Chapter VI: Algeria (9)

We next cross the hill and descend to the S.W. to the outer Decumanus Maximus. Here, on the left, quite near the bed of a recently formed torrent, is the _Château d’Eau_ (Pl. B, 3), the remains of an octagonal nymphæum or fountain.

Crossing the bed of the stream, and passing, on the left, the _Thermes du Nord-Ouest_ (Pl. B, 2), we reach the outer _Porte de l’Ouest_ (Pl. B, 2), a single gateway of the age of Marcus Aurelius, well preserved in its lower parts.

From the Nymphæum we ascend on the right bank of the brook towards the Capitol (p. 294), past an early-Christian _Chapel_ (Pl. C, 4), almost destroyed by the stream. Another early-Christian _Basilica_ lies to the S.W. of the Capitol. In the vicinity a large _Monastery_, including a church and a baptistery containing a font with fine mosaics, has recently been discovered.

Climbing over the hill to the S. of the Capitol, we have another survey of the extensive ruins, and then walk to the S. to the Byzantine fortress, 5 min. beyond the S. Thermæ (p. 293).

The *=Byzantine Fortress= (beyond Pl. E, 4), erected under Justinian with stones from the theatre, the Capitol, and other Roman buildings for defence against the Aurès Berbers, forms a vast rectangle, 122 by 80 yds., with walls 8 ft. thick, still rising to a height of 23 ft. on the W. side. Four central and four corner towers, and on the S. side a sallying gate, have been preserved.

The so-called _Gregory’s Basilica_, on a hill 3 min. to the S.W. of the fortress, the latest building in the town, dates only from the time of the governor Gregory (7th cent.; p. 371).

About 2 hrs. to the S.W. of Timgad lie the ruins of the ancient Berber
town of =Ichoukkàn=, on a lofty plateau inaccessible on three sides,
above the rock-gateway of _Foum Ksantina_ (‘Constantine-Gate’), so
called from the resemblance of its situation to that of Constantine.
Near it are extensive burial-grounds with thousands of graves.

46. Constantine.

The STATION (Pl. D, 4; _Rail. Restaurant_) for Algiers (R. 43), Biskra
(R. 44), Philippeville (R. 47), Bona (R. 48), and Souk-Ahras (Tebessa,
Tunis; RR. 49–51) is in the Faubourg d’el-Kantara, on the right bank
of the Rhumel, 15–18 min. from the hotels.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). _Grand-Hôtel_ (Pl. a; B, 4, 5), Rue Nationale
2, corner of Place de Nemours, with good restaurant, R. 3½–5, B. 1–1½,
déj. 3½, D 4–5, pens. 10–12½ fr., omn. 1 fr.; _Hôt. St. Georges &
d’Orient_ (Pl. b; B, 4), Rue Caraman 9, R. 3, pens. 10, omn. ¾ fr.,
good cuisine; _Hôt. de Paris & Royal_ (Pl. c; B, 4), Rue Nationale and
Place de Nemours, R. 4, B. 1½, D. 4, pens. 9–11, omn. 1½ fr.—_Hôt.
Terminus_, near the station, for a short stay, R. 3, déj. or D. 3 fr.,
plain but quite good; _Hôt. Rouvière_ (Pl. e; B, 4), unpretending but
well spoken of.

CAFÉS. _Café Germain_, Place de Nemours; _Café Glacier_, Place du
Palais 8; _Café Honorat_, in the Hôt. de Paris, Place de Nemours
(music in the evening).—RESTAURANTS (beer). _Taverne Gambrinus_, Rue
Caraman 6; _Brasserie de l’Etoile_, Place de Nemours.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 10; B, 5), Place de Nemours.

CABS (stand, Place de Nemours), first ½ hr. 1¼ (after 10 p.m. 1½) fr.;
for 1 hr. 2½, each addit. ½ hr. 1 fr.; half-day (6 hrs.) 10, whole day
(12 hrs.) 20 fr.—OMNIBUS from the Place de Nemours to the Station 10,
trunk 25 c.; also to the Faubourg St. Jean.

BATHS. _Bains Lyonnais_, Rue Damrémont; _Bains Rémès_, in the ravine
of the Rhumel (p. 302).

BOOKSELLERS. _Braham_, Rue du Palais 4; _Roubille_, Rue Damrémont
37.—NEWSPAPER. _Dépêche de Constantine._

THEATRE. _Théâtre Municipal_ (Pl. B, 5; Nov.–Feb. only), Place de
Nemours.

ONE DAY. Forenoon, _Place de Nemours_ and _Squares_, _Museum_, _Palais
de Hadj Ahmed_, _Jewish Quarter_, *_Quartier Perrégaux_ (pp. 299–301).
Afternoon, *_Gorges du Rhumel_ (p. 301). Guide quite unnecessary.

_Constantine_ (1752–2113 ft.; pop. 55,000, incl. 28,300 Mohammedans and 8300 Jews), Arabic _Ksantina_ or _Blad el-Hawa_ (‘cité aérienne’, ‘town of air’), the capital of the province of that name and the seat of a bishop and of a medersa (Mohammedan college), is the third-largest town in Algeria. The old town, typically Berber in its difficulty of access, lies on a chalky limestone plateau, descending to the S.E. and N.E. almost perpendicularly to the _Ravine of the Rhumel_, and to the N.W. to the bed of a brook, while on the S.W. it is connected by a narrow saddle with the spurs of the long _Jebel Chettaba_ (4313 ft.). The town has three suburbs, the small _Faubourg d’el-Kantara_ near the station, and the faubourgs _St. Jean_ and _St. Antoine_ on the margin of the _Coudiat-Aty_ (Pl. A, 5, 6), a hill recently almost levelled to form a building-site.

Constantine is the centre of the Algerian grain-trade and has an important wool-exchange. Several manufactures too are very active (tanning, shoemaking, saddlery, and weaving). The chief centres of trade and manufacture are still the native quarters, resembling the Kasba of Algiers, the picturesque charm of which has so far been marred by the construction of but few new streets. The gay costumes of the Mohammedans and the mediæval attire of the Jewesses are specially interesting.

Constantine has but a poor climate. Spring is the best season for visiting it. In winter the cold (p. 170) is very severe and the winds are often bitter, while in summer and autumn the hot sirocco is more prevalent than anywhere on the coast. The low ground flanking the Rhumel is malarious from June to October.

Constantine, originally the Phœnician _Kartha_ (‘town’), afterwards
called _Cirta_ by the Romans, was the greatest inland centre of
culture in the territory of the Numidian kings, and under Syphax
became their residence. The first recorded conquest of the town was by
Jugurtha (p. 321), in B.C. 112, who wrested it from his cousin
Adherbal. Under the Roman empire Cirta, the chief of the four allied
_Coloniæ Cirtenses_ (Constantine, Milo, Philippeville, and Collo),
belonged to the _Diocesis Numidia_, the domain of the legate of the
Third Legion (p. 286). Having been destroyed by the troops of Emp.
Maxentius in 311, the town sprang up anew from its ruins the following
year; it then superseded Lambæsis as the capital of Numidia, and was
named _Constantina_, in honour of its patron Constantine the Great. In
435 it was the only town in Barbary that repelled the attacks of the
Vandal Genseric (p. 322), but it remained politically unimportant till
the Moorish period, when it was occupied by the Hammadites (p. 263),
and afterwards belonged in turn to the Almohades (p. 95), the
Merinides (p. 95), and the Hafsides (p. 323). In the middle ages it
rivalled Bougie as a seat of learning.

