Chapter VII: Tunisia (5)

151 M. NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY (Comp. des Phosphates et du Chemin de Fer
de Gafsa), in 9¾–10¼ hrs. (27 fr. 20, 20 fr. 65, 14 fr. 60 c.); to
Gafsa, 127 M., in 8–9 hrs. (22 fr. 95, 17 fr. 45, 12 fr. 30 c.;
return-ticket, valid for 5 days, 32 fr. 15, 24 fr. 40, 17 fr. 20 c.).
Railway Restaurant at Graïba only; it is advisable to take provisions.

_Sfax_, see p. 380. The train skirts the inland side of the town and then runs to the S.W., near the coast. To the left rises the lighthouse of _Râs Tina_ (p. 405), near the ruins of _Thaenae_, once the chief harbour for the export of olive-oil from the interior.

18 M. _Oued-Chaffar._ 22½ M. _Maharès_ (pop. 1000), a fishing village and market for the _Mehadla Tribe_, is the last fruit-tree oasis to the S.W. of Sfax. Above it rises an old fortified Bordj. On the left, close to the shore, near the Gabes road (R. 62), is seen the castle of _Ounga_, with its eight towers, which is said to have been built by the knights of Malta (p. 398).

Leaving the coast the train runs to the W., through an almost uninhabited sandy waste, to (39½ M.) _Graïba_ (Rail. Restaurant), from which a diligence plies to Gabes (p. 389).

In the distance appears the bare S. Tunisian hill-country, with _Jebel Bou-Hedma_ (2559 ft.). On the left lie the flats of the large _Sebkha en-Nouaïl_.

61 M. _Mezzouna_, at the N. base of _Jebel Mezzouna_ (1329 ft.), where alfa abounds. 76½ M. _Maknassi_ (hotel), a village of colonists, with olive-groves, and an important alfa station, lies in the _Bled Maknassi_, a monotonous plain on the N. spurs of _Jebel Maknassi_ (1332 ft.). To the N.W. appears _Jebel Majora_ (2871 ft.).

98 M. _Sened_ (1575 ft.), the highest point on the line, with large alfa-stacks, is the station for Sened (1706 ft.), a village 5 M. to the S.E., on the olive-clad slope of _Jebel Biadha_ (3248 ft.).

We now descend through cactus plantations, and in spring through corn-fields, to the _Bled el-Hamra_, a lofty plain to the N. of _Jebel Oum el-Alleg_ (3839 ft.), in the territory of the great nomadic tribe of the _Hamama_. 110½ M. _Aïn-Zannouch_, the only station with good drinking-water. On the right are extensive dunes, formed by disintegration.

The train rounds _Jebel Orbata_ (p. 385) and then enters the valley of the _Oued Baïech_.

127 M. =Gafsa.=—The STATION (about 1000 ft.) lies on the left bank of
the stream, 2¼ M. to the S.E. of the old town (diligence twice daily
in ½ hr.).

HOTELS. _Hôtel de France_, Place de la Kasba, R. 3–5, B. ¾, déj. or D.
3, pens. 8–10, omn. 1 fr., plain; _Buffet-Hôtel_, at the station.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE, Place de la Poste.

CARRIAGES (limited in number), 20–25 fr. per day; to Tebessa (p. 315)
or to Kairwan (p. 372) 120 fr.—DILIGENCE to Tebessa, see p. 318.—HORSE
or MULE (3–5 fr. per day), best obtained through the Contrôle Civil,
where tickets for the mosques also are obtained.

_Gafsa_ (1067 ft.; pop. 4500, incl. about 1000 Jews and 360 Europeans), the ancient _Capsa_, is a peaceful little oasis-town, with two hot springs (88–91½° Fahr.) and several cold, rising in or near the river-bed. The old town lies on the edge of the plateau, on the right bank of the Oued Baïech, which almost everywhere else is dry. It has formed a valley about 3 M. broad, between _Jebel Orbata_ (3839 ft.; p. 385), on the E., and the spurs of _Jebel Bou-Ramli_ (3609 ft.) on the N.W., this being the only considerable pass between the S. Tunisian steppe and the shotts (p. 320). The town is sheltered by _Jebel Ben-Younès_ (3002 ft.) and _Jebel Assalah_ from the cold N.W. and N. winds, and like El-Kantara (p. 276) is a portal of the desert. Its mild climate and beautiful oasis render it a fine winter residence for persons of moderate requirements.

