Chapter VII: Tunisia (3)

To the N.W. of La Marsa extends =Jebel Khaoui= or _Kraoui_ (345 ft.;
ascent from La Marsa and back viâ Kamart ca. 2½ hrs.). On the top and
the N. slope are many rock-tombs, remains of the _Jewish Necropolis_
of Roman Carthage. Fine view, to the S. to Tunis, and to the N.W. over
the _Sebkha er-Riana_ to the Medjerda delta as far as Utica (p. 353).
On the N. side of the hill, on the reddish _Cape Kamart_, lies the
picturesque, palm-girt village of _Kamart_, with the ruined _Bordj
Ben-Aïed_.

54. From Tunis to Bizerta.

61 M. RAILWAY. Express on Wed. only (back on Sat.), corresponding with
the steamers of the Comp. Gén. Transatlantique (R. 21), in 2½,
ordinary trains in 2½–3¾ hrs. (11 fr., 8 fr. 35, 5 fr. 90 c.).—The
HIGH ROAD (37½ M.) is recommended in the cool season only, as the
Medjerda flats are malarious.

From Tunis to (15 M.) _Djedeïda_, see p. 329. The train diverges here to the N. from the main line to Algeria.

19 M. _Chaouat_; 24 M. _Sidi-Athman_, near the _Garaa Mabtouha_, backed by the offshoots of _Jebel Kechbata_ (p. 354). We then run through hilly country, to the W., to (31 M.) _Aïn-Rhelal_.

40½ M. =Mateur= (Rail. Restaurant; Hôt. de France, etc.; pop. 5000, incl. 1600 Italians), a small town nearly 1 M. from the station, lies pleasantly on a hill beyond the influx of the _Oued Tine_ into the _Oued Jemine_ or _Joumine_, and is still enclosed by its old walls, built partly out of the ruins of the Roman _Oppidum Matarense_. It is the corn and cattle market for the fertile _Plaines de Mateur_, which were densely peopled in ancient times, and for the Berber tribes of the _Bejaoua_ and _Mogod Mts._

A railway runs from Mateur viâ (17 M.) _Jefna_, in the Nefza Mts., to
_Djebel-Abiod_ (p. 328), whence it is being extended to _Tabarca_ (p.
327).—Another line connects Mateur with _Béja_ (p. 328).

The train crosses the plain, to the N., towards the _Garaet Ichkeul_ or _Achkel_, the _Sisara Lacus_ of the ancients, a freshwater-lake abounding in fish, but very shallow and rapidly filling up. On the S. side is a marshy tract where within the last few decades a large herd of half-wild Italian buffaloes has sprung up. Above it towers _Jebel Ichkeul_ (1667 ft.), noted for its marble, the chief landmark of the bay of Bizerta.

50 M. _Oued-Tindja_ (Hôt. de la Gare) lies on the strip of land, barely 2 M. broad, between Lake Ichkeul and the =Lac de Bizerte= (Arabic _Garaet Tindja_). The latter, the ancient _Lacus Hipponensis_, ca. 30,000 acres in area and 40 ft. deep at places, is now the chief French naval harbour on the Mediterranean next to Toulon.

A strategic railway and a road (omn. 20 c.) lead to the E. from
Oued-Tindja to (2 M.) =Ferryville= (Hôt. de l’Amirauté; Hôt. de
l’Arsenal; pop. 3000, largely Italian dock-labourers), the youngest
town in Tunisia, named after Jules Ferry (p. 333), and to (2¾ M.) the
small bay of _Sidi-Abdallah_, on which, 9½ M. from the open sea, a
_Naval Arsenal_, with five large dry-docks, was built in 1899–1908.

The train crosses the _Oued Tindja_, the sinuous effluent of Lake Ichkeul, and rounds the marshy W. bank of Lake Bizerta. 55½ M. _Sidi-Ahmed_, opposite _Djezira el-Kebira_, the largest island in the lake.

59 M. _La Pêcherie_, on the _Goulet_, a narrow arm of the sea to the N., which, with the new harbour-canal (p. 353), connects the dockyard with the open sea. On the small _Baie Ponty_, now used as a torpedo-boat station, rise the _Arsenal de la Défense-Mobile_ and the handsome _Amirauté_.

A road leads to the S. from the station through olive-woods to (½ M.)
the =Barrage des Pêcheries=, two fish-dams about 1000 yds. long,
adjoining the S.W. end of the Goulet (here 55 yds. across), where the
fish descending from the lakes to spawn in the sea are caught in great
numbers. The yield, a few years ago ca. 580 tons, but now much
reduced, is sent to Tunis and Marseilles.

We pass the _Baie de Sebra_, the inner harbour of Bizerta, as yet little used, and the _Artillery Arsenal_, intersect the new S. wall of the town and the garden-suburb of _Bijouville_, and reach the station of (61 M.) _Bizerta_, on the harbour-canal.

=Bizerta.=—_Railway Restaurant._—HOTELS (comp. p. 324).
*_Grand-Hotel_, Place d’Europe, in an open site near the station, R.
3–6, B. 1, déj. 3, D. 3½, pens. 10–12, omn. ½ fr.; _Hôt. de la Paix_,
_Hôt. de France_, etc.—CAB. Drive 30, for 3 pers. 40, with pair 50 c.;
hour 1–1¼ or 1½–2 fr.; ½ day (6 hrs.) 4, 5, or 7 fr.; whole day (12
hrs.) 6, 7, 12, or 14 fr.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, _Hon. T. Bourke_, Rue de Provence.

_Bizerta_, Fr. _Bizerte_, Arabic _Bent-Zert_ (pop. 17,300, of whom 9500 are Moslems, 5100 Italians and Maltese), a town strongly garrisoned with 7000 men, the ancient _Hippo Diarrhytus_ (_Zarytus_), was one of the earliest Phœnician settlements on the Tunisian coast. It lies on the W. shore of the _Bay of Bizerta_, between a range of hills on the N.W., culminating in _Jebel Kebir_ (900 ft.), and a strip of land (once bounding the Bizerta Lake, and also fortified), to the S.E., beyond the harbour-canal.

The old town, to which many Moors flocked after the fall of Granada (p. 75), and which was occupied for a short time by Charles V. on his way back from Tunis in 1535 (p. 323) and was to a great extent destroyed by a Venetian fleet in 1785, rises on the hill-side between the ruined _Kasba_ and the _Fort d’Espagne_, both originally built by the Spaniards. The _Old Harbour_, unimportant in ancient times, became in the 16th cent. a favourite haunt of pirates, but is now used by fishing-boats only. Of the _Old Harbour Canal_, completely choked up with the mud of centuries, the mouth alone now exists. The new town, with its busy market (Tues. and Thurs.), is still in embryo.

The _Avant-Port_, 215 acres in area, constructed by the Compagnie du Port de Bizerte in 1890–5, is sheltered by two piers, the Jetée du Nord (1337 yds. long) and the Jetée du Sud (1041 yds.), and by a new mole or breakwater (670 yds.). The commercial harbour consists of the _New Harbour Canal_, 1 M. long, 263 yds. broad, and 33 ft. deep, the entrance to the Goulet (p. 352), and also of the Baie de Sebra (p. 352). Two steam-ferries (bacs à vapeur; passage free) cross to the N.E. bank of the canal, where there are large coal-stores near the village of _Zarzouna_.

