bridja Hill_ to the E., forms the harbour. The so-called _Darsenâa_ (see p. 90), the ancient Roman and Moorish harbour adjoining the plain to the W. of the Kasba Hill, and near the industrial suburb close to the station, is now choked with the deposits of the Oued Sahel (p. 251). The upper part of the Kasba Hill to the N., above the new French quarters, is the _Ville Indigène_ or Kabylian quarter (Pl. A, B, 1, 2), whose red-tiled stone huts resemble those of the villages of Great Kabylia (p. 252). A second native quarter, the _Faubourg des Cinq-Fontaines_ (Pl. B, C, 1), lies in the upper part of the valley, between the two hills.

The environs of Bougie, owing to the copious winter rainfall (p. 170), are remarkable for their luxuriant vegetation and their splendid timber. The town is most beautiful in spring, when the gardens don their freshest verdure and the terraces and slopes are gorgeously carpeted with bougainvilleas. In winter the blue bay contrasts most picturesquely with the snow-clad mountains of Little Kabylia (p. 266).

Under the Carthaginians Bougie, like Igilgili (Djidjelli), was
probably one of the chief seaports on this part of the coast, but its
Punic name is unknown. In the Roman period, under the name of
_Saldae_, it was the principal town on the bay. Its present name
(Ital. and Span. _Bugia_) is derived from the Berber tribe of the
_Bejaïa_ or _Bujaïa_, who settled in the vicinity in the 10th century.
The town attained its brief prime in the middle ages, and was one of
the most flourishing of the minor Moorish principalities when under
the sway of the _Hammadites_ (1090–1152), fugitives from Kalàa des
Beni-Hammad (p. 270). The Pisans, the Genoese, and the Venetians had
their factories here. Wax being the chief export, the French still
call their wax-candles _bougies_ (originally, in Ital., candele di
Bugia). From the 15th cent. down to the French occupation, save during
the Spanish period (1510–55), when it afforded an asylum to Emp.
Charles V. on his retreat from Algeria (1541; comp. p. 221), it was a
notorious haunt of the barbaresque pirates. The recent improvement of
the harbour is expected to revive the ancient prosperity of the place.

The finest mediæval building in the town is the dilapidated =Porte Sarrasine= (Pl. C, 2; Arabic _Bâb el-Bahar_, sea-gate), probably a relic of the town-walls erected by the governor En-Nasr, in 1067, extending along the top of the two headlands, up to the Plateau des Ruines (p. 265).

Since the 16th cent. the bay has been commanded by the _Kasba_ (Pl. B, 3), a fortification of the Spanish period, and the ruinous (originally Turkish?) _Fort Abd el-Kader_ (Pl. D, 2, 3) on the rocky summit of the Bridja Hill. Both are now barracks (no adm.).

The =Harbour=, exposed to the infrequent N. and N.E. winds only, one of the ‘least bad’ in Algeria, and now 65 acres in area, was improved in 1905–9 by the extension of the _Jetée Abd el-Kader_ (Pl. D, 3; a fine point of view), by the formation of a quay at the Pointe de la Kasba, and by the construction of the _Jetée du Large_, an outer breakwater, 525 yds. long.

The town is entered from the harbour either by the Boul. des Cinq-Fontaines (Pl. C, 2, 1) or by the Rue de la Marine (Pl. C, 2) and Rue Duvivier, all ascending to the Rue Trézel. From the railway-station we ascend to the Place de l’Arsenal by the Rampe of that name (Pl. A, B, 2).

The RUE TRÉZEL (Pl. B, C, 2), which ascends to the S.W. from the lower ground to the Kasba Hill, is the only fairly animated street in the town. On the left is the _Hôtel de Ville_ (Pl. 2; C, 2), which contains a few antiquities, including a Roman mosaic (Oceanus and the Nereids) found near the hospital. The Fountain in front of the Hôtel de Ville has a hexagonal column with a Roman inscription in three parts recording the building of the aqueduct (p. 262).

The PLACE GUEYDON (Pl. B, 2, 3), the focus of traffic, named after Admiral Gueydon (governor of Algeria, 1870–3), and adorned with a _Monument_ (a genius in bronze), affords a splendid *View of the bay from the parapet.

From the Rue Trézel we cross the Place de l’Arsenal (Pl. B, 2) and ascend the Rue Fatima to the booths of the _Kabylian Market_ and to the Kabylian quarter, the chief boast of which is the pretty _Mosque_ (Pl. A, B, 2), completed in 1902. Close by is the _Porte Fouka_ (Pl. A, 2), the substructions of which are ancient.

_Fort Barral_ (Pl. B, 2; formerly _Fort Moussa_), to the E. of the Rue du Gouraya (p. 265), dates from the Spanish period. Behind the Hôpital Civil are the _Citernes Romaines_ (Pl. B, 1; 509 ft.), which have been frequently altered. These and a few fragments of the _Roman Town Walls_ are the sole memorials of antiquity.

The Rampe des Spahis (Pl. B, 2, 1) descends to the _Cinq-Fontaines_ (Pl. C, 1), a Mauro-Turkish fountain in the valley, whence the Chemin de Bridja leads to the _Porte du Cimetière_ (Pl. C, 1), the town-gate on the Bridja Hill.