Capsa is said to be one of the oldest towns in the interior of
Tunisia. Owing to its remote situation in the extreme southern part of
his dominions Jugurtha (p. 321) made it one of his headquarters and
his treasury; but one morning at dawn, after a nine days’ march from
Lares (p. 360), so graphically described by Sallust, it was surprised
by Marius and razed to the ground in 106. Under Augustus the town was
still in ruins, yet in the 2nd cent. it vied with Thelepte (Feriana,
p. 371) as one of the wealthiest towns in S. Tunisia. Through Capsa
ran the important caravan-routes between Tebessa and Gabes, those to
Feriana, Sbeïtla, and Susa, and viâ Tozeur to the Limes Tripolitanus
(p. 412). With the exception of the Piscinæ (see below) all the Roman
structures have been demolished for modern building purposes. The
town-walls were rebuilt by Solomon (p. 315) in Justinian’s reign, and
in the Moorish period were succeeded by a triple mud-built wall, of
which scarcely a trace is left. The Byzantine citadel, built of Roman
materials, was succeeded by the Moorish Kasba, which the French have
now converted into barracks. Since the entry of the French troops in
1881 the mosques have been regarded as desecrated.

From the new _Gafsa-Gare_ quarter a street leads to the Oued Baïech, crosses it, where native washerwomen and thirsty camels often present an entertaining scene, and ascends on the border of the oasis (p. 385) to the old town, dominated by groups of palm-trees and two minarets.

The large Champ de Foire and the _Fondouk_ (p. 281), on the E. side of the town, are full of life when caravans arrive with their dates from the Djerid (p. 386). The corn-market in the _Halle aux Grains_ also is of some importance.

From the Place du Marché (market on Wednesday), at the S. end of the Champ de Foire, the Rue du Gén.-Philebert leads through the town to the Place de la Kasba. Here, on the W. side, rises the _Kasba_, with its towers and white pinnacled walls, once the chief sight at Gafsa, but now the barracks of military convicts. View from the Poste Optique (adm. on application). The _Jewish Quarter_ with its narrow streets, lies to the N.E. of the Place de la Kasba, on the N. side of the town.

The dilapidated Roman PISCINÆ (Arabic _Termid_, from ‘thermæ’) are still used as baths. The Jewish Bath is fed by the Kasba spring. The largest basins, supplied by the hot spring outside the Kasba and chiefly used by the Moslems, are in the _Dâr el-Bey_, to the S.E. of the Place de la Kasba. The men’s bath (Termid er-Rayel), where the children love to dive for sou-pieces, is worth seeing. In the beautifully clear water tiny fish (Chromis, occurring also in the underground waters of the Sahara), little black snakes, and small tortoises disport themselves among the bathers.

A little to the S. of the Piscinæ are the _Souks_. Foremost among their wares are bright-coloured blankets (frechias), burnouses, and carpets (guétifs), mostly made by the _Hamamas_ (p. 383).

The _Sidi Yakûb Mosque_ (Grande Mosquée), to the S.W. of the Dâr el-Bey, one of the oldest in Tunisia, is noteworthy for its interior with nave and eighteen aisles, in the style of the Sidi Okba mosque at Kairwan (p. 374). The minaret, especially towards evening, affords a charming *View of the town and the oasis, and of the finely shaped hills and the yellow desert to the S.

The **=Oasis=, nearly 4 sq. M. in area, the richest and greenest palm-oasis in all Barbary, offers many delightful walks. Most of the paths conveniently overlook the little gardens lying below them, watered by numerous runlets from the Piscinæ.

In the shade of the palms grow apricots, peaches, figs, pomegranates,
quinces, almonds, pears, and olives, and here and there oranges and
lemons. The vine, with its vigorous and picturesque tendrils, climbs
up the palm trees or the nettle-trees (Celtis australis) planted for
its support, yielding ripe grapes as early as June. Below all these
trees the soil is carpeted, in the cooler season, with vegetables,
melons, wheat, and barley. The W. margin of the oasis, however, where
water is scarce, yields olives only.

Fine points of view are the hill of _Sidi Bou-Yahia_, crowned with a kubba, on the N.W. margin of the oasis, the _Ksour Nala_, a spur of Jebel Ben-Younès, and, separated from the latter by the depression of the _Foum el-Maza_, _Jebel Assalah_, whence we survey also the steppe stretching to the N. to Jebel Sidi Aïch.

From Gafsa to _Maâjen Bel-Abbès_ (Feriana), see p. 372; viâ Feriana to
_Tebessa_, see p. 318.

A ROAD leads to the S.E. viâ the olive-oasis of _El-Ksar_ to (3¾ M.)
_Leïla_, a charming little palm-oasis; then, aside from the _Sebkha
d’el-Guettar_, to (12½ M.) =El-Guettar= (952 ft.; two caravanserais;
pop. 1800), a palm and olive oasis at the S. base of _Jebel Orbata_
(3839 ft.; fine view from the Poste Optique; ascent by bridle-path
2½–3 hrs.). The route from El-Guettar to (83 M.) _Gabes_ (p. 389),
leading almost all the way through an arid wilderness, is fit only for
those who are used to fatigue and privations. (Poor quarters at _Bir
Saâd_ and _El-Haffey_ only.)

Beyond Gafsa the train crosses the Oued Baïech and beyond the oasis it enters the sandy and stony waste between the salt-marsh _Garaet el-Oglal_ (on the right) and the chain of _Jebel Rosfa_ (1411 ft.) and _Jebel Jellabia_ (1346 ft.; to the S.). Beyond the dry bed of the _Oued Melah_ the long range of _Jebel Tarfaoui_ (p. 388) appears far to the left.