The HIGH ROAD FROM TUNIS TO (37½ M.) BIZERTA diverges to the N.,
between the Bardo (p. 339) and Kassar-Saïd (p. 342), from the road
connecting Tebourba with Medjez el-Bab (p. 328), intersects the Roman
*Aqueduct of Carthage (p. 348), which was here restored in the 16th
cent., and ascends through olive-woods to the saddle (269 ft.) between
the hills of Ariana (p. 338), on the right, and _Jebel Ahmar_ (1060
ft.), on the left.

10 M. _La Sebala_ lies on the S. edge of the marshy Medjerda delta (p.
129), now called _Sebala_. 16 M. _Fondouk el-Kantara_, a caravanserai
on the right bank of the Medjerda, near the old seven-arched bridge.

Just beyond (19½ M.) _Oued Cherchara_ a road branches off, to the
N.E., past the spurs of _Jebel Menzel Roul_ (541 ft.), once a cape, to
(2 M.) the ruins of =Utica=, the earliest Phœnician settlement in this
region. Before the rise of Carthage it was the richest trading town in
Barbary, and from 146 to 29 B.C. it was the capital of the province of
Africa and seat of the Roman proconsul. It was here that the younger
Cato committed suicide (46 B.C.) on the overthrow of Pompey’s party in
the civil war against Cæsar. The harbour, entirely silted up since the
middle of the 3rd cent., lay between the cape and a small island off
the coast. The sea is now 5½ M., and the mouth of the Medjerda, near
the Porto-Farina lagoon (p. 354), is nearly 10 M. distant. The Roman
town was destroyed by Hassan ibn en-Nôman (p. 322) in 698, at the same
time as Carthage. The ruins, now called _Henchir Bou-Chateur_, consist
chiefly of the aqueduct and cisterns, a theatre, a vast amphitheatre,
and large thermæ.

Beyond Jebel Menzel Roul the Bizerta road traverses a desolate plain,
strewn with Roman ruins. On the S.E. side of _Jebel Kechbata_ (1370
ft.), and also in the marshy plain beyond it, roads diverge to the
right (one 12½, the other 15 M.) to =Porto-Farina= (pop. 1400, incl.
320 Europeans, mostly Maltese), the _Ruscinona_ of antiquity, a
notorious pirates’ harbour in the Turkish period. In 1665 it was
destroyed by an English fleet, but it was restored and fortified by
Ahmed Bey (1837–55). Potatoes are largely cultivated in the
neighbourhood. The _Lac de Porto-Farina_, on the S. side of _Jebel
Nadour_ (883 ft.), once abounding in fish, has been filled up by the
deposits of the Medjerda since the middle of last century.

Beyond the dunes of _Aïn Bou-Ras_, where the new water-conduit of
Bizerta, 8½ M. long, has its source, our road runs close to the lake
of Bizerta, passes (34½ M.) _Menzel Djemil_, and ends on the old neck
of land on the harbour-canal of (37½ M.) _Bizerta_ (see p. 353).

55. From Tunis to Dougga (_Le Kef_).

Excursionists to Dougga usually start from the station of _Medjez
el-Bab_ (Hôt. des Colons; p. 328), 41 M. by train from the S. Station
at Tunis (in 1¼–2½ hrs.; fares 7 fr. 40, 5 fr. 60, 3 fr. 95, return 10
fr. 35, 7 fr. 85, 5 fr. 55 c.). Thence by motor-omnibus (starting
every morning; 5 fr.) to Dougga direct. Or we may take a carriage (30
fr.; ordered in advance at the Hôt. des Colons) or the diligence (6
hrs.; 2½ fr.) from Medjez el-Bab to (28 M.) _Teboursouk_, whence we go
on to (3¾ M.) Dougga by carr. (5–6 fr.) or on mule-back (3–4 fr.).—The
journey may be made also from the station of _Pont-de-Trajan_ (p. 327;
66½ M. by railway in 2¾–4 hrs.; fares 12 fr., 9 fr. 10, 6 fr. 40 c.);
ride thence (mule being ordered beforehand at Béja, p. 328) viâ
_Henchir Maâtria_ to (17½ M.) Teboursouk; or from the station of
_Gaffour_ (p. 360; 75 M. in 4½–5½ hrs.; fares 13 fr. 55, 10 fr. 30, 7
fr. 25 c.); ride thence across _Jebel Sidi Abdallah Ben-Cheid_ to (19
M.) Teboursouk.

The excursion from Tunis to Dougga and back, in one day, is far more
easily made by motor-car (p. 330). Motoring parties are occasionally
formed at the tourist offices (p. 331).

From Tunis to (41 M.) _Medjez el-Bab_ by railway, see pp. 329, 328.—The two roads from Tunis to Medjez el-Bab, one direct (35½ M.) viâ _Bordj el-Amri_, the other, passing the station and running viâ _Djedeïda_ and _Tebourba_ (p. 329), unite on the left bank of the Medjerda, near the bridge (p. 328).

Our road leads from Medjez el-Bab in the same direction as the Roman road from Carthage to Tebessa (see p. 328), to the S.W., generally a little apart from the Medjerda, past a good many Roman ruins. 9 M. _Slouguia_ (299 ft.; the ancient _Chidibbia_), a village with a slender minaret, lies on a hill on the right bank.

The road then leads through olive-woods and vineyards to (12 M.) =Testour=, on the site of the Roman _Tichilla_, now a little town of 3500 inhab., mostly descendants of Andalusian Moors, with thriving potteries and a large Friday market.

We cross the _Oued Siliana_, not far from its influx into the Medjerda, and then ascend in long windings above the valley of the _Oued Khalled_, a tributary of the Medjerda.

18 M. _Aïn-Tounga_ (821 ft.; no inn), on the N. slope of _Jebel Tounga_ (1575 ft.), the site of the small Roman town of _Thignica_, has the ruins of two triumphal arches, a temple of =Mercury= (170 A.D.), and a Byzantine fortress.

We descend, in sight of Teboursouk and the distant capitol of Dougga, into the valley of the Oued Khalled. We pass through many side-valleys, cross the river, and then ascend a branch of the road to the right, soon joining the Gaffour road (p. 360).

28 M. =Teboursouk= (1378 ft.; Hôt. International, R. 3½) B. ½, déj. 3, D. 3½, pens. 10 fr., quite good, but charges should be agreed upon beforehand; Hôt. de la Poste, humble; pop. 3000, (incl. 300 Europeans) has a fine open site on the olive-clad slope of _Kef Teboursouk_, high above the valley of the _Oued Zebbès_. Into the walls of the narrow and picturesque streets are built many fragments from the ruins of the once considerable town of _Thubursicum Bure_. We note also the _Byzantine Fortress_ (with remains of a Roman triumphal arch in its N. wall) and the _Neo-Punic Burial Ground_, to the S.W. of the town. A superb distant view is obtained at the ruined tower at the upper end of the town.