In the Turkish period Constantine was the capital of the E. Algerian
beylic, and for centuries groaned under the despotism of the beys. In
French military annals it was noted for its heroic defence by _Ahmed
Bey_, who after the fall of Algiers had become the independent ruler
of E. Algeria. In 1836 the first French attack upon the El-Kantara
gate from the hill of Mansoura proved a disastrous failure, over five
hundred of the besiegers being hurled into the ravine of the Rhumel.
The capture of the town in 1837, effected from the Coudiat-Aty, was
purchased with the death of generals Damrémont and Perrégaux.

During the first decades of the French domination all the Roman
buildings were destroyed except the aqueduct (p. 302), the Rhumel
bridge (p. 301), and the cisterns (p. 300). The buildings of the
Turkish period afford an instructive example of the sad decline of
late-Moorish art.

The railway-station (Pl. D, 4) is at present connected with the old town by the iron bridge of *=El-Kántara= (Pl. D, 3; 1863), of one arch, 139 yds. long and 407 ft. above the Rhumel. Far below we see the Roman bridge (p. 301), and upstream we have a fine view of the S. part of the gorge. Much higher up is the _New Bridge_ (comp. Pl. C, 6), a marvellous feat of engineering. It spans the Rhumel ravine, at a height of 330 ft. above the river, with a single arch of masonry, 230 ft. in width.

From the former Porte d’el-Kantara runs the new RUE NATIONALE (Pl. C, B, 4), the chief thoroughfare of Constantine, leading through the whole town to (½ M.) the Place de Nemours. Halfway, where the street bends and is crossed by the Rue Perrégaux (p. 301), rises the new _Medersa_ (Pl. 7, C 4; see p. 297) in the Turkish-Moorish style; from its staircase we enjoy an even finer view of the Rhumel ravine than from the crossroads.

Halfway along the upper part of the street, on the left, rises the =Grande Mosquée= (Pl. B, 4, 5; Arabic _Jâma el-Kebîr_), which received a new façade and minaret when the street was made. The very dissimilar columns which support the timber ceiling in the interior are partly from ancient buildings. Two antique Doric capitals recall the columns of the mausoleum of Le Khroub (p. 273).

The noisy and dusty PLACE DE NEMOURS or _Place de la Brèche_ (Pl. B, 4, 5; 2054 ft. above sea-level), on the site of the _Bâb el-Djadia_ or _Porte de la Brèche_, is the chief scene of the town’s traffic. A few paces to the S.W., between the old town and the _Coudiat-Aty_ (p. 297), are two public gardens. On the left, next the street leading to the new bridge, is the pretty _Square No. 1_ (Pl. A, B, 5), with a bronze statue of Valée; and on the right _Square No. 2_ (Pl. A, 5), with numerous Roman antiquities. The latter affords a splendid view of Jebel Chettaba (p. 297), of the lower valley of the Rhumel visible a long way down, and of the distant heights of El-Kantour (p. 303). The road between the two squares proceeds to the S.W. to the _Monument of Gen. Lamoricière_ (Pl. A, 5) by Belloc (1909), in front of the _Halle aux Grains_.—From the latter the new _Viaduct_ (comp. Pl. A-C, 5, 6; 490 yds.), now under construction, will eventually lead to the New Bridge (p. 298).

Beneath the Hôtel de Paris et Royal (p. 297), at the E. corner of the Place de Nemours, a flight of 90 steps descends to some interesting _Grottoes_ (adm. 1 fr.), whose sparkling, rose-shaped crystals of gypsum produce a very unique effect.—From the N. angle of the square the Boul. de l’Ouest leads along the town-wall to the HÔTEL DE VILLE (Pl. 6; A, B, 4), of 1903, whose staircase and vestibule are enriched with onyx and six kinds of marble from Aïn-Smara (p. 272). The first floor contains the _Town Library_ and behind it the—

=Musée de Constantine=, comprising antiquities and natural history collections. Adm. (except Sun. and Tues.) 9–11 and 3–5, 50 c. Conservator, M. Ulysse Hinglais. Catalogue (1905) 1 or 5 fr.

On the STAIRCASE are Roman mosaics.

ROOM I. In the central cases are prehistoric finds from the Tell Atlas
and the Oued Rhir (p. 285); Byzantine and early-Moorish antiquities
from Morsott (p. 314) and Kalâa des Beni-Hammad (p. 270); natural
history specimens (incl. vegetable fibres utilized industrially). The
wall-presses contain fossils from the hill of Mansoura (p. 302) and
Jebel Sidi M’Cid; Phœnician and Roman antiquities from the
necropolises of the Coudiat-Aty, of Collo, Bulla Regia, etc. (clay
vases, fine Roman bronzes, a glass cinerary urn, trinkets, cut gems).
By the wall of exit are Spanish-Moorish, Italian, and Kabylian
ceramics, Moorish fayence from Tlemcen, Nabeul (p. 365), etc.; a
late-Moorish door; a Turkish executioner’s sword from Khenchela. Here
too are a map of the artesian wells in the province of Constantine and
a model of a boring apparatus.

ROOM II. The show-cases contain coins and medals. In the wall-presses,
natural history specimens; marble and onyx from Aïn-Smara. On the
walls, a small collection of pictures.

GALLERY (on the left of R. I). Large Roman clay vessels, neo-Punic and
Roman stelæ, Roman sculptures, Moorish fragments, casts.

From the Boul. de l’Ouest the Boul. du Nord (Pl. A, B, 4, 3; fine views) and (to the right) the Rue du Rocher lead to the _Kasba_ (p. 300).

The busiest streets of the European quarter, where many of the inhabitants are Italians and Maltese, are the RUE CARAMAN (Pl. B, 4) with the Rue Chevalier, the Rue d’Aumale, and the RUE DAMRÉMONT (Pl. B, 4, 3), all to the N. of the Place de Nemours. Between these lines of streets lies the spacious PLACE DU PALAIS (Pl. B, 4).

The =Palais de Hadj Ahmed= (Pl. B, 4; now military headquarters), on the N.E. side of the square, built by Ahmed Bey in 1828–35, contains four picturesque courts, adorned with tiles. The front court is decorated with clumsy frescoes depicting chief towns of the Orient. The interior is not shown. Concierge ½ fr.

The =Cathedral= (Pl. 2, B 4; _Notre-Dame des Sept-Douleurs_), on the E. side of the Place du Palais, was once the Market Mosque (_Jâma Sûk er-Rezel_), with its nave and double aisles, built in 1707. The women’s galleries next the entrance-wall now contain the organ. The choir is a modern addition. In the outer right aisle, in the middle of the E. wall, with its well-preserved tile and stucco decoration, is the old mihrâb (p. 180), now a chapel. The mimbar in the inner left aisle is now the pulpit; behind it is a copy of the inscription on the Rocher des Martyrs (p. 301).