We skirt the S. base of _Jebel Stah_ (2953 ft.), _Jebel Tarfai_ (2166 ft.), and _Jebel Metlaoui_ (1805 ft.), all rich in phosphates. These hills, overgrown with alfa-grass only, are, like those near Gafsa, a favourite haunt of the gazelle; the maned sheep (p. 277) also occurs.

151 M. =Metlaoui= (643 ft.; Hôt. Rey, R., déj., D., 3 fr. each, quite good), Arabic _Metlâwi_, on the S. slope of _Jebel Seldja_, not far from the _Oued Seldja_ (p. 372), lies in the heart of the S. Tunisian phosphate-region, which extends to Redeyef (p. 372), to Aïn-Moularès (p. 372), and to Jebel Mrata on the Algerian frontier. The phosphate is detached from the hill-sides by blasting (foudroyage) and then spread out to dry on the ground, where it is turned over several times by ploughs. The works employ about 5000 hands, mostly Italians and natives, and yield about 800,000 tons per annum. Adm. to the ‘Grande Recette’ of the works by leave of M. Bursaux, the manager.

Interesting walk or drive to the (3 M.) *=Gorges du Seldja=, a wild
rocky defile (about 4½ M. long) between Jebel Seldja and _Jebel Alima_
(2559 ft.).

For the new railways to _Henchir Souatir_, _Redeyef_, and
_Aïn-Moularès_, see p. 372.

61. From Metlaoui to the Djerid.

ROAD viâ (35½ M.) _Tozeur_ to (51 M.) _Nefta_ (railway to the former
under construction). A carriage may be hired at one of the inns at
Metlaoui, but as the road is bad a mule is preferable. It is best to
ride direct to Tozeur (carrying provisions, wine, etc.). Nefta may be
visited from Tozeur, El-Oudiane best on the way back from Tozeur to
Metlaoui (early start required).

The *=Djerid= (Arabic _Belad el-Jerid_), the narrow isthmus between
the _Chott Djérid_ (65–80 ft. above the sea), the largest salt-marsh
in Barbary, and the _Chott Rharsa_ (65 ft. below sea-level), with its
four picturesque oases of _Tozeur_, _Nefta_, _El-Oudiane_, and
_El-Hamma_ (_du Djérid_), is the largest date-palm region in N.
Africa. The number of palm-trees is estimated at about a million, but
nearly half belong to the ‘hakhana’, an unfruitful species. The yield
of dates is 12½–15,000 tons annually, of which 500 tons only are of
the transparent variety. They are exported chiefly viâ Gafsa and Sfax.
The mildness of the climate (p. 321) adapts Tozeur in particular for
winter residence, but malaria is prevalent in summer. The population
(about 30,000), which is said to have included scattered remnants of
Christian communities down to the 18th cent., is chiefly of Berber
origin, but with the Arab nature fully developed.

_Metlaoui_, see above. The road leads to the S.W., through an almost bare waste, at first near the left bank of the Seldja and then down its dry bed.

15½ M. _Bordj Gouïfla_ (269 ft.; no drinking-water), a deserted caravanserai, lies at the junction of the Gafsa road, beyond the influx of the Oued Seldja into the _Oued Melah_ (p. 387). We then skirt the spurs of _Jebel Tarfaoui_ (p. 388). The road to El-Oudiane (p. 388) branches to the left.

Not far from the delta of the Oued Melah we near the _Chott Rharsa_, which in the hot season is reduced to a few streamlets and pools, and next reach the E. border of (30 M.) the oasis of =El-Hamma du Djérid= (164 ft.; Bordj, quarters 1 fr.). This oasis, the smallest in the Djerid, with 900 inhab., about 54,000 palms, and a few olive-trees, has of late had mud-walls (tabias) built to shelter it from sand-drift. The _Hammâm_, a piscina in a kind of palm-hut, whose water (109° Fahr.) is in high favour with the natives, is of Roman origin.

The road crosses the (32½ M.) downs of _Drah Tozeur_ or _Drâht en-Nadour_ (269 ft.), and reveals a striking *View of the green oasis of Tozeur and the glittering surface of the _Chott Djérid_.

35½ M. =Tozeur= (197 ft.; Hôt. Bellevue, R. 3, B. ½, déj. or D. 3 fr., unpretending, with attentive landlady; pop. 10,000, incl. 65 Europeans), the ancient _Tusuros_, Arabic _Tûzer_, is the seat of the authorities of the Djerid. The houses, mostly one-storied, built of crude (tobs) and burned bricks, have a peculiar geometric ornamentation in brick network, which differentiates them from most of those in the other oases. The _Souks_ are less important than those of Nefta (see below). Interesting *Views are obtained from the minarets of the _Zaouïa Sidi Abid_ and the new _Sidi Mouldi Mosque_ (tickets at the Contrôle Civil).