The rough, hilly road from _Pont-de-Trajan_ (p. 327) to Teboursouk
leads through the rugged hill-region to the S. of the Medjerda, and
passes (12½ M.) _Henchir Maâtria_, the ruins of the small Roman town
of _Numluli_ or _Numiulis_ (foundations of the capitol of 170 A.D.,
early-Christian chapel in quatrefoil form with four apses, and
Byzantine fort). It ends at the N. gate of (17½ M.) _Teboursouk_.

The ROAD TO DOUGGA, 3¾ M. from Teboursouk, leaves the Le Kef road (p. 357) after ½ M. and ascends to the S.W. over a plateau thinly overgrown with scrub.

=Dougga= (about 1970 ft.), a poor Berber village on the S. margin of _Kef Dougga_, is the ancient _Thugga_, one of the oldest and most important places in the heart of Tunisia. The site of the ruins, which vie with those of Gightis (p. 392), is the most beautiful in the whole country. The name is of Berber origin (_thukka_, pasture). It appears to have been the seat of a Berber dynasty allied with Carthage. It then belonged successively to the Carthaginian dominions and to those of Masinissa (p. 321), and attained its prime about the end of the 2nd cent. A.D. The grand late-Roman ruins, partly excavated since 1891, the venerable olive-woods on Kef Dougga, and the view of the Oued Khalled valley and of the N. Tunisian hills, stretching far away to Jebel Zaghouan and Jebel Bou-Kornin (p. 363), combine to form a fascinating picture. On the N.W. horizon is _Jebel Gorra_ (3160 ft.), famed ever since ancient times for its lead and zinc mines.

Comp. ‘Thugga’, by _Dr. Carton_ (Tunis; 2½ fr.).

The old _Porte de l’Est_, where a branch of the Tebessa road ended, and the _Thermae_ near it are entirely ruined.

From that gate we walk along the S. slope of the hill to the *=Mausoleum= of a Berber prince (5th or 4th cent. B.C.), probably the oldest existing Punic-Libyan monument of the kind.

Built in the style of the Egyptian and Syrian tombs of kings, the
mausoleum, originally about 55 ft. high, consisted of a pile of huge
limestone blocks. The substructure, resting on a foundation of six
steps, is adorned with narrow corner-pillars and three blind windows.
The middle part, which is square, rises above three steps and has two
portals flanked with Ionic mural columns and an Egyptian concave
moulding instead of a cornice. Three more steps, once embellished at
the angles with figures on horseback, bore a small pyramid crowned
with the figure of a lion. The upper part was unfortunately destroyed
in 1842 by natives employed by Sir T. Reade, with the bey’s
permission, to remove the inscription in the Phœnician and the Libyan
language, which is now in the British Museum. The monument, however,
has been recently completely restored The tomb-chamber is probably
underneath the monument.

Passing through the village, to the W., we come to the ruins of other _Thermae_ and the so-called _Dâr el-Acheb_, a Roman building of some kind, of which the steps and façade alone remain. We ascend thence to the N.E., past the foundations of _Roman Houses_, to the hill of the Capitol.

The *=Capitol= (comp. p. 288), the conspicuous landmark of Dougga, is one of the finest ruined temples in Tunisia, vying with the three temples of Sbeïtla (p. 371). It is a Corinthian pseudo-peripteros, with a lofty flight of eleven steps and a portico of six columns, 43 ft. high and 24 ft. deep, the whole consisting of great limestone blocks. The square cella, 15 by 14 yds., has been destroyed, with the exception of the portal and the stone-panelled back-wall, with its semicircular niche in the centre and two square side-niches for images. The inscription on the frieze of the portico, of the time of Marcus Aurelius (166–9 A.D.), names two citizens of Thugga as the founders. In the Byzantine period the temple formed the nucleus of the citadel.

The **=Roman Theatre=, on the hill-side a little to the E. of the Capitol, is not only the best-preserved in N. Africa but is unique in the richness and beauty of its embellishment. The twenty-five tiers of seats in the Cavea, or auditorium, are almost intact, except that the upper colonnade has fallen into the orchestra. The stage (pulpitum) still has the old pavement, the front-wall, articulated like similar structures in Algeria, and the superb rear wall, with its three niches and remains of rich columnar decoration. The founder of the building, as recorded by the inscription now lying on the ground, was the flamen perpetuus L. Marcius Quadratus.

Of the _Forum_ and of the street connecting it with the Capitol fragments of the pavement only have been unearthed.

The *=Temple of Cælestis=, in the olive-wood to the N.W. of the Capitol, is the strangest ruin at Dougga. The crescent-shaped court represents the half-moon, the symbol of the Punic goddess Tanit, or Astarte, whose name was Latinized in the Roman period.

The ruin stands on the hill-side, supported by huge substructures. The
court terminated in a rectangular antechamber, 46 by 20 yds. The two
entrances, with dedicatory inscriptions, lay at the sides, preceded by
square chambers (or towers). The semicircular wall of the court (57
yds. in diameter), in concrete, is partly preserved. A large hall
here, with two corner-pillars and twenty-three Corinthian columns,
formed along with the antechamber the meeting-place of the
congregation. The temple itself, in the centre of the court, which was
probably planted with trees, was a rectangle of 18½ by 10½ yds., but
its foundations alone survive. The flight of steps and the two
semicircular apses at the back of the cella date from a restoration in
the Byzantine period. The inscription names a wealthy citizen of the
time of Alex. Severus as the founder (222–35).

We next walk through olive-wood to the E. to the _Roman Cisterns_, once fed by the partly preserved aqueduct of Aïn el-Hammam (S.W. of Dougga), and then, past the ancient N. gate of the town, the _Arch of Alexander Severus_, called by the Arabs _Bâb er-Rûmia_ (‘gate of the Christian woman’), to the ruins of the _Numidic Citadel_ and the _Roman Hippodrome_. Near this is the ancient _Berber Burial Ground_, containing several dolmens.

On the steep slope of a bare hill to the N.N.E. of the Theatre, and once no less conspicuous than the Capitol, was enthroned the =Temple of Saturn=, founded by a rich citizen in 195 A.D. The ruin probably stands on the site of a Punic temple of Baal Hâman. The peculiar ground-plan is reminiscent of the Phœnician temples, whose open colonnaded courts contained altars for burnt offerings.

The pronaos or vestibule, resembling a corridor, to which there was an approach at the S. end only, had a portico of four Corinthian columns facing the E., high above the Oued Khalled; but of all this there are but scanty traces. From the pronaos a small gate admitted into a quadrangle, paved with limestone slabs, and enclosed on three sides by Corinthian colonnades. On the W. side these were divided by partitions into three sections, forming ante-rooms to the three cellæ. The raised central cella, once railed in, was the chief shrine, richly adorned with wall-paintings and reliefs in stucco.

* * * * *

THE HIGH ROAD (FROM MEDJEZ EL-BAB) TO LE KEF, which is joined by the
road from Teboursouk 3 M. to the S. of the latter, runs high above the
Oued Khalled, and soon passes (32 M. from Medjez el-Bab) _Aïn-Hedja_
(about 1300 ft.), below the ruins of _Agbia_ (Byzantine fortress,
etc.). Farther on, leaving the zinc-mines of _Jebel Fedj el-Adoum_ on
one side, we traverse the hill-country to the N.W. of the _Plaine du
Krib_ (p. 360).