The Rue Caraman, continued by the Rue Chevalier, and the Rue de France (Pl. B, C, 4, 3) both lead to the N.E. to the PLACE NÉGRIER (Pl. C, 3), in which rises the Mosque of _Sidi el-Kettani_ (Pl. 8; B, C, 3), built by Sala-Bey. The first floor of the building contains a marble mimbar executed by Italian sculptors. On the N. side of the square is a new _Synagogue_ (Pl. 11; C, 3).

At the N. end of the town, partly on the site of the Roman capitol, is the old =Kasba= (Pl. B, 3; 2116 ft.; 666 ft. above the Rhumel), now a group of new buildings, including barracks and the military hospital. Of the _Roman Cisterns_, originally a quadrangle of 164 by 39 yds., about one-third has been preserved and is now again in use. The view from the garden of the _Artillery Arsenal_ (Pl. B, C, 2, 3), at the N. end of the Kasba, immediately above the ravine of the Rhumel, is justly extolled. Adm. by leave of the military authorities (Palais de Hadj Ahmed; see above). Entrance in the Rue Damrémont (p. 299). From the Kasba the new _Suspension Bridge_ (‘Pont Suspendu’; Pl. C, D, 2, 3) crosses the Rhumel at a height of 590 ft. to the _Hôpital Civil_ (Pl. D, 2).

The *=Native Quarters=, intersected by the upper Rue Nationale, with their lively, picturesque, crooked streets, lie in the lower part of the town, between the Place de Nemours, Rue Caraman, Rue de France, and the Rhumel ravine (p. 301). The most interesting streets are those inhabited by Mohammedan artisans, largely Mozabites (p. 216), between the Rue Combes (Pl. B, 4) and the Rue Vieux (Pl. B, C, 4, 3), both of which lead to the N.E. to the Place Rahbet es Souf (‘wool-market’) or Place des Galettes (Pl. C, 4), with its _Market Hall_. Between this square and the Boul. de l’Est (Pl. C, 3), a fine point of view, lies the _Jewish Quarter_, which is worth seeing, especially on Saturdays.

Still more picturesque than these quarters is the purely Mohammedan *_Quartier Perrégaux_, which descends the triangular S. part of the rocky plateau, often in steep steps, from the Rue Nationale to the Rhumel Ravine. Through this quarter runs the RUE PERRÉGAUX (Pl. C, B, 4, 5), the chief thoroughfare between the Rue Nationale and the old Turkish _Porte Djebia_ (Pl. B, 5). Near this gate, at the corner of the Rue Perrégaux and Rue des Tanneurs, is a _Mosque Portal_ with charming tile-decoration.

From the Rue Perrégaux we may descend by the Rue de l’Arc and (to the right) the Rue de l’Alma, or direct by the Rue Morland, under the new bridge, to the small kubba of =Sidi-Rached= (Pl. B, C, 6; 1752 ft.). From the adjacent rocky height we have a grand view of the upper Rhumel ravine. Opposite, near the old _Pont du Diable_ (Pl. B, C, 6), is the _Rocher des Martyrs_, bearing an old inscription in memory of the Christian martyrs of 259.

* * * * *

The **=Gorges du Rhumel=, the grandest ravines in the Tell Atlas, present a most impressive scene, especially during the melting of the snow or after heavy rain, but in summer much of their charm is lost owing to the lowness of the stream and the stench of the tanneries. The gorge was first made accessible in 1895 by the _Chemin des Touristes_, a path 1¾ M. in length, constructed by the engineer Fr. Rémès. From the S. entrance (Pl. C, 6; 1811 ft.), near the new bridge, it descends parallel with the Chemin du Rhumel (10 min. above the station), close past the main entrance (see below) and under the El-Kantara bridge and the new Suspension Bridge to the lower end of the ravine (1512 ft). It is to be connected with the new N. entrance (Pl. B, 2), on the Corniche road (p. 302), by a side-branch. Tourists pressed for time may go direct from the station to the S. entrance, walk down the gorge as far as the grottoes, turn back there, and then leave by the main entrance. A ticket for the day (2 fr., or for repeated visits ½ fr. each time) admits also to a bath in the Bains Rémès.

The main-entrance, near the so-called Porte Vitruve (1730 ft.), is reached from the Boul. de l’Est, 45 yds. to the N. of the old El-Kantara gate (p. 298), by an uncomfortable path descending in steps; another descends from the Corniche road on the opposite side (‘Entrée’; Pl. D, 3), 3 min. below the bridge.

Before entering the gorge we may glance at the remains of the _Roman Bridge_, which crosses the river at the narrowest part, 66 yds. across. The sculptures, two elephants and a weather-worn relief of Africa, belonged perhaps to a still older bridge.

From the ticket-office we first walk upstream, on the right bank, by the UPPER PATH, often up and down steps. The rocky sides of the gorge are enlivened by numerous storks, pigeons, and hawks; far below us the river dashes down its stony bed. High above peep the picturesque houses of the native quarter. On the left bank are the _Bains Rémès_, with a hot spring (90° Fahr.), and remains of a Roman _Aqueduct_. They are reached by a side-path to the right, ca. 220 yds. beyond the ticket-office. The baths, or _Piscinae_, originally Roman, have been entirely renewed.

Farther up (¼ hr.), a path in steps ascends to the left, under the new bridge, not far from the Pont du Diable and the Pointe de Sidi-Rached (comp. p. 301), to the S. entrance.

We now return to the chief entrance, and near the office descend to the left, by a path with steps and iron stairs, to the *_Grottoes_, 230 ft. high at places, through which the river flows, mostly underground, for a distance of 330 yds.; the huge dome of rock is specially impressive when viewed from the middle of the iron footbridge. A winding staircase next descends to the LOWER PATH, with its wire-fence and benches. Passing below the new Suspension Bridge (p. 300) we reach the last arch of rock (retrospect of the grottoes) and in a few minutes the lower (N.W.) end of the gorge, above the _Cascades_ (Pl. B, 2).

Those who do not care to return to the El-Kantara bridge may ascend
direct from the last archway to the Corniche road.

The Rhumel Fall, dashing over rock-terraces to a depth of 212 ft., the
precipice below the Kasba, and the Rocher Sidi M’Cid (see below) are
all admirably viewed from the =Moulins Lavie= (Pl. A, 2), on the left
bank, 10 min. from Square No. 2 (p. 299).

The traveller should not omit to take a short walk on the superb *=Route de la Corniche= (Pl. D-B, 3–1), starting from the El-Kantara bridge. Below the _Hôpital Civil_ (p. 300) two short tunnels carry the road through the _Rocher Sidi M’Cid_, an offshoot of Jebel Sidi M’Cid (2575 ft). The finest point is (¼ hr.) a small projecting platform at a bend in the road, whence we look down on the Rhumel Fall and the baths of Sidi M’Cid.

In a dale at the N. base of the Rocher Sidi M’Cid lies the pleasant
_Hammam Sidi M’Cid_ (Pl. B, 1), with saline springs and two large
swimming-baths.