The *OASIS, which is hardly inferior to that of Gafsa in richness
and variety of vegetation (p. 385), contains about 420,000 palms.
Several hours may be pleasantly spent in riding to the chief points
of interest. Leaving the town we ride to the W., viâ _Chabia_
village, with its curious huts of palm-logs, to the _Râs el-Aïoun_,
where 194 springs unite to form the _Oued el-Mechta_. We then skirt
the S.W. border of the oasis and descend viâ the villages of
_Zaouïet-Sahraoui_, _Djehim_ or _Djem_, and _Abbas_ or _Abbès_ to
the kubba of _Sidi Ali Bou-Lifa_, near the shott, with a huge and
venerable lotus-tree. Thence we should return to Djehim and ride to
_Bled el-Adhar_, a village in the W. half of the oasis. The
interesting mosque here, the oldest in the Djerid, stands on the
site of a Roman temple, which is said to have been converted into a
Christian basilica. The *Mihrâb, or prayer-niche, unfortunately
whitewashed, dating from 1194, is most elegantly decorated in
stucco. We return thence to Tozeur, where the half-dead lotus-tree
and the little mosques present a picturesque bit of scenery.

A ROAD, with fine points of view, leads from Tozeur to the W., viâ _Chabia_ (see above) and along the S. margin of the dunes of _Koudiat Oum el-Arouah_ (558 ft.), to (51 M.) =Nefta= (200–300 ft.; Djerid Hotel, R. 3–4, B. 1, déj. or D. 3–4, pens. 8–10 fr., quite good; carr. at the Khalifa’s only; pop. 14,000, incl. many Jews but only a few Europeans), the Roman _Aggarsel Nepte_. The houses resemble those of Tozeur in style, but blocks of gypsum from the vicinity also have been used as building-material. We are struck with the great number of small mosques and zaouïas, among which is the zaouïa of the Kadria (p. 361), the most important in S. Tunisia and a religious house of the Rahmania order. The souks, which are much patronized by the Sahara caravans, offer all the products of the Djerid, such as white frechias (p. 385), burnouses (‘djeridi’), silk haiks, etc.

Before riding through the *=Oasis= (2–3 hrs.; mule with guide 3–4
fr.), the finest in the Djerid, with its 187,000 palms, we proceed
from the souks to the so-called *_Corbeille_ (Arabic _Kasr el-Aïn_,
‘castle of the springs’), a grand gorge in the middle of the town,
where the copious springs (152, it is said) unite to form a brook. We
then ride to the N.W., past the _Zaouïa of the Kadria_ (p. 387) and
along the mud-walls (p. 387), to the _Parcelle Forestière_ (fine
view), or to the _Poste Douanier_, another good point of view. We then
return, past the mosque of _Sidi Merzoug_ and the palm-garden of
_Ghitane ech-Chorfa_, to the _Barrage_, a Roman dam below the
Corbeille (at the weir, a little lower, good bathing-place), and visit
the elegant kubba of _Sidi Bou-Ali_, in the heart of the oasis.

=El-Oudiane=, the eastmost oasis of the Djerid, with 6000 inhab. distributed among six villages, lies 6¼ M. to the N.E. of Tozeur and 3 M. to the E. of El-Hamma (p. 387), on the slope of _Jebel Bou-Hellal_ (624 ft.), the W. offshoot of _Jebel Tarfaoui_ (1821 ft.). This oasis, 4½ M. long, watered by a number of small springs, possesses about 185,000 palms and 25,000 olive-trees, while numerous orange and lemon trees add a special charm. The chief village is _Deggach_ (180 ft.; pop. 3000), built partly of stone. Thence we ride past _Zaouïet el-Arab_, with its minaret (fine view), and _Kriz_, on the slope of _Jebel Nadour_ (519 ft.), to the walled village of _Cedadda_ (230 ft.). At _Guebba_, a village adjoining Kriz, close to the shott, are some Roman ruins.

The _Trik el-Oudiania_, a caravan route once used by the Romans but
sometimes impassable after heavy winter rains, leads from Kriz across
the Chott Djérid, to the S.E., to the _Caïdat du Nefzaoua_, a part of
the S. Territories (p. 390) between the shott and the Erg Oriental (p.
285). The first oasis beyond the salt-marshes is (30½ M.) _Debabcha_,
on the peninsula of that name. 43 M. _Telmine_, the ancient _Turris
Tamaleni_, was the westmost frontier-fortress on the Limes
Tripolitanus (p. 412). 47 M. =Kebilli= (quarters in the Bordj), the
ancient _Vepillium_ (?), is now the chief town in the Nefzaoua, with
5000 inhab., a market well attended by the Sahara caravans, and the
finest palm-oasis in this region.