38 M. _Aïn-Rharsalla_ (about 1600 ft.), below the Byzantine castle of
_Aunobaris_. 39 M. _Kubba Sidi Abd er-Rehou_, not far from _Henchir
Mest_, the ruins of _Mustis_ (including two arches on the Tebessa
road, one being a triumphal arch of Gordian III.).

46 M. _Bordj Messaoudi_, a large caravanserai, with Friday market for
the peasants of the Krib, adjoins the ruins of the small town of
_Thacia_, near which the Roman road to Le Kef diverged from the road
to Tebessa. We descend into the valley of the _Oued Tessa_, a
tributary of the Oued Mellègue (p. 327), and then, on the N. slope of
_Jebel Kebouch_ (2723 ft.), pass a _Roman Bridge_ and the ruins of
_Ucubis_.

The road now skirts the _Dyr el-Kef_ (3570 ft.; ‘rock-plateau’), with
its Poste Optique, and in the plain of _Bled Zafran_ (p. 360) joins
the road from Maktar (p. 360) and, a little farther on, that from Souk
el-Arba (p. 326).

70 M. _Le Kef_, see p. 360.

56. From Tunis to Le Kef and Kalaâ-Djerda.

FROM TUNIS TO LE KEF, 125½ M., railway, two trains daily in 8¼–9 hrs.
(fares 22 fr. 60, 17 fr. 15, 12 fr. 10 c.); also local trains from
Tunis to Pont-du-Fahs and Gaffour.—FROM TUNIS TO KALAÂ-DJERDA, 146 M.,
two trains daily in 10–11 hrs. (fares 26 fr. 30 c., 20 fr., 14 fr. 10
c.); also a local train between Gaffour and Kalaâ-Djerda.—Railway
Restaurants at Gaffour and Les Salines only.

_Tunis_, see p. 329. Our line diverges, to the S.E., near Bab Alleoua (p. 339), from the Algeria and Bizerta line (RR. 51, 54) and skirts Lake Bahira below the _Zaouïa Sidi Bel-Hassen_ (p. 339).

2½ M. _Djebel-Djelloud_, close to the _Jebel Djelloud_ (138 ft.) is the junction for Susa (R. 57) and has railway-works, large quarries, and lime-kilns.

The train now runs to the N.E. to (5 M.) _Bir-Kassa_.

BRANCH LINE TO LA LAVERIE (17½ M. from Tunis, in ca. 1¾ hr.; 2 fr. 80,
2 fr. 10, 1 fr. 40 c.; many stops). Beyond (6 M. from Tunis)
_Bordj-Gourbel_ the _Oued Miliane_ (p. 363) is crossed. On the right
bank is the fertile, olive-clad _Plaine du Mornag_. 13 M.
_Haut-Mornag-Crétéville_, at the S. base of _Jebel Bou-Kornin_ (p.
363). Crétéville lies on the road from Tunis to Grombalia (p. 364),
near the grand _Khanguet el-Hadjadj_ (‘pilgrim-pass’), a deep ravine
between Jebel Bou-Kornin and Jebel Ressas (see below), through which
formerly passed the traffic between the interior and the harbours on
the E. seaboard. In this defile, now clothed with vineyards, lay the
little town of _Neferis_, which was destroyed by the Romans at the
same time as Carthage. 17½ M. (from Tunis) _La Laverie_ (377 ft.) is a
village of Italian miners, at the W. foot of _Jebel Ressas_ (2608 ft.;
‘lead-mountain’), where lead-mines were already worked in Roman times.

Beyond (8 M.) _Nassen_ we cross the Miliane. 12½ M. _Khledia._

15 M. =Oudna.= In the hill-country, ½ hr. to the S.E., is the large Ferme Ducroquet, situated among the ruins of _Uthina_, one of the wealthiest towns of N. Tunisia in the Roman age. Of the public buildings nothing remains but the _Cisterns_ and scanty traces of the _Theatre_ and _Amphitheatre_. Among the ruins of private houses is the _Palace of the Laberii_ (end of 3rd cent. A.D.), a fine specimen of a sumptuous African-Roman dwelling, with a large peristyle as its centre (comp. p. 290) and numerous mosaics (now mostly in the Bardo Museum). The adjoining Balineum (baths) was long used, from the 5th cent. onwards, as a potter’s workshop. Fine view from the highest hill (407 ft.); on a lower hill is a _Byzantine Fortress_.

Beyond Oudna the line intersects the Roman *_Aqueduct of Carthage_ (p. 359), in a landscape bright with flowers in spring.

17½ M. _Bou er-Rébia_, on the Tunis and Zaghouan road (p. 359).

22½ M. _Djebel-Oust_ lies at the N. base of _Jebel Oust_ (1800 ft.), on which are noteworthy remains of two large piscinæ, Roman irrigation-works, and marble quarries, worked since ancient times.

30½ M. _Smindja_ or _Depienne_ (450 ft.), a village of ‘colonists’ in the _Plaine de Smindja_, a dale, containing numerous ruins, at the foot of the Zaghouan hills.

BRANCH LINE TO ZAGHOUAN (8 M., in ½ hr.; fares 1 fr. 45, 1 fr. 10 c.,
75 c.; return-ticket from Tunis 9 fr. 75, 7 fr. 35, 5 fr. 20 c.). At
_Moghrane_ (525 ft.), the only intermediate station, the two Roman
aqueducts and the modern conduits (p. 339) from Jebel Zaghouan and
Jebel Djouggar unite.

The ROAD FROM TUNIS TO ZAGHOUAN (34½ M.) leads past the _Abattoirs_
(beyond Pl. E, 7) and the _Sebkha es-Sedjoumi_ (p. 332) to (8 M.) _La
Mohamédia_, a poor village, with the decayed residence of Ahmed Bey
(p. 344). It crosses the Oued Miliane near the arches of the Roman
aqueduct, here 66 ft. high, and beyond _Bou er-Rébia_ (p. 358) leads
along the E. slope of Jebel Oust to (34½ M.) Zaghouan. A branch of the
road from La Mohamédia, passing _Oudna_ (p. 358), also leads to
Zaghouan.

=Zaghouan= (821 ft.; Hôt. de France, déj. 3 fr., plain but quite good,
orders should be given in advance; pop. 1200, incl. 530 Europeans,
mostly Ital.), Arab. _Zaghwân_, a charming place, specially in spring,
lies amidst olives, oranges, and cypresses on a terrace at the foot of
Jebel Zaghouan (see below), ¼ hr. above the station. The Roman
_Triumphal Arch_, at the entrance to the village, is the sole relic of
the small town of _Onellana_ (_?_); the columns of the nymphæum now
adorn the _Chief Mosque_.