The ‘GRAND TOUR’ (1–1¼ hr.; carr. 3–4 fr.; bargain advisable) is a favourite drive by the Route de Sétif (Pl. A, 5, 6; affording a fine retrospect of the Quartier Perrégaux), and across the uppermost Rhumel bridge, to the _Roman Aqueduct_ (p. 274); thence from the Route de Batna to the right to the _Pépinière_, in a dale full of fruit-trees, and charming in spring; lastly over the pine-clad _Mansoura Hill_, crowned with a fort, and back by the Chemin de Mansoura (Pl. D, 5) to the bridge of El-Kantara.

From Constantine to _Algiers_, see R. 43; to _Bona_, see R. 48; to
_Biskra_, see R. 44; to _Philippeville_, see R. 47; to _Djidjelli_
(_Bougie_), see R. 42; to _Souk-Ahras_, see R. 49; to _Tunis_, see RR.
49, 51.

47. From Constantine to Philippeville.

54 M. RAILWAY in 3–4¾ hrs. (9 fr. 75, 7 fr. 30, 5 fr. 35 c.). Railway
Restaurant at Col-des-Oliviers.

_Constantine_, see p. 297. Running to the N., the line pierces the _Rocher Sidi M’Cid_ (p. 302) by tunnels, proceeds high above _Hammam Sidi M’Cid_ (p. 302) and the Rhumel, with a splendid retrospect of Constantine, and then curves round to (4½ M.) _Le Hamma_ (1614 ft.), station for the _Oasis du Hamma_, a luxuriantly fertile dale with countless fruit-trees, watered by the Hamma and several springs.

8 M. _Bizot_ (1805 ft.). It then descends to the _Oued Smendou_, a tributary of the Rhumel, and ascends its right bank to (17 M.) _Condé-Smendou_ (1838 ft.).

We cross several feeders of the Oued Safsaf (see below) and pass through the _Hills of El-Kantour_ in several tunnels, below the pass of that name, now called also _Col-des-Oliviers_.

25½ M. _Col-des-Oliviers_ (1365 ft.; Rail. Restaurant), station for a group of small villages inhabited by immigrant farmers. Thence a steep, winding descent, in a hill-region denuded of its forest, to (31 M.) _Bougrina_, like Robertville, a station for the large village of _El-Arrouch_.

35½ M. =Robertville= (348 ft.; several inns), a village on the _Oued Ahmar_, is the starting-point of the fine hill-roads through the _Massif de Philippeville_ viâ (23 M.) _Bordj Tamalous_ to (40 M.) _Collo_ (p. 131; diligence twice daily in 8 hrs.), and to _Djidjelli_ (p. 267; motor-omnibus, see p. 267).

The train now descends into the valley of the _Oued Safsaf_, where wild olives, poplars, and cork-trees abound.

42½ M. _St. Charles_ (138 ft.; Hôt. du Lion d’Or), the oldest farming settlement in the district, founded by Germans and Belgians in 1840, was at first defended by four small forts.

FROM ST. CHARLES TO BONA, 61½ M., railway in 4–5 hrs. (7 fr. 50, 5 fr.
5, 4 fr. 5 c.). 9 M. _Râs el-Ma_, with a quicksilver-mine; 15½ M.
=Jemmapes= (312 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient; pop. 2800), on the _Oued Fendek_,
a little town founded in 1848, the chief place on the roads from
Philippeville to Bona and to Guelma (p. 308); 19½ M. _Oued-Hammimine_,
a small bath-hotel (pens. with bath 6 fr.), with three hot
sulphur-springs (95–115° Fahr.; season Sept.–Nov. only); 41 M.
_Aïn-Mokra_ (85 ft.), on a slope near the malarious flats of _Lac
Fetzara_, a swamp of about 35,000 acres, and the now abandoned
iron-mines of the Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid; 45½ M. _Aïn-Daliah_, for
the new mine of _Marouania_ belonging to the same company. 61½ M.
_Bona_, see p. 309.

We descend the narrow Safsaf valley to (47½ M.) _Safsaf_. 50½ M. _Damrémont_ (33 ft.) is the station also for _Valée_ (122 ft.), a village on the vine-clad right bank, on the Bona and Guelma road (see above).—The train leaves the Safsaf, crosses its tributary _Oued Zeramna_ (p. 305), and passes through a tunnel under the W. slope of _Mont Skikda_ (p. 304).

54 M. =Philippeville.=—The STATION (Pl. C, 2; no buffet) is not far
from the quay, a few paces from Place de Marqué.

ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. RR. 20, 22). The steamers of the Gén.
Transatlantique (agent, Fauré, Place de Marqué) moor at the quay;
those of the Transports Maritimes (agent, Caffa) and of the Navigation
Mixte (agents, Daprela & Campiglia, Place du Commerce) anchor in the
Grande Darse (Pl. C, D, 1). Cab-fares, see below. Portefaix (porter)
for articles under 20 kilos (44 lbs.) to the station 25, to the town
40 c.; trunk 50 or 75 c.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). _Grand-Hôtel_ (Pl. a; C, 2), Place de Marqué,
with fine views, R. 3–5, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 8½ fr., good; _Hôt.
Foy_, same square (Pl. B, 2), new, R. 3–6 fr., B. 60 c., déj. or D.
2½, pens. from 8 fr.; _Hôt. de France & de la Marine_ (Pl. b; B, 2),
same square, No. 3, R. 2–3, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.; _Hôt. Léger_, Rue
Nationale, R. 2–5, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 6–7 fr., plain but good;
_Nouvelle Poste_ (Pl. d; B, 2), Place du Commerce, _Cinq Nations_ (Pl.
e; C, 3), Rue de Constantine, corner of Rue Gambetta, both plain.

CAFÉS-RESTAURANTS. _Café de Foy_, at the hotel (see above); _Boutin_,
Plage du Château-Vert (in summer).

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 5; B, 2), Place du Commerce.

BANKS. _Banque de l’Algérie_, Avenue du Troisième-Zouaves; _Comp.
Algérienne_ and _Crédit Lyonnais_, Rue Nationale 30 and 51.

BATHS in the _Grand-Hôtel_; also _Tenienski_, Rue Buffon.—SEA BATHS.
_Bassin du Château-Vert_ (see below); at _Stora_ (p. 306), etc.

THEATRE. _Théâtre Municipal_ (Pl. 7; B, C, 3), Place Corneille
(sometimes Italian pieces).—BAND on Sun. in the Place de Marqué.

CABS (stand, Place Corneille). Drive 1 fr.; first hr. 2½, each addit.
hr. 2 fr.; half-day 10, whole day 18 fr.—DILIGENCE to Stora (50 c.),
St. Antoine (25 c.), etc.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, _W. H. Miller_, Rue Téophile Réguis.

_Philippeville_ (Arabic _Skikda_; pop. 26,000, incl. 16,000 Europeans, mostly Italians and Maltese, and 4800 Mohammedans), the youngest Algerian seaport, was founded by Marshal Valeé in 1838 as a harbour for Constantine. It lies on the fine _Gulf of Stora_ (p. 128), about 1 M. to the W. of the mouth of the Safsaf (p. 303), in a ravine between _Mont Skikda_ (548 ft.) to the E. and _Jebel Bou Yala_ to the S.W. Its site is that of the ancient _Rusicade_, once a Phœnician town, but founded anew by the Romans in 45 B.C. Under the empire, as the _Colonia Veneria Rusicade_, it belonged to the league of Cirta (p. 298), but, according to local tradition, it had ceased to exist by 484. The chief harbour in the gulf, being well sheltered, was formerly the neighbouring _Asthoret_, now _Stora_ (p. 306), but it has been superseded by that of Philippeville, constructed in 1860–80 at a cost of some 20 million francs.