ROADS lead from Kebilli: (1) To the N.E., through the waterless sandy
waste between the _Chott el-Fedjedj_ (p. 389) and _Jebel Tebaga_ (1608
ft.) and past (9½ M.) _Limagues_ and (34½ M.) _Oglet Nakhla_, to (53
M.) =El-Hamma= (quarters at the Bordj), the ancient _Aquae
Tacapitanae_, with hot springs (118° Fahr.) and a charming palm-oasis;
then past the S. base of _Jebel Dissa_ (492 ft.; Poste Optique) to (74
M.) _Gabes_ (p. 389).—(2) To the S.E., through the desert on the S.
side of Jebel Tebaga (see above), past _Henchir Bou-Garfa_ and
_Tamezred_, to (about 68 M.) _Matmata-Kebira_ (p. 391).

62. From (_Sfax_) Graïba to Djerba viâ Gabes and Médenine.

HIGH ROAD from Graïba viâ (52 M.) Gabes to (101 M.) Médenine.
Diligence to Gabes, in 9 hrs. (starting at 11.30 p.m., returning at
5.15 p.m.); thence to Médenine, in 8 hrs. ROADS from Médenine to the
two starting-points for the island of Djerba: one viâ (37½ M.) Zarzis
to (52 M.) Marsa el-Kantara; the other viâ (17½ M.) Djorf Bou-Grara to
(30 M.) Marsa el-Adjim.—ROADS from El-Kantara (15½ M.) and El-Adjim
(14 M.) to Houmt-Souk.

A motor-car should be hired from Sfax (p. 380) to Médenine, or all the
way to Marsa el-Kantara. Or we may drive thither from Graïba, by carr.
previously ordered from Gabes. At Médenine it is advisable to
telegraph to Houmt-Souk for a carr. to meet the traveller at
El-Kantara (or El-Adjim, as the case may be).—Houmt-Souk is a
steamboat-station between Tunis and Tripoli (comp. R. 64).

From Sfax to _Graïba_ (39½ M.; railway in ca. 2 hrs.; fares 7 fr. 5, 5 fr. 35, 3 fr. 80 c.), see p. 383.

The ROAD leads to the S. from Graïba to (5½ M.) _Archichina_, a caravanserai on the W. side of the _Sour Kenis Bay_, where we join the main road from Sfax. It then traverses a desolate sandy waste on the W. side of the _Gulf of Gabes_ (p. 405), inland from the little seaport _Skira_ (for the alfa trade).

On the (28 M.) _Oued Akarit_ we enter the province of _Arad_. Between _Jebel Roumana_ (564 ft.) and _Jebel Dissa_ (p. 388), offshoots of the hills around the shott region, extends the flat _Isthmus of Gabes_, 12½ M. broad, bridging the space between the bay and the _Chott el-Fedjedj_ (76 ft. above sea-level), the E. continuation of the Chott Djérid (p. 386). In 1873 Ferd. de Lesseps (p. 437) suggested that, by cutting a canal through the isthmus, the whole of the shotts, as far as the Chott Melrir (p. 284), might be converted into a great inland sea; but several of them lie much above the sea-level.

34 M. _Domaine de Oued-Melah_, an olive and palm oasis (10,000 palms), on a brook generally dry, is partly watered by the oldest artesian wells in Tunisia (1885).

To the right, a little off the road to Gafsa (p. 383), lie the palm-oases of _Oudref_ and _El-Methouia_, and to the left _Ghennouch_. Near the (49½ M.) poor oasis of _Bou-Chemma_ we join the road from Kebilli (p. 388).

Our road leads through the palm-oasis of Gabes (p. 390) and past _Djara_ (p. 390) to (52 M.) _Gabès-Port_.

* * * * *

=Gabes.=—ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. R. 64). The steamers anchor in the open
roads (at low-tide over ½ M. from the fishing-boat harbour). Landing
or embarking, especially in summer, in N.E. or E. wind, is often
impossible.

HOTELS (comp. p. 324; sometimes crowded with motorists in spring).
_Grand-Hôtel_, _Hôt. des Voyageurs_, both at Gabès-Port, ½ M. from the
pier.

CAB from the pier to Gabès-Port 40 c. (for several pers. 20 c. each);
one hour 1½ fr., each addit. ¼ hr. 25 c.; day of 10 hrs. 10–12 fr.;
carr. and four horses, for long excursions, 20 fr. a day.

BRITISH CONSULAR AGENT, _C. Calleja_.

_Gabes_ or _Gabès_ (Europ. pop. 900, mostly Italians and Maltese; total, incl. oasis, 10,200), the ancient _Tacape_, the chief harbour on the stretch of coast called _Emporia_ by the Greeks and a rival of Leptis Magna and Tripoli (comp. p. 407), is now the capital of the _Arad_ and headquarters for the S. Territories, which are still under military rule. It is the only harbour of importance on the S. coast of the _Gulf of Gabes_ (p. 405). The chief exports are the sponges of the bay, alfa or esparto grass, dates, and woollen goods. In the war annals of 1881 the bombardment of Gabes from Menzel (see below) and the protracted resistance of the inland tribes are memorable. It was here that Gen. Logerot intercepted the tribes of the E. coast who tried to pass through the Arad to Tripolitania.