We may thence walk in ½ hr. to the _Prise d’Eau_ (902 ft.), the
reservoir of the new conduit which supplies both Zaghouan and Tunis
with water from the _Aïn Ayed_. The direct route leads from the
station past the barracks of the tirailleurs; or we may follow a rough
but romantic path from the little town, through a secluded valley,
where numerous nightingales nest among the oleander-bushes by the bed
of the stream. From the Prise d’Eau a rocky path leads to the S.W. to
the (12 min.) *NYMPHÆUM (_Temple des Eaux_; Arabic _Henchir
Aïn-Kasba_, ‘ruined castle of the fountain’), the well-house of the
Carthage aqueduct (p. 348), shaded by groups of splendid old trees.
Near the basin are two flights of steps leading to the semicircle of
the fountain-shrine, with its colonnade, twenty-four empty niches for
statues, and a domed central chamber, the ante-room of the cella.

*=Jebel Zaghouan= (4245 ft.), the ancient _Mons Ziquensis_, the finest
mountain in Tunisia, offers from the summit, called _Râs el-Kasa_, a
superb panorama of the greater part of N. Tunisia and of the E. coast
as far as Susa. It is ascended from the Nymphæum path in 4 hrs., past
the kubba of _Sidi Sala Bou-Ghobrin_ (2264 ft.) and the zinc-mines
(with their humble canteen), and lastly by rough and toilsome paths.
Less extensive, but also very grand, is the view near the _Poste
Optique_ (3199 ft.), 2 hrs. above the Prise d’Eau (bridle-path; mule
2–3 fr.).

Our train, running to the S.W. with a fine view of Jebel Zaghouan on the left, now intersects the Smindja plain and reaches the _Fahs er-Riah_, the fertile upper basin of the valley of the Oued Miliane, which is here formed by the _Oued Jarabia_ and the _Oued el-Kébir_. Its inhabitants are of the Riah tribe, descendants of the Beni Hilal (p. 323).

40 M. _Pont-du-Fahs_ (574 ft.). The village (Hôt. Calega, poor), occupied by immigrants, lies ½ hr. to the N.E., on the left bank of the Miliane. Behind it, on the spurs of _Jebel Djaffar_ (1185 ft.), are the extensive ruins of _Henchir-Kasbat_ (702 ft.), the ancient _Thuburbo Majus_; in the forum are two ruined temples, one of them, dedicated to Mercury, dating from 211 A.D.; there are also triumphal arches, thermæ, and a Byzantine fortress.

On the right rises the curiously shaped _Jebel Klab_ (1204 ft.). We cross the Oued el-Kébir and run to the W. through the Jarabia valley to (48½ M.) _Tarf ech-Chena_, 3 M. to the N.W. of _Apisa Majus_. Farther on almost the only habitations visible are the tents and gourbis (twig-huts) of nomadic tribes.

Beyond (55½ M.) _Bou-Arada_ we cross the watershed between the Oued Miliane and the _Oued Siliana_ (p. 354).

65 M. _El-Aroussa_, station for _Ksar Hellal_, which has an early-Christian chapel of trefoil form. 70 M. _Sidi-Ayed_, on the Oued Siliana. We then ascend the winding valley to the S.W.

75 M. =Gaffour= (about 1080 ft.; Rail. Restaurant, with rooms), with its railway-works, is the station for the large estate of the Société Foncière de Tunisie, 72,500 acres in area, where extensive corn-fields are seen in spring. From Gaffour a road, tolerably fit for driving in dry weather, leads over _Jebel Sidi Abdalla Ben-Cheid_ (2070 ft.) to _Teboursouk_ (Dougga; comp. p. 354).

82 M. _El-Akhouat_, in the valley of the _Oued Soufi_, near the zinc-mines on _Jebel el-Akhouat_ (2061 ft.); 86½ M. _Le Krib_, on the S. edge of the fertile _Plaine du Krib_.

93 M. _Sidi Bou-Rouis_, on the _Oued Tessa_ (p. 357), which here forms a wide bend to the E. round _Jebel Maïza_ (2920 ft.). To the left rises the chain of _Jebel Massouge_ (3019 ft.). 103 M. _Le Sers_, on the N. margin of the broad dale of that name (Arabic _Bled es-Sers_), one of the most fertile inland districts in Tunisia.

106 M. =Les Salines= (Rail. Restaurant), junction for Kalaâ-Djerda (see p. 361), lies on the highroad from Le Kef to Souk et-Tléta and on a rough road to (19 M.) Maktar.

=Maktar= (3117 ft.; inn), the _Maktarium_ of the Libyans and the _Ælia
Aurelia Augusta Mactaris_ of the Romans, to the W. of the richly
wooded _Hammada Kessera_, is now a small village of ‘colonists’ with a
fortified bordj (Contrôle Civil; containing an epigraphical
collection), and is the administrative centre for the district of the
Ouled Aoun and Ouled Ayar. Extensive orchards and Sunday market. Among
the antiquities are numerous dolmens, Roman ruins (arch of Trajan of
116 A.D., mausolea, an aqueduct, etc.), and an early-Christian
basilica.

The train next ascends to the N.W., between Jebel Maïza, on the right, and _Jebel Lorbeus_ (2641 ft.), on the left, and crosses the _Oued Lorbeus_, up whose valley once lay the Roman _Lares_, later _Lorbeus_, a small town destroyed in 1048 by the Hilalides (p. 323).—118 M. _Zafran_, on the spurs of _Jebel Zafran_. Traversing the bleak mountain plain of _Bled Zafran_ we soon have a fine view of Le Kef and the barren _Dyr el-Kef_ (p. 357).

125½ M. =Le Kef= (2477 ft.; Hôt. Dalban, Milano, etc., very plain; pop. 7000, incl. 1400 Europeans, 900 of them Italians), superbly situated near an abrupt rocky slope, the S.W. spur of Dyr el-Kef, was down to modern times the chief town in W. Tunisia. In its earliest period it was famed for its temple of Astarte. After the first Punic war the discontented mercenaries (p. 332) were banished hither. Under Augustus the town became a Roman colony named _Sicca_, with the cognomen of _Veneria_ derived from its temple of Venus. Under the later Roman empire it was of great strategic importance, lying at the junction of the roads to Thacia (p. 357), Theveste (Tebessa), Thagaste (p. 313), and Simitthu (p. 326); by the Arabs it was even regarded as the key of Algeria. During the Turkish period fierce battles were fought under its walls (in 1694, 1705, and 1807) between the beys of Tunisia and Algeria, and during the French advance in 1881 Le Kef was hardly a less important objective than Tunis itself. Since then the mosques have been open to visitors (tickets at the Contrôle Civil).

From the station (omnibus) we ascend through the new European quarter, with its red-tiled roofs, to (20 min.) the Boulevard de Tunis, once the rampart on the N.W. side of the town, where we have an extensive view. The only Roman ruins are the basin of _Aïn el-Kef_ and the _Thermae_ at the W. angle of the old town.

The old town, still enclosed on three sides by the mouldering Turkish wall, consists of narrow and irregular streets built partly out of Roman and Byzantine ruins. The old _Dâr el-Bey_ is now the Hôtel de Ville. The _Chief Mosque_ (Djamâa el-Kebîra) is built into the ruins of an early-Christian basilica (?).