The =Harbour=, after Bona (p. 309) the chief outlet for the produce of the province of Constantine, consists of an excellent inner basin of 50 acres (_Grande Darse_; Pl. C, D, 1) and an _Avant-Port_ (Pl. A, B, 1) of 75 acres. The _Grande Jetée du Nord_ (Pl. D, 1), running out from Cape Skikda, is 1 M., the _Jetée du Château-Vert_ (Pl. A, 1), on the W. side, ¼ M. in length.

The best points for viewing the harbour and bay are the _Place de Marqué_ (Pl. B, C, 2; popularly _Pl. de la Marine_), the pretty _Petit Bois_ or _Jardin de l’Hôpital_ (Pl. C, 2), adjacent on the E., and the lofty _Place des Zouaves_ (Pl. D, 2, 3; drilling-ground).

Past the Place de Marqué runs the RUE NATIONALE (Pl. B, C, 2–4), the main street, connecting the chief gates, the N.W. _Porte de Stora_ (Pl. B, 2) and the S. _Porte de Constantine_ (Pl. C, 4), whence issue the Constantine, Bona, and Guelma roads. The narrow gorge affords room for only a few parallel streets. The side-streets ascend the hill-sides partly in steps.

The _Théâtre Municipal_ (Pl. 7; B, C, 3), in the narrow Place du Commerce, on the W. side of the Rue Nationale, stands on the foundations of a Roman temple. A little farther, on the E. side of the street, is the pretty _Square Carnot_ (Pl. C, 3).—To the W. from this square the Rue Gambetta leads to the _Collège Communal_ (Pl. B, 3). On the N.E. slope of Jebel Bou Yala, behind the school (apply to the concierge here, 30–50 c.) lies the—

=Roman Theatre=, the largest in Algeria, erected at the earliest under Hadrian; but as it was used as a quarry for building the modern town, little of it is now left. Of the cavea, 90 yds. wide, which held 5–6000 spectators, only a few steps, two passages, and relics of vaulting remain. The stage is below the school-building.

From the Rue Gambetta the Rue Valée (Pl. B, C, 3, 4) leads through the heart of the Mohammedan quarter to the Rue St. Augustin and the—

=Museum= (Pl. 3; C, 4). The collections include some valuable Roman antiquities. Adm. daily, 8–6; Sun. and Thurs. free; on other days 1 fr.; catalogue (1901) 1 fr. 10 c.; curator, M. L. Bertrand.

The GARDEN contains numerous Roman columns, statues, etc.

The PAVILLON CENTRAL has archæological collections on the groundfloor.
In the centre, 173. Roman milestone, from Hadrian’s road from Rusicade
to Cirta (p. 298); 151. Antoninus Pius, in marble. In the first
wall-press are objects from Roman tombs, mostly from Rusicade; 687.
Genius, a statuette in marble. Detached, 749. Punic tomb-stela. In the
second wall-press, Roman vases and lamps; also, *805. Bust of a youth,
after an Attic work of the age of Praxiteles; 806. Bust of Agrippina
the Elder; 778. Punic stela of the goddess Tanit, from Carthage; 779.
Mithras stone; 783. Boy’s head; 904. Clay statuette of a woman
bathing; 968. Bust of Hadrian. By the following end-wall, Roman
inscriptions and altars. At the other end, one early-Christian (293)
and two late-Roman sarcophagi (224, 331), Roman inscriptions, etc.—The
1st Floor contains ethnographical and natural history collections and
pictures.

The PAVILLON NORD contains coins and medals, the PAVILLON SUD a small
collection of weapons and flags.

EXCURSIONS. Bearing a little to the left from the Porte de Constantine (see above), we cross the large Place des Chameaux (Pl. D, 4), where an interesting _Cattle Market_ is held on Thursday mornings, and then follow the S. slope of Mont Skikda (p. 304), past the _Cemetery_, to (½ hr.) the =Château Landon= or _Domaine des Lions_, which has a beautiful garden. (Visitors require the permission of M. Gallard, the superintendent, Rue Galbois.)

The St. Charles (and Constantine) road leads through the _Faubourg de l’Espérance_ in the fertile dale of the _Oued Zeramna_, past the (2½ M.) _Ecole Pratique d’Agriculture_, to the prettily situated village of (3¾ M.) _St. Antoine_ (33 ft.; diligence 25 c.).

From St. Antoine we may visit, viâ the Route de Praxbourg, the _Oued
Amida_, or upper valley of the Zeramna, a hill-region where cork-tree
plantations abound, and a favourite resort of wild-boar and jackal
hunters. Or we may follow the Chemin de la Carrière Romaine across the
_Col Chambœuf_, on _Jebel Soubouyou_ (1050 ft.), to _Damrémont_ (p.
303).

To the W. of the Porte de Constantine a picturesque road leads viâ _Montplaisant_ to the dale of _Beni Melek_, famed for its wine. We may return thence viâ the Porte des Citernes (Pl. A, 3) and Rue d’Orléans, or descend the Chemin du Beni-Melek to the Route de Stora.

For a visit to =Stora= we may take the *_Route de la Corniche_, the beautiful new shore-road which starts from the Place de Marqué (Pl. B, C, 2) and at places is tunnelled through the living rock (ca. 2 M.; diligence). Or we may follow the picturesque _Route de Stora_ (2½ M.), the old upper road, beginning at the Stora Gate (p. 305). _Stora_, a fishing-village with sea-baths, is now inhabited chiefly by Italians. The fine view hence extends to Jebel Filfila and the Cap de Fer (p. 131). On the steep shore are fragments of an _Aqueduct_, partly underground, and several _Cisterns_ (restored), relics of the Roman Asthoret (p. 304). A vault now used as a laundry probably belonged to a _Nymphaeum_ or fountain.

48. From Constantine to Bona viâ Duvivier.

135½ M. RAILWAY, in 7–8¾ hrs. (24 fr. 65, 17 fr. 60, 13 fr. 20 c.).
The morning train has a dining-car between Le Khroub and Duvivier.
Buffets at Le Khroub and Duvivier. The only intermediate station of
interest is Hammam-Meskoutine.

From Constantine to (10 M.) _Le Khroub_, see pp. 274, 273.

Our line diverges to the E. from those to Algiers and Biskra (RR. 43, 44) and ascends between low hills in the bleak valley of the _Oued Berda_, a tributary of the Oued Bou Merzoug (p. 272).

18 M. _Bou-Nouara_ (2330 ft.) has an ancient _Berber Necropolis_, whose dolmens and rock-tombs, 1¼ M. to the N. of the railway, extend along the spurs of _Jebel Mazela_ (3412 ft.).

25½ M. _Aïn-Abid_ (2822 ft.), the highest point on the line, lies on the watershed between the Oued Berda and the _Oued Zenati_, one of the feeders of the Seybouse (p. 308). 35 M. _Aïn-Regada_ (2487 ft.), also in a dreary steppe.