The small _Harbour_, for fishing-boats only, at the mouth of the _Oued Gabes_, protected by two stone piers, is exposed to every wind and choked with sand.

To the N.W. of the estuary, on the border of the oasis, which is here protected from sand-drift by palisades, rise low dunes; to the S.E., near the lighthouse, is an admirable bathing-beach.

The modern GABÈS-PORT, adjoining the _Camp Militaire_, contains no attraction except the garden of the _Cercle Militaire_. It is garrisoned with 160 native horsemen (Spahis or Cavaliers du Maghzen), who guard the Tripolitanian frontier of the S. Territories. The tradespeople are mostly Jews.

Beyond Gabès-Port, also on the barren right bank of the river, lie the large Berber villages, partly built of Roman materials, of DJARA (_Grand-Djara_; pop. 3500) and MENZEL (pop. 4500, incl. about 1000 Jews). The market-place of Djara, a square enclosed by primitive arcades with shops, is frequented chiefly by the S. Algerian caravans.

Almost the only sight of Gabes is the beautiful, but in summer malarious *=Oasis=, once somewhat over-praised by Pliny, which extends 3¾ M. up the left bank of the river and is 1–1¼ M. in breadth. Among the remarkably tall and well-grown date-palms (about 200,000) are many bananas and other fruit-trees. The river and the small channels, often enlivened by women washing or carrying water, are crossed by numerous bridges of palm-logs. A walk or ride to the most interesting spots takes 3–4 hrs. (mule 2–3 fr.). From Menzel we go upstream to the _Barrage du Sidi el-Bey_ (1894), and past the remains of a Roman _Dam_, built of huge blocks, to the _Râs el-Oued_ (213 ft.), a hill at the W. end of the oasis often covered with clouds of dust, where the principal feeders of the river, 30 in all, form a number of waterfalls. Turning here, we follow the largest irrigation-conduit to the village of _Chenini_ (pop. 1000) and cross the Sfax road (p. 382) to the N.W. half of the oasis, where many of the palms are overgrown with vines.

The *=Monts des Ksour= (p. 320), bordering the Sahara on the S. side
of the Arad, are well worth visiting from Gabes or from Médenine (p.
391; carr. tariff, see p. 389; an ample supply of food and rugs
advisable; comp. also p. 278). These barren hills culminate in _Kef
Toudjane_ (p. 391), which is almost everywhere conspicuous from the
coast, and _Jebel Smerten_ (each about 2100 ft.), and in _Kef Demeur_
or _Jebel Demmer_ (2460 ft.). The inhabitants, the _Troglodytes_ of
antiquity (see p. 320), are, in the N.W. part, the _Matmatas_, on the
plateau of that name, and, in the S., members of the _Ouerghamma
League_, Berber tribes which for centuries withstood the attacks of
the Arabs and the predatory Sahara nomads. They still often live in
caverns, with a court resembling a shaft as the centre of their
dwelling, and cavities used as side-rooms or offices. The gardens,
laboriously irrigated by dams and cisterns, yield olives, dates, and
figs; in the valleys grain, chiefly barley, and vegetables are
cultivated. The Matmatas often go to Tunis as porters or artisans but
always return home in their old age.

A glimpse of this region is obtained by driving from Gabes to (28 M.)
_Matmata-Kebira_ or _Kalaâ-Matmata_ (1838 ft.; p. 388; quarters at the
Kaïd’s), on the Matmata plateau, whence an excursion (on mule-back)
should, if possible, be taken to the picturesque rock-village of
_Hadege_. A new but very hilly road leads from Matmata-Kebira through
the mountains viâ (12½ M.) _Toudjane_ (919 ft.), a village grandly
situated on the slopes of _Kef Toudjane_ (2090 ft.), direct to (37½
M.) _Métameur_ (see below).

* * * * *

The MÉDENINE ROAD (diligence, see p. 388) now leads to the S.E. through a steppe-like hill-country, fringing the Monts des Ksour (p. 390) and intersected by many valleys, passing the small oases of _Menara_ (200 ft.) and (55 M.) _Teboulbou_ (artesian wells; much olive-culture). Next come the valleys of the _Oued Merzig_ and _Oued Ferd_, with the small oasis of (56 M.) _Ketena_.

74 M. _Mareth_ (Bordj), a large palm-oasis on the _Oued Mareth_. We then cross the _Oued Zigraou_ to (77 M.) _Aram_. Beyond the spurs of _Jebel Touati_ and _Jebel Souinia_ rises the main range of the Monts des Ksour (p. 390).

Beyond the valleys of the _Oued Zeus_ and _Oued Hallouf_ the road rounds _Jebel Tadjera_ (968 ft.; Poste Optique). 97½ M. _Métameur_, formerly a ‘camp militaire’, on the brook of that name, below the small oasis and (½ hr.) Berber village of _Ksar Métameur_ (391 ft.), whose storehouses (rhorfas), with keel-arched vaulting, recall very ancient buildings in Asia Minor.