The early-Christian *CHURCH OF ST. PETER (Arabic _Dâr el-Kuss_) was a small columnar basilica of the early 5th cent, with nave and aisles (23 by 10½ yds.); but the narthex (vestibule, now used as a church) and the fine choir-recess have alone been left standing. Many Roman sculptures, mostly from a temple, have been built into the walls of the aisles, which were originally vaulted. The nave, which once had a timber roof, retains relics of its old mosaic pavement.

The zaouïa of _Sidi Kaddour el-Mizouni_, one of the three largest Tunisian establishments of the widely diffused Mohammedan brotherhood of the Kadria (p. 183), enjoys a high reputation. The zaouïa of _Sidi Salah ben-Aïssa_, belonging to the Rahmania, contains a fine modern cenotaph of the saint.

Steep lanes and passages in steps connect the old town with the Turkish _Kasba_ (now barracks).

Outside the town is a third early-Christian church, the so-called _Kasr el-Ghûla_ (‘castle of ghosts’). The _Roman Cisterns_ to the N. of the Kasba are still used.

From Le Kef to _Souk el-Arba_, see p. 326; to _Tunis_, see R. 55.

* * * * *

The RAILWAY TO KALAÂ-DJERDA runs to the S.W. from Les Salines (p. 360) through the pass of _Khanguet Fras_ to (112 M. from Tunis) _Les Zouarines_, in the plain of the _Bled Zouarine_.

119 M. _Ebba-Ksour_ is the station for the ruins of _Ebba_, the _Obba_ of the Carthaginians and Romans, destroyed by the Hilalides (p. 323) in 1048, and for the village of _Ksour_ (2164 ft.), on the N. edge of the rocky upland plain of _Ouartane_, the site of a Libyan-Phœnician town.

We cross the _Oued Medeïna_ below the ruins of _Medeïna_, the Roman _Althiburus_ (with theatre, capitol, triumphal arch, etc.). 125 M. _Aïn-Mesria_; 128½ M. _Fedj el-Tameur_, junction for (19½ M.) the mines of _Slata_.

The train next passes over the saddle between the lofty plateau of _Khremensa_, rich in phosphates, on the right, and _Jebel Ayata_ (3480 ft.), on the left, and then descends past _Jebel Zrissa_, on the right, with its iron-mines, into the valley of the _Oued Sarrath_, the chief feeder of the Oued Mellègue (p. 327).

138½ M. _Oued-Sarrath_ (ca. 1900 ft.), on the right bank.

BRANCH LINE from Oued-Sarrath (18½ M., in 1¼–1¾ hr.) down the left
bank of the Sarrath viâ _Majouba_ to =Kalaât es-Senam= (Hôt. de
Jugurtha), the station for the great phosphate deposits of the Comp.
des Phosphates du Dyr on the _Jebel Kalaât es-Senam_ (4111 ft.). The
top of the huge mountain, conspicuous far and wide, consists of a
tableland, occupied by a deserted Berber village and an old Byzantine
fort, accessible only by steep paths with steps.

The train skirts the Sarrath and then ascends the side-valley of _Oued Haidra_. On the left, _Jebel Bou el-Hanèche_ (4040 ft.).

146 M. =Kalaâ-Djerda= (about 2130 ft.; hotel), near the rich phosphate mines of an Italian company on the hills of that name (2886 ft.).

A most interesting excursion may be taken to (11 M.) =Haidra= (about
2790 ft.), the Tunisian frontier custom-house, on the site of
_Ammaedara_ (_Colonia Augusta Emerita Ammaedara_), founded perhaps by
Vespasian as a Roman colony of veterans, and in the later Roman age no
less important than Tebessa. Originally a frontier-fortress it was,
like Timgad (p. 289), a model Roman camp. The Carthage and Tebessa
road formed the Decumanus Maximus and the Kasserine and Gafsa road the
Cardo Maximus. On the left bank the ruins have partly fallen into the
bed of the Oued Haidra. The much smaller suburb lay on the right bank.
The castellated *_Byzantine Fortress_ of the time of Justinian (p.
541), the largest in N. Africa, was built to guard the passage of the
stream. Within the vast enclosure, 219 by 120 yds., are remains of a
Byzantine basilica, cisterns, etc.—The imposing *_Triumphal Arch_ of
the time of Septimius Severus (p. 407) was used by the Byzantines as a
fort also. Near it are an early-Christian _Basilica_, with aisles and
extensive Byzantine additions (curious, unexplained holes in the
masonry; comp. p. 317), and a second _Basilica_ with double aisles and
numerous tombstones. A column, 33 ft. high, is the sole relic of a
Roman _Temple_, the only one of which there is a trace. High above the
stream, almost intact, rises a Roman *_Mausoleum_, with an open loggia
on the upper story.—From Haidra over (10½ M.) _Jebel Kouïf_ to (26 M.)
_Tebessa_, see p. 318.

A ROAD leads from Kalaâ-Djerda to _Kasserine_ (43 M.; diligence to
Thala daily, thence to Kasserine on Tues. and Frid. only) over the
central Sahara Atlas (p. 320) and through the valley of the _Oued
Hathob_ (p. 320), by which of old the Arabs invaded Algeria. (From
Kasserine to Feriana, see p. 371.) The only village on the route, as
in the time of Marius (p. 384) it was the only settlement between
Lares (p. 360) and Gafsa, is (8¾ M.) Thala (3337 ft.; Hôt. Recli, Hôt.
Gros, both rustic; pop. 800, incl. 80 Europeans), which holds market
(Sat.–Mon.) for the Arab-like Berber tribes of the Fraichich (the
Frexes of Ptolemy) and Madjeur. It lies on the N.E. slope of _Jebel
Char_ (4321 ft.), 40½ M. to the N.E. of Tebessa (p. 315). The Roman
antiquities of the town, which was most prosperous under Diocletian,
are uninteresting. Near the Esplanade, in the centre of the Roman
town, are traces of a temple of Cælestis (p. 356).

57. From Tunis to Susa.

93 M. RAILWAY, two trains daily in 4½–5 hrs. (fares 16 fr. 80, 12 fr.
75 c., 9 fr.); also local trains between Tunis and Hammam-Lif
(return-fares 3, 2, 1 fr., or, in summer, 2 fr. 40, 1 fr. 60 c., 80
c.); also a train to Bir Bou-Rekba (Nabeul). Views on the
left.—Railway Restaurants at Bir Bou-Rekba, Enfidaville, and
Kalaâ-Srira.—STEAMERS to Susa, see R. 64.

From Tunis to (2½ M.) _Djebel-Djelloud_, see p. 358. Our train turns to the E. to (3¾ M.) _Mégrine_, a station amidst vineyards. Pretty views of Tunis, behind us, to the left.

6¼ M. _Maxula-Rades_, in a marshy site, at the S. end of the tongue of land between Lake Bahira (p. 129) and the open sea. On a height, ¼ hr. to the S. of the station, lies the picturesque little town of =Rades=, which, like Sidi Bou-Saïd (p. 351), is a favourite summer residence of the wealthy Moslems of Tunis. Near the _Fort_ (184 ft.) behind the town we have a splendid view of Lake Bahira, the hills of Carthage, the bay of Tunis, and the fertile Mornag (p. 358).

To the N. of the station lies _Maxula_, a colony of the villas of European families in Tunis, on the site of the Roman town of that name. A road leads thence to (1¼ M.; tramway in summer) the bathing-beach on the bay of Tunis.