42 M. =Oued-Zenati= (2268 ft.; Hôt. de France), pleasantly situated on a partially wooded hill-side, the only large village before Guelma, has a busy market (Sun., Mon., Thurs.).

The ROAD TO GUELMA (28 M.; diligence in 4¼ hrs.) leads to the N.E.
through a pretty hill-country direct to _Medjez-Amar_ (p. 308), just
before (14¼ M.) _Aïn-Amara_, and below _Thibilis_ (p. 307).

Road and railway make a long bend to the W. round the hill-region of _Bou Hamdan_. Beyond (52 M.) _Bordj Sabath_ (1759 ft.), where, below the influx of the _Oued Sabath_, the Zenati is called _Oued Bou Hamdan_, the scenery changes. The valley, whose slopes are richly overgrown with olive-trees and underwood, contracts. In the stony river-bed grow many wild oleanders.

59 M. _Taya_ (1312 ft.), a pleasant oasis with fruit-trees and eucalypti, lies near the stalactite grottoes, not easy of access, in the limestone hill of _Jebel Taya_ (3963 ft.). The valley again contracts in the two _Gorges de Taya_.

68 M. =Hammam-Meskoutine= (1312 ft.; *Hôtel des Bains; R. 5–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 14, motor-omn. 1¼–1½ fr., open 15th Nov. to June), the Roman _Aquae Thibilitanae_, is now one of the most noted baths in Algeria. The ‘indifferent’ springs are strongly impregnated with chloride of sodium and sulphate of lime; one, containing iron, has a temperature of 187° Fahr., the others 226°. The latter form the *_Grande Cascade_, 5 min. from the station, on the way to the hotel, falling over a terrace of calc-sinter 42 ft. high, a miniature edition of the terraces of Yellowstone Park, or of Hierapolis (in Asia Minor). Below the terrace rise date-palms and splendid olive-trees, while the bed of the _Oued Chedakra_ with its profusion of oleanders further enhances the peculiar charm of the scene. The curious limestone cones, a few paces to the E., relics of old eruptions, have given rise to the Arabian legend of the petrified wedding party, from which the place derives its name (‘Baths of the Petrified’). Smaller springs rise beyond these cones and also 3 min. to the E., near the railway.

Enclosed by the houses of the bath-hotel is a charming _Garden Court_, with orange and lemon trees. Most curious among the numerous Roman antiquities (stelæ, funerary inscriptions, etc.) placed here is the house-altar of the Antistii, from Thibilis (see below), on the S. terrace, shaded by a venerable terebinth. The ruined _Piscinae_ are the only relics of Roman buildings.

EXCURSIONS. To the S.W. lies the (¾ hr.) _Lac Souterrain_, a pond 88
ft. deep, in a cavern formed in 1878 by a landslip. In sunshine (best
2–4 p.m.) the water assumes a beautiful blue colour.—To the S., a
little aside from the lake just mentioned, we may ride on mule-back,
or walk, viâ _Aïn-St. Charles_ and _Aïn-Amara_ (see above) to (2 hrs.)
_Announa_, the Roman =Thibilis=, lying on a narrow hill (ca. 2300
ft.), high above the _Announa Valley_, where excavations have been
made since 1905. We note specially the _East Gate_, the _Entrance
Arch_ of the forum, vestiges of the _Market Basilica_, the house of
_Magister Pagus_, and the sadly ruined _South Gate_, the only
two-arched Roman gateway in Algeria. Outside the late-Byzantine
town-walls, on the S.W. side of the little town, is the _Byzantine
Basilica_ built of fragments of Roman buildings; in the semicircular
choir-recess are five rows of seats for the clergy, with the bishop’s
place in the centre.—A new road (carr. 12 fr.) leads to the N.W. to
(9½ M.) the ancient Berber _Necropolis of Roknia_, on the W. slope of
_Jebel Debar_ (3442 ft.), with many dolmens (p. 324) and rock-tombs,
sadly damaged of late.

The train next makes a wide bend to the S., round the wooded hills of the _Beni Addi_, past the influx of the _Oued Cherf_ into the Bou Hamdan, which now takes the name of _Seybouse_. 72 M. _Medjez-Amar_ (958 ft.), amid fine hill scenery.

80 M. =Guelma= (916 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient, Rue Sadi-Carnot, tolerable; Hôt. de l’Univers; pop. 10,200), a pleasant little town, in a broad olive-clad basin, was founded on the site of _Calama_, in 1836, when the _Byzantine Town Walls_ of the time of Solomon (p. 315) were partly used to build the French camp. The striking ruins of the Roman _Thermae_ (2nd cent. A. D.), with walls still about 33 ft. high, and the _Jardin Public_, with Roman antiquities, are worth seeing. There is a small collection of antiquities also at the _Mairie_. The restoration of the _Roman Theatre_ was begun in 1907 but never finished.

Guelma holds the greatest _Cattle Market_ in E. Algeria (Mondays; chief of all, last Sunday in April). The poor-looking oxen, mostly light-grey, of the E. districts as far as the Tunisian frontier, are known as Guelma cattle.

An interesting excursion may be made from Guelma by carriage (12 fr.
whole day) to _Thibilis_ (p. 307).

As the train proceeds, we have a fine view, to the right, of _Jebel Mahouna_ (4630 ft.), often snow-clad in winter. 82½ M. _Millésimo_ (755 ft.); 86 M. _Petit_, amidst pleasant wooded hills.

93 M. _Nador_ (430 ft.), with the poor huts of the natives half-hidden by cactus-hedges, is the station for the zinc-mines on _Jebel Nador_ (2418 ft.), owned by the Vieille-Montagne Company.—We next traverse the _Gorges du Nador_, clad with underwood.

101 M. =Duvivier= (312 ft.; Rail. Restaur.; Hôt. Lagarde, poor; pop. 2000), below the mouth of the _Oued Melah_ (p. 312), junction for Bona, Souk-Ahras (Tunis, Tebessa; RR. 49–51).

Our line now runs to the N. through the Seybouse valley. 103½ M. _Boudaroua_, 105½ M. _Oued-Frarah_, 110 M. _St. Joseph_, all on the W. border of the wooded hills of the _Beni Salah_.

On the right, just before (117 M.) _Barral_, is the new reservoir of the _Canal d’Irrigation de la Seybouse_. The chief branch of the conduit runs on the left bank through the plain of Bona. A minor branch, along with the highroad, crosses to the right bank, below the picturesque village, by the iron _Pont de Barral_.

We now enter the _Plaine de Bône_, the broad, largely marshy flats of the Seybouse, a picture of luxuriant fertility in spring, with their extensive vineyards, flower-carpeted meadows, tall aloes, and picturesque clumps of trees.

120½ M. _Mondovi_ (72 ft.; Hôt. Honorati), the agricultural centre of the district, with many thriving farms.

124 M. _St. Paul_, junction of a branch-line to (7 M.) _Randon_. To the left appears the _Massif du Beleliéta_ (876 ft.), in front of Jebel Edough (see below); then, between (127 M.) _Duzerville_ and (130½ M.) _Allélik_, is seen the low _Massif du Bou Hamra_ (499 ft.), with its very ancient iron-mines, now worked by the Mokta el-Hadid Company (p. 303).