101 M. =Médenine= (361 ft.; Médenine Hôtel, R. 2½, B. ½, déj. 2½ fr., good; pop. 1000, incl. 100 Europeans), capital of the _Ouerghamma_ (see above), the league of the Berber tribes _Khezour_, _Touazine_, _Ouderna_, and _Accara_. The high-lying _Camp Militaire_, with its garrison of Spahis (p. 390) and Infanterie Légère d’Afrique (‘Joyeux’), is the largest on the Tripolitanian frontier.

The deserted and ruinous *_Ksar_, in a small palm-oasis, consists of a great number of the old storehouses of the League, some of them in four or five stories, now replaced by retbas or rabtas (p. 338). They are dug deeply in the hill-side, and are accessible only by stairs of mud or stepping-stones.

Travellers used to privations and content with such poor quarters as
the natives can offer may, after consulting the military authorities
at Médenine, visit the S. part of the _Monts des Ksour_ (p. 390). The
best centre there is (34 M.) =Tatahouine=, the seat of the military
and civil authorities, with an important market, well attended by
caravans on their way from the Sahara and the Sudan by way of Ghadâmes
in Tripolitania (p. 285). The chief villages of the cave-dwellers
(Ksûr) near this are _Tlalet_, formerly _Talalati_, a
frontier-fortress on the Limes Tripolitanus (p. 412), _Beni-Barca_,
*_Chenini_, and *_Douirat_ (2090 ft.).

The ZARZIS ROAD (37½ M.) descends to the E. from Médenine through the sandy coast-plain to (15½ M.) _Aïn-Mader_, near the saline marshes of that name on the S. bank of the Mer de Bou-Grara (see below), and then traverses the hill-region of the _Accara_ tribe (p. 391), between the sea and the large _Sebkha el-Melah_.

To the left, a little off the road, 4 M. from Zarzis, are the ruins of the little Roman town of _Zita_, now _Zian_, where the small forum is still enclosed with the remains of its colonnade.

37½ M. (or from Graïba 138½ M.) =Zarzis= (accommodation at the Bordj), on the site of the Roman seaport _Gergis_, amidst extensive olive-groves famed for their oil, has two artesian wells and a small harbour for fishing-boats. Important sponge-fishery.

A road (the chief route to the island of Djerba) leads to the N.W. from Zarzis across the _Péninsule de Zarzis_ or _des Accara_ to (14½ M., or, from Graïba, 153 M.) _Marsa el-Kantara_, a village near the _Râs Marmor_, on the S. side of the E. entrance (1¼ M. wide) to the Mer de Bou-Grara (see below). The dilapidated Roman dam which crosses the strait here to El-Kantara is still used by camel-caravans at low tide (6½ ft. below high-water), but it is better to cross by fishing-boat. From El-Kantara to _Houmt-Souk_, see p. 394.

The DJORF BOU-GRARA ROUTE to Djerba is shorter (30 M.) and will repay antiquarians. The rough road (mule preferable to carr.) leads from Médenine to the N.E. viâ _Bir Saâdou_, and then past some small salt-marshes, to the _Mer de Bou-Grara_, a large landlocked bay between the mainland and the island of Djerba, accessible for large vessels by the _Canal d’Adjim_ only (not quite 1 M. across; see p. 393). This bay, in which fish abound, and Lake Bizerta (p. 352) are the best natural harbours in Tunisia.

17½ M. (or from Graïba 118½ M.) =Djorf Bou-Grara= (no inn) is near the site of *_Gightis_, a small Punic-Roman seaport, which attained great prosperity in the 2nd cent. A.D. The harbour, which was always shallow at low tide, is now entirely silted up. Excavations begun in 1896 have revealed the ruins of curiously cramped and irregular streets, with various public buildings, villas remarkable for their coloured incrustation and rich mosaics, and Byzantine houses built of Roman materials.

A broad street ascends from the harbour to the _Macellum_, with
fountain and exedra similar to those at Timgad (p. 295). The small
_Forum_, 60 by 44 yds., has on the E. side an archway, the _Curia_,
and the _Market Basilica_, with the tribunal, while the _Severus Arch_
on the N. side formed a lateral entrance. On the S. side rises the
_Capitol_ (see p. 288), in the style of the capitol or ‘Jupiter
temple’ at Pompeii.

_The Temple of Mercury_, to the S. of the forum, has columns in its
peribolos, or outer wall, with curious capitals adorned with cables,
in allusion to the occupation of the founder. The building is
curiously planned, having several small rooms or ‘sacristies’ behind
the cella; it is adjoined by a chapel of Mercury and one of Minerva.

A _Temple of Isis_ (_?_), a _Temple of Hygiea_, the _Thermae_, and a
late-Punic _Cemetery_ also have been unearthed.