A ROAD, enlivened by many vehicles, especially on Sundays and
holidays, leads from Maxula to (3½ M.) _Goletta_ (p. 343). It runs to
the N. through the isthmus, past swamps and fig-gardens, and, on the
left, past large salt-ponds, where in summer salt is obtained by
evaporation, and finally it skirts the sea. About an hour’s walk
brings us to the steam-ferry (bac à vapeur; free) across the new
_Bahira Canal_ (p. 129), opposite the station of the electric tramway
to Carthage (p. 343).

We cross the _Oued Miliane_ (p. 358), below a five-arched bridge (1749; not visible from the train) and close to the shore, which is here marshy at places.

10½ M. =Hammam-Lif= (Hôt. de Paris, near the sea, plain; Terminus Hôt., near the station, humble; pop. 1000, incl. 650 Italians), formerly oftener called _Hammam el-Enf_, the ancient _Naro_, is prettily situated at the N. base of Jebel Bou-Kornin (see below). On the wooded slope, to the right of the railway, where the hot salt-springs rise (117–120° Fahr.), is the old _Dâr el-Bey_, a palace now converted into barracks, on the foundations of the Roman baths _Aquae Persianae_, so called from the founder, C. Julius Perseus. Near it is the ‘_Fondouk_‘, the modern unpretending bath-house. Of the late-Roman _Synagogue_ (3rd cent.), discovered here in 1883, scarcely a trace is left.

To the N.E. of the station is (¼ M.) the _Bathing Beach_, with a summer casino. Fine view of Goletta, the Carthage hills, and the peninsula of Cape Bon.

The *=Jebel Bou-Kornin=, or _Bou-Kournine_, so named from its two
‘horns’, the W. (1890 ft.) and the E. (1626 ft.), separated by a deep
hollow, commands a splendid panorama of N. Tunisia. The W. peak, once
crowned with a temple of Saturnus Balcaranenis (Saturn-Baal of Mt.
Karnaïm), the most famous shrine of Baal in the land, is ascended by a
new bridle-path on the E. slope or by a steep old path on the W.
margin of the N. spur (925 ft.).

A little farther on we pass between the eucalyptus groves and vineyards of the estate of _Potinville_, where many negroes are employed, to (15 M.) _Bordj Cédria_. To the left we sight Jebel Korbous (see below).

The train next runs to the N.E. across the _Plain of Soliman_ (see below), a depression between the main chain of the Sahara Atlas (p. 320) and the hills of the peninsula of _Cape Bon_, passing at first through a steppe where browsing camels are often seen.

18 M. _Fondouk Djedid_, a village of immigrant settlers on the wooded spurs of _Jebel Zaïana_.

FROM FONDOUK DJEDID TO MENZEL BOU-ZELFA, 8½ M., branch-line in ¾ hr.
(through-carr. from Tunis to Soliman by the morning train;
return-fares 5 fr. 80, 4 fr. 15, 2 fr. 55 c.). Also from Tunis
(Auto-Palace, p. 330) motor-omnibus Sun. and Thurs. at 8.30 a.m., in
1½ hr. (fare 8, return 10 fr.). The only intermediate station is
=Soliman= (145 ft.; Hôt. Zammit, humble; pop. 2200, incl. 150
Europeans; Frid. market), a picturesque little town founded by
Andalusian Moors in 1616, with a lofty minaret. Thence through
venerable olive-woods to _Menzel Bou-Zelfa_ (or _Zalfa_; 197 ft.),
famed for its luxuriant orchards, with a zaouïa of the Kadria
brotherhood and an important cattle-market (Thurs.).

A ROAD FROM SOLIMAN, where a hotel-omnibus from Korbous meets the
morning train (fare to Korbous 2, there and back 3, luggage 1 fr.;
other vehicles also), leads at first to the N.E. through pleasant
olive-groves, and then, beyond the _Oued Bezirk_, runs behind the low
coast-dunes to _Mraïssa_, the ruins of the little Roman town of
_Carpis_. At (7½ M.) the kubba of _Sidi Raïs_, near which are seen
fragments of walls of the harbour of Carpis, begins the new coast-road
to Korbous. This skirts the rocky slopes of _Jebel Korbous_ (1375
ft.), being strongly buttressed at places, and affords a delightful
view, especially in the morning, of Tunis, the Carthage hills, and the
W. shore of the bay as far as Cape Farina (p. 129). 11 M. =Korbous=
(Hôt. des Thermes, R. 2–6, B. 1, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens, from 10 fr.), a
small watering-place, and of late a winter resort also, has hot
springs (alkaline and saline, 111–151° Fahr.), an old palace of the
beys situated on the shore and now used as a bath-house, and scanty
ruins of the Roman baths (_Aquae Carpitanae_).

22 M. _Khanguet_, for Khanguet el-Hadjadj (p. 358); 23½ M. _Grombalia_ (154 ft.), a village of colonists; 30 M. _Bou-Arkoub_ (236 ft.). We then cross the watershed between the bay of Tunis and the _Gulf of Hammamet_.

37½ M. =Bir Bou-Rekba= (Rail. Restaurant), at the foot of bare hills, 10 min. to the W. of _Kasr ez-Zit_, the ruins of _Siagu_ (early-Christian basilica, Byzantine fort, etc.).

FROM BIR BOU-REKBA TO NABEUL, 11 M., branch-line in about ¾ hr. (1 fr.
90, 1 fr. 45 c., 1 fr.). The only intermediate station is (2½ M.)
=Hammamet= (82 ft.; Hôt. de la Plage, on the shore, R. 2 fr., B. 60
c., déj. or D. 2, pens. 5–6 fr., quite good; pop. 6000, incl. 200
Europeans; Wed. market), most picturesquely situated on a small
headland, ¼ hr. to the S. of the station. The ramparts of the ruinous
_Kasba_ (now partly a Poste Optique) afford a charming view of the bay
as far as Hergla (p. 365). Pretty bathing-beach. The coast between
Hammamet and Nabeul has unfortunately been entirely denuded of wood,
but the climate in winter is the mildest and healthiest in Tunisia
next to that of Djerba (p. 393). The lemons, mandarins, oranges, and
other fruits are considered the best in the land. The finest *Fruit
Gardens, some of them shaded by groups of old cypresses, lie to the
W., in the direction of the ruins of _Pupput_, now called _Souk
el-Abiod_, and also on the Nabeul road.—Beyond Hammamet the train
crosses numerous torrents.

11 M. =Nabeul= (43 ft.; Hôt. de France, R., déj., D. 2½ fr. each, omn.
½ fr., good; Hôt. des Voyageurs; carr. to Hammamet 5–6 fr.; pop.
11,900, incl. 2000 Jews and 400 Europeans; Frid. market), with its
small _Souks_ (p. 335) and pretty gardens, is the chief town on this
part of the coast. Its famed old pottery is again thriving. Fayence
with geometrical patterns, after Punic and late-Roman models, and
porous, unglazed water-jugs (gargoulettes) are the chief products. The
small _Poterie Artistique_ (Tissier’s), behind the church, is worth
seeing. Pleasant walks are to the N.E. to (20 min.) _Dar-Chabane_, a
purely Moslem village; to the S. to the small anchorage near the kubba
_Sidi Slîmân_, or to the ruins of _Neapolis_, now largely submerged; a
little seaport destroyed at the same time as Carthage (146 B.C.), to
which Nabeul owes its name and much of its building-material; to the
E. to (3¾ M.) _El-Mamoura_, near the caverns in the _Râs Mamoura_, the
N.E. boundary of the bay of Hammamet; to the N. to the (½ hr.) _Râs
Tefal_, where the potters dig their clay.