Skirting the fringes of the hills last named the train now runs close to the Seybouse, and beyond the castle-hill of _Hippo Regius_ (p. 311), on the left, crosses the _Oued Boudjimah_.

135½ M. =Bona.=—STATIONS. 1. _Gare de la Comp. Bône-Guelma_ (Pl. A,
4), the chief station, for Constantine and for Souk-Ahras and Tunis
(RR. 49, 51).—2. _Gare de la Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid_ (Pl. A, B, 4),
for the St. Charles line (p. 303).—3. _Gare de la Calle_ (Pl. B, 4),
for the light railway to La Calle (p. 131).

ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. RR. 20, 22). The steamers of the Gén.
Transatlantique (agent, De Pleurre), of the Transports Maritimes
(agent, Teddé), and of the Navigation Mixte (agent, Fadda) are all
berthed at the Quai Nord (Pl. B, C, 3), in the Petite Darse. Cabs, see
below.

HOTELS (comp. p. 174). _Hôtel d’Orient_ (Pl. a; B, 2), Cours
Jérôme*-Bertagna, with frequented restaurant, well spoken of; _Hôt.
Cramet_ (Pl. b; B, 3), Rue Prosper-Dubourg; _Hôt. Continental_ (Pl. c;
B, 2), Passage des Thermopyles (entrance next the Hôt. d’Orient), with
good restaurant, déj. 2, D. 2½ fr., plain; _Hôt. Moderne_, Rue des
Volontaires, new.

CAFÉS. _Café St. Martin_, Cours Jérôme-Bertagna; _Brasserie du Petit
Gambrinus_, Rue du Quatre Septembre.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. B, 3), Place de la Poste.

BANKS. _Banque de l’Algérie_, _Comp. Algérienne_, _Crédit Lyonnais_,
and _Crédit Foncier d’Algérie et Tunisie_, all in the Cours
Jérôme-Bertagna.—BOOKSELLERS. _Faure_ (_Legendre_), cor. of Rue St.
Augustin and Rue du Quatre Septembre; _Borel & Langlade_, Cours
Jérôme-Bertagna.

BATHS. _Euvremer_, Rue Damrémont; _Bains Maures_ (comp. p. 175), Rue
Bélisaire.—SEA BATHS. _Grenouillère_ (p. 310), in the Avant-Port;
_Plage Chapuis_ and others at St. Cloud-les-Plages (p. 311).—THEATRE
(Pl. 4; B, 2), Cours Jérôme-Bertagna.—RACES, 24th April.

CABS (stand, Cours Jérôme-Bertagna). Drive 1 (and back 1½) fr.; first
hr. 2, each addit. hr. 1½ fr; half-day 8, whole day 15 fr.—OMNIBUS
from the Cours Jérôme-Bertagna to the Plage Chapuis, etc.

CONSULS. British Vice-Consul, _H. A. Scratchley_, Rue du Rempart
3.—U.S. Consular Agency, Rue Thiers.

ONE DAY. Forenoon, _Harbour_, _Cours Jérôme-Bertagna_, _Hippo Regius_
(pp. 310, 311); afternoon, _Cap de Garde_ or _Bugeaud_ (p. 311).

_Bona_, French _Bône_, Arabic _Enneba_ (pop. 42,900, incl. 28,300 Europeans, mostly French, 11,200 Mohammedans, and 1700 Jews), on the W. side of the _Gulf of Bona_ (p. 128), a fortified town, is the chief seaport of Algeria after Oran and Algiers and the most important outlet for the produce of the département of Constantine, such as phosphates (p. 315), iron (comp. pp. 310, 314), zinc, cork, cattle, and cereals. Besides its fine harbour, the town offers no sights; but it deserves a visit especially in winter, for the sake of its pretty situation at the foot of _Jebel Edough_ (3307 ft.; p. 169), not far from the picturesque _Cap de Garde_.

Bona lies on the small _Anse du Cassarin_, about 1¼ M. to the N.E. of
_Hippo_, which was one of the chief Phœnician colonies on the coast of
N. Africa. Under Masinissa (p. 321) Hippo was the capital of Numidia,
and under the Roman empire, when it was called _Hippo Regius_, it was
the richest port on the N. coast next to Carthage and rivalled Cæsarea
(p. 244). Here in 393 met a council of over three hundred bishops, who
for the first time recognized the present canon of the New Testament.
On that occasion St. Augustine (born in 354 at Thagaste, p. 313),
attended as a presbyter and co-bishop. Chief among the four ‘Latin
fathers’ and a keen opponent of the Donatists (p. 322), St. Augustine,
after his conversion at Milan by St. Ambrose (387), settled at Hippo,
where he was bishop from 395 to 430, and died there during the siege
of the town by the Vandals. After its destruction by Genseric and the
downfall of the Vandals, whose king Gelimer (p. 322) sought his last
asylum on Mt. Edough, Hippo arose from its ruins once more under the
Byzantines, but it succumbed to the assaults of the Arabs in 697 and
was thenceforth entirely abandoned.

The present town of _Bona_, founded later by the Arabs on the slope of
the Kasba hill, was seized by the Genoese in the 15th cent. for the
sake of its valuable coral-fishery. After the conquest of Tunis (p.
332), it was occupied for a short time by the Spaniards in 1535, and
afterwards temporarily by the Compagnie d’Afrique from Marseilles. In
1837, soon after the entry of the French (1832), the old Kasba, built
under Charles V., was blown up, and since then the native quarter has
been modernized in French fashion.

The *=Harbour=, which has been so improved of late years as to rival that of Algiers, consists of three basins. The _Petite Darse_ (Pl. B, C, 3), 27 acres in area, the old inner harbour, lies near the railway-stations and the mouth of the _Seybouse_; the _Grande Darse_ (Pl. C, D, 3, 2; formerly the outer harbour), 170 acres in area, is a new basin between the _Môle Cigogne_ (Pl. C, 3) and the small creek of _Grenouillère_ (sea-baths); the _Avant-Port_ is a new outer basin of nearly 100 acres adjoining the _Pointe du Lion_. The outer entrance to the harbour, 270 yds. wide, between the _Jetée du Lion_, 1200 yds. long, and the _Jetée Sud_ (Pl. C, D, 4, 3), 1800 yds. long, is difficult of access during N. or N.E. gales. The inner entrances, through the _Jetée Babayaud_ and at the _Môle Cigogne_ (see above), are only 77 yds. wide. The Quai Nord (Pl. B, C, 3) in the Petite Darse is for the large French passenger-steamers, the Quai Ouest (Pl. B, 3) for phosphate, and the Quai Sud (Pl. B, C, 4) for the iron-ore from the mine near Aïn-Daliah (p. 303). Adjoining the last quay and bordering the new reclaimed lands (82 acres) is the new _Quai aux Phosphates_ (Pl. C, D, 3, 4), to be used for the phosphate depots and for the Ouenza iron ores (comp. p. 314).

The broad COURS JÉRÔME-BERTAGNA (Pl. B, 2, 3; formerly _Cours National_), the main street of the town, with the pretty grounds of the ‘Square’, skirts the W. side of the native quarter.