If a fishing-boat is available at Djorf Bou-Grara we may sail direct to _Adjim_ (p. 394; 13½ M. in ca. 1½ hr.). If not, we must go 12½ M. farther to (30 M., or from Graïba, 131 M.) _Marsa el-Adjim_ at the _Râs el-Djorf_, the N. point of the peninsula, opposite Adjim (1⅓ M. distant; boat in ¼ hr.).

* * * * *

The =Island of Djerba= (highest point 118 ft.), 17½ by 14 M., is the largest on the N. African coast. From the lotus-tree (Zizyphus Lotus; Arabic nebga, Fr. jujubier), which thrives here, Homer called it the island of the _Lotophagi_. It was later named _Meninx_ and was the birthplace of the Roman emperors Vibius Gallus and Volusianus (251–3). It is now one of the most fertile and prosperous regions in Tunisia. Secure in their insularity against the attacks of the nomadic Arabs, the inhabitants (about 40,000), mostly Berbers of the Kharijite sect (p. 323), have retained their old language and customs. They vie in industry with their kinsmen the Mozabites (p. 216) and go forth as traders to all the seaports of the Orient. Agriculture also thrives. There are 1,300,000 date-palms, 500,000 olive-trees, and as many orange, lemon, and peach trees; early vegetables too are now largely grown. The sponge, polypus, and other fisheries and the oyster-beds in the Canal d’Adjim (p. 392) are very productive.

Djerba has four harbours, _Houmt-Souk_, _Adjim_, _El-Kantara_, and _Aghir_. The only towns are Houmt-Souk, _Hara-Kebîra_, and _Hara-Serîra_; the villages are merely local markets for their districts. The countless little mosques have white domes like most of the houses, but are distinguished by conspicuous slender minarets of the Turkish type, resembling lighthouses. The farm-houses (menzel) scattered throughout the island often have a castellated appearance. In the entire absence of brooks the soil is irrigated from cisterns and wells, among which are two very copious artesian wells. The winter climate (p. 321) is the mildest in Tunisia, but gales are frequent. For excursions there are few carriages available (20 fr. per day); the usual conveyance is an araba or country-cart; for a mule the charge is 4–5, for a donkey 3 fr. per day. The tourist should beware of the countless scorpions, especially in the warmer season.

=Houmt-Souk= (Hôt. de l’Oasis or Crolet; Hôt. de France; Brit. cons. agent; pop. 5900, incl. 560 Maltese, French, Italians, and Greeks), the capital of the island, lies on the sandy N. coast, ½ M. from the sea and 5 M. from the anchorage of the steamers (comp. p. 405). The dilapidated _Bordj el-Kebîr_ on the shore recalls the time of the Spanish domination. Near it is the _Christian Cemetery_, where repose the bones, collected in 1848, of the 18,000 Spaniards who were massacred here in 1560 after the naval victory of Dragut (p. 370) and Ochiali Pasha, and yielded trophies for the ghastly Bordj er-Rious (tower of skulls).

In the interesting _Souks_ (Mon. and Thurs.) are seen all the products of the island. Among the numerous religious buildings may be named the _Mosquée el-Gheriba_ and the _Mosquée des Turcs_.

A road leads to the S. from Houmt-Souk to the Jewish villages of (¾
M.) _Hara-Kebîra_ (pop. 3500) and (4½ M.) =Hara-Serîra= or
_Hara-Sghîra_ (pop. 1500), where numerous goldsmiths make silver-gilt
trinkets of antique and Byzantine patterns, with enamel and jewels
(mostly imitation). The _Gheriba_, the synagogue of Hara-Serîra,
where, according to an old tradition, one of the tables of the law of
Moses was once found, is a great resort of Jewish pilgrims from S.
Tunisia and Tripolitania, and is much revered by Moslems and Catholics
also.—From Hara-Serîra the road leads to the S. to (14½ M.)
=Guallala=, the centre of the pottery-manufacture carried on in Djerba
ever since ancient times (oil-jars, porous water-jugs, vases, etc.).
Near it is the hill of _Dahrat-Guallala_, which yields the clay.

A road leads to the S.E. from Houmt-Souk viâ _Hara-Kebîra_ (see above)
and (10⅓ M.) _Cedouikeche_ (potteries) to (15½ M.) =El-Kantara=, the
seaport for Zarzis (p. 392), not far from the extensive but
unimportant ruins of _Meninx_, the ancient capital of the
island.—Another road leads to the S.W. to (14 M.) =Adjim=, a rising
little seaport and market (Wed.), with an artesian well 760 ft. deep.
To _Djorf Bou-Grara_ (and _Gightis_), see p. 392.

Near the E. coast of the island, on the roads to the _Râs Taguermess_
(p. 406) and the small summer harbour of _Aghir_, lie the villages of
=Midoune= (Frid. market) and _Mahboubine_, with many villas of the
merchants of Houmt-Souk, situated amid palm and olive groves and
charming *Fruit Gardens, where the oranges and lemons blossom in
March. On the road to Midoune is the _Mausolée de Borgho_, the only
intact Roman monument in the island.