The SUSA TRAIN turns to the S.E., quitting the highroad, on which, beyond _Pupput_ (see above), is the so-called _Kasr Menara_, a large Roman circular building resembling the tomb of Cæcilia Metella, the only monument of the kind in Barbary. We approach the spurs of the Sahara Atlas. All around is scanty underwood, with occasional tents of nomads and many pasturing cattle. To the left we have a glimpse of the N. coast of the bay as far as Nabeul (see above). To the W. towers _Jebel Zaghouan_ (p. 359).

Beyond the _Oued er-Rebia_, at (49 M.) _Bou-Ficha_, begins the =Enfida=, an estate of 300,000 acres owned by the Société Franco-Africaine, the ancient granary of central Tunisia, but a wilderness for centuries after the irruption of the Beni Hilal (p. 323). Among the farm-labourers are many Sicilians. There are still, however, great desolate tracts, dotted with Roman ruins and old irrigation-works, inhabited only by the nomadic _Oulad Saïd_, descendants of the Hilalides.

54½ M. _Aïn-Hallouf_, near the ruins of _Aphrodisium_, now _Sidi Khalifa_ and _Henchir Fradiz_, close to the salt-marshes of the _Sebkha Djiriba_, which are 19 M. long.

62 M. =Enfidaville= (131 ft.; Rail. Restaurant; Hôt. d’Enfidaville, déj. 2½ fr., well spoken of; pop. 6700, incl. 500 Europeans), a rising town of colonists, the largest in the Enfida, is a pretty oasis of trees and vegetable-gardens. Alfa (p. 171) is largely exported. Near the station is a village of nomad-tents.

Above the Zaghouan road (p. 359), about 4 M. to the W. of Enfidaville,
on _Jebel Takroun_ (657 ft.), is perched the interesting Berber
village of _Takrouna_ (pop. about 500), not easily accessible.—In the
valley of the _Oued Boul_, 7½ M. to the W. of Enfidaville, on _Jebel
Garci_, rises the chalybeate spring of _Aïn-Garci_, on the site of the
Roman _Aggersel_.—Some 9½ M. to the S.E. of Enfidaville lies _Hergla_
(reached also by a branch of the road from Sidi Bou-Ali; see p. 366),
the ancient _Horrea Caelia_, the corn-mart and export-harbour of the
Enfida.

The steppe-like character of the landscape again asserts itself. Wild asparagus abounds. To the right in the distance are the bare hills of central Tunisia behind Kairwan (p. 372). 71 M. _Menzel Dar el-Bouar_, not far from the _Sebkha Halk el-Menzel_. On the road, to the N.E. of the station, is an ancient Berber cemetery, with numerous dolmens (p. 324), mostly ruined of late.

76½ M. _Sidi Bou-Ali_, a smiling oasis, with olive and fruit-trees and a few date-palms. We again traverse a stony hill-region, dotted with stunted olive-trees, and then descend into the thickly peopled _Sahel_ (see below), with its many thriving little towns.

85 M. _Kalaâ-Kebira_ (161 ft.; pop. 6500). To the left, farther on, we see the little town of _Akouda_, on a low hill; then the distant _Hammam-Sousse_ in the valley of the _Oued Laya_.

88 M. _Kalaâ-Srira_ (181 ft.; Rail. Restaurant), on the right bank of the Oued Laya, where visitors for Kairwan (R. 58) change carriages. Our train descends the _Oued Kharoub Valley_ to the E. to the coast, with a view of the sea on the left.

93 M. =Susa.=—The STATION (Pl. B, C, 1) for Tunis, Kairwan (R. 58),
Mehdia (p. 369), and for the future line to Sfax (R. 59), is in Boul.
René Millet, 3–5 min. from the hotels, or 6 min. from the quay.

ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. R. 64). The steamers of the Comp. Gén.
Transatlantique (office, Banque de Tunisie, see below), the Società
Nazionale (agent, Rue Villedon), and the Comp. de Navigation Mixte
(Rue Jules-Ferry 4) all moor at the N. quay (Pl. D, 2). Harbour-tax 4
or 3 fr.—Cabs, see below.

HOTELS (comp. p. 324). _Grand-Hôtel_ (Pl. a; D, 2), Cours de la
Marine, R. 4–7, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 11–15 fr.; _Hôtel de
France_ (Pl. b; C, 1), Avenue Krantz, R. 3–6, B. 1, déj. 3, D. 3–3½,
pens. 10–12 fr., well spoken of; _Hôtel du Sahel_ (Pl. c; D, 1), Rue
Jules-Ferry, unpretending.

CAFÉS. _Brasserie_, at the Grand-Hôtel; _Glacier_, Place Pichon;
_Bellevue_, Place de la Marine.—_Casino Municipal_ (Pl. 8; C, 1), with
a hall for balls and theatrical performances, etc.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. C, 2), Place Pichon.—BANKS (comp. p.
174). _Comp. Algérienne_, Rond-Point de la Douane; _Banque de
Tunisie_, Rue du Marché; _Crédit Foncier et Agricole d’Algérie_, Place
Colonel Vincent.—BOOKSELLERS. _Petit_, Place Pichon; _Berra_
(Imprimerie Rapide), Rue Jules-Ferry.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, _W. Galea_, Rue Général-Logerot (cor. of Rue de
l’Eglise).—LLOYD’S AGENT, _D. Cattan_.

CABS (stand, Place Pichon). Drive ¾ (outside town 1) fr.; hour 1¾ (or
2), day 15–20 fr.; after 7 (in summer 9) p.m. one-half more.—MOTOR
CARS at _Auvin’s_, Ave. Krantz.

HALF-DAY. Visit to the _Museum_ (p. 367), the _Souks_ (p. 368), and
the _Kasba_ (p. 369).

_Susa_, French _Sousse_, Arabic _Sûssa_, (pop. 25,000, incl. 2800 Italians, 1500 French, and 900 Maltese), which has been since ancient times the chief seaport in the _Gulf of Hammamet_ (p. 364), is now the most important in Tunisia after Tunis and Sfax. It is also the capital of the _Sahel_ (p. 320). This coast-region, 20–25 M. in breadth, famed in the Roman age for its olive-oil, yields corn also, like the inland plain of Kairwan, although its rainfall is slight. According to the latest statistics the Sahel has 6 million olive-trees, 212,000 acres of barley, and about 4000 date-palms, which here, however, mostly yield date-wine (‘lagmi’) only. As yet the manufacturing industries are practically limited to the oil-mills and soap-works in the suburbs close to the sea; there are also several salt-works on the coast between Susa and Mehdia.