To the W., in the European quarter, are the covered _Marché_ (Pl. B, 2), the interesting _Fondouk_ (Pl. 1, A 2; native market), and, in the Boul. des Jujubiers, the _Marché aux Grains_ (Pl. A, 3).

Outside the W. gates, Porte des Karézas (Pl. A, 3) and Porte Randon (Pl. A, 1), are the _Marché aux Bestiaux_ (Pl. A, 2; Thurs.) and the grounds of the SQUARE RANDON (Pl. A, 2).

The NATIVE QUARTER, where also the Jews reside, is intersected by the Rue St. Augustin (Pl. B, C, 2).

From the Boul. Victor-Hugo (Pl. B, C, 2), on the N. side of this quarter, we may mount in 10 min. to the =Colline de la Kasba=, or _Colline des Santons_ (358 ft.), crowned by the _Kasba_ (Pl. C, D, 1; no admittance). The pine-clad slope is skirted by the pretty _Boul. des Caroubiers_ (Pl. C, D, 2, 1).

A beautiful walk may be taken from the Porte des Caroubiers (Pl. D, 1) on the busy *=Chemin de la Corniche=, round the E. side of the _Batterie du Lion_, always skirting the shore and passing many villas with luxuriant gardens. It leads to the N.W. to the suburb of (2½ M.) _St Cloud-les-Plages_, on the _Baie des Caroubiers_, with its sea-baths (p. 309). In clear weather a pleasant drive may be taken past the little _Baie des Corailleurs_ and the old _Fort Génois_ to (7 M.) the _Cap de Garde_. At the _Semaphore_ (519 ft.), above the lighthouse, we enjoy a delightful view of the bay.

From the _Faubourg Ste. Anne_ (Pl. A, 1) a hill-road with fine views,
but almost shadeless as far as the (5 M.) _Col des Chacals_ (1578
ft.), ascends in windings to (9 M.) =Bugeaud= (2809 ft.; Hôt. Fuster,
Hôt. Kittler, Hôt. Cronstadt, etc.), a favourite summer resort,
beautifully situated among woods of cork-oaks. In clear weather the
*Panorama from (1½ hr.) _Kef Seba_ (3307 ft.), the summit of Mt.
Edough, embraces the whole coast from the bay of Stora (p. 128) to the
Kroumirie (p. 326).

The dusty Route de Constantine (Pl. A, 4) leads through the S. town-gate to a (12 min.) _Bridge_ the foundations of which are Roman, spanning the _Oued Boudjimah_ (p. 309). Between this brook and the _Seybouse_, whose mouth once lay farther to the S.E. and was used as a harbour, extended the site of =Hippo Regius= (p. 309). The road straight on, beyond the bridge, leads to the (ca. 5 min.) _Fortin_, which together with the castle-hill (see below) formed the nucleus of the Roman town. Here once lay the Roman villa quarter. Excavations in the former _Jardin Chevillot_ (adm. 50 c.), now belonging to the town, have brought to light several Roman columns and mosaics (Apollo and the Muses, Triumph of Amphitrite, etc.), the foundations of a small early-Christian basilica, and notably a fragment of wall, about 22 yds. long, composed of enormous blocks of granite, 10–13 ft. long, 39 in. thick, and 27 in. high. This last is probably the oldest and most interesting specimen of Phœnician building in Barbary. In the adjoining property of _Mme. Dufour_ part of the foundations of a Roman villa and superb mosaics have been laid bare. Among the latter are a very lifelike representation of a hunt, fishing-scenes, houses of a town, etc. (admission kindly granted). Of the _Ancient Theatre_ a few steps only now exist.

To the right, just beyond the Boudjimah bridge (see above), diverges the Chemin de Beleliéta, whence after 9 min. a fine road leads to the right to the old CASTLE HILL (181 ft.). On its slope lie the _Roman Cisterns_ of Hippo, resembling in plan those of Bordj el-Djedid (p. 350), but modernized in 1893 for the waterworks of Bona (small fee for admittance). As Lalla Bouna, a famous saint, is supposed to have been buried here, the spot attracts Mohammedan pilgrims on Fridays, when they may be seen picturesquely grouped round the bronze _Statue of St. Augustine_ (1843).

The castle-hill is crowned with the handsome _Basilica of St. Augustine_, founded by Card. Lavigerie (p. 346), and built by Abbé Pougnet in 1885–1900 in a semi-Oriental style, on the model of the cathedral of Carthage (p. 347).

The INTERIOR is unfinished. Over the high-altar is preserved a
highly-revered relic of St. Augustine, whose bones were carried in
496, during the Vandal period, by fugitive Catholic bishops to
Sardinia, whence they were removed to Pavia by the Longobard king
Liutprand in 722. In front of the church we have a fine view of the
coast, with its dunes, as far as Cape Rosa (p. 131).

From Bona to _St. Charles_ (_Constantine_), see p. 303; to
_Souk-Ahras_, see R. 49; to _Tunis_, see R. 51.

49. From Constantine or Bona viâ Duvivier to Souk-Ahras (_Tebessa_,
_Tunis_).

FROM CONSTANTINE TO SOUK-AHRAS, 134 M., railway in 7–9¼ hrs. (24 fr.
30, 17 fr. 35 c., 13 fr.). Change at Duvivier. Railway Restaurants at
Le Khroub, Duvivier, and Souk-Ahras.

FROM BONA TO SOUK-AHRAS, 66½ M., railway in 3¼–5¼ hrs. (11 fr. 95, 8
fr. 55, 6 fr. 40 c.).

_Constantine_, and thence to (101 M.) _Duvivier_, see p. 297 and R. 48.—From _Bona_ to (34½ M.) _Duvivier_, see pp. 309, 308.

We cross the _Seybouse_ and follow the narrow dale of the _Oued Melah_ to the S.E., with its fine growth of underwood. 107½ (or 40½) M. _Medjez-Sfa_ (476 ft.); the village (758 ft.) lies to the right, on the Souk-Ahras road. We then mount to (113 or 46 M.) _Aïn-Tahamimine_ (about 1100 ft.), with its eucalyptus groves.

The finest part of the line lies between this point and Laverdure. We cross the ravine of the _Oued Cherf_ by a viaduct. 116 (or 49) M. _Aïn-Affra_ (1739 ft.). We ascend the hill-side to the N.E., partly through plantations of young cork-trees and underwood, and then on the crest of the hill turn sharply back to the S.W. Below lies the line just traversed. At several points we obtain a splendid view of the distant hills of the _Beni Salah_ (p. 308). Among the cork-trees appear the first evergreen oaks.

124 (or 57) M. _Laverdure_ (2369 ft.). The village (2526 ft.; Hôt. Arena; Hôt. Raschiero), 1 M. to the W., on the Souk-Ahras road, with its woods and beautiful views, attracts summer visitors.

To the left appears _Jebel Mahabouba_ (4144 ft.), often snow-clad in winter. Passing through woods of cork and evergreen oak, fringes of the _Forêt de Fedj el-Makta_, we come to the _Col de Fedj el-Makta_ (tunnel), the watershed between the Seybouse and the Medjerda (p. 325).

127 (or 60) M. _Aïn-Sennour_ (2552 ft.). The forest-zone is succeeded by a region of meadows, fields, and vineyards. To the left we sight the bare mountains to the N. of Souk-Ahras.