Chapter XII

AIN KHENCHLA — ACROSS THE PLAINS OF THE NEMEMCHA TO TEBESSA.

From Ain Meimoun to Ain Khenchla is 17½ miles, which occupied us five hours. We carefully avoided the carriage road, and took the more enjoyable one through the forests with which the hills are covered. Here and there we came to an open space generally full of Roman remains, but we saw none of especial interest.

About half way is an elevated plateau, called El-Kaläa, or _El-Geläa_ as it is more frequently pronounced, _the fortress_, from which there is a most commanding view of the extensive plain below, and the distant hills, as far as Constantine. In the foreground is one of the Sebkhas, bordered by a crystalline belt of salt and sand, contrasting strongly with the brilliant vegetation around.

Between four and five miles from Khenchla is the Oued el-Hamma, a beautiful stream, passing at the foot of Djebel Serdsum. A spring of almost boiling water issues from a mass of Roman masonry and flows into the main stream, producing at the junction a most agreeable temperature for hot baths: lower down are the ruins of piscinæ, and a few yards off traces of many Roman buildings of the usual solid construction, showing that this was a favourite watering-place of the inhabitants of Mascula. On nearing the modern village, the spring from which it derives its name is passed in a garden of fine old fig-trees. Near it an ancient reservoir was discovered, 82 feet long by 33 broad and 6 deep, which has been restored by the Engineer Department and now forms a handsome public fountain.

The identity of Ain Khenchla with the ancient Mascula admits of no doubt, its distance from known points would prove the fact, even had not an inscription been found recording that, about A.D. 370, Publius Cæcina Albinus rebuilt the town which before had been destroyed.

This interesting inscription has thus been restored:

Pro splendore felicium sæculorum dominorum nostrorum Valentiniani et Valentis semper Augustorum . . . atæ . . . ve . . . . omni Masculæ . . . . a fundamentis construxit (atque dedicavit) Publilius Caeionius Caecina Albinus vir clarissimus consularis sexfasculis provinciæ Numidiæ Constantinæ.[85]

Mascula is more famous in ecclesiastical than in profane history. Several of its inhabitants are celebrated in Roman Martyrology, especially Archinimus who was condemned to death by Genseric. Its Bishop Clarus attended the Council of Carthage in A.D. 255. Another, Donatus, yielded to the persecutions of Florus pro-consul of the district, and revealed the place where the holy books had been concealed. He was the first of the recreant bishops who was interrogated by Secundus Tigisitanus on the subject, before the Council of Cirta in 305. Another bishop, Januarius, was exiled by Huneric in 494, and a second of the same name assisted at the Council of Carthage in 525.

The value of Mascula as a strategic position, situated as it is in a wide and fertile plain just beyond the northern slopes of the Aures Mountains, has always been recognised. It is probably here that Solomon placed his camp during his second expedition, and there is reason to believe that it is the _Malich_, the scene of one of the battles of Sidi Okba.

After the first Arab invasion it was still inhabited. El-Adouani thus alludes to it: ‘At the foot of the Mountains of Amamra there are three cities, Baghai, Khenchla, and Guessas, inhabited by Christians, each one surrounded by vast gardens irrigated by the waters descending from Djebel Mahmel.’[86]

Khenchla has now been created a European centre of colonisation, chief place of a circle, with a Commandant Supérieur, Bureau Arabe and a small garrison. Colonists have been attracted to the spot not only by its fine climate, resembling very much that of Provence, but by concessions of from 60 to 100 acres of land given by the State. The great fertility of the soil, its proximity to vast forests and the mineral riches of its mountains, ought to secure the prosperity of this fine though distant settlement. To these advantages may be added its position midway between Batna and Tebessa, and in close proximity to the openings of the various valleys traversing the Aures. It was made the centre for supplying the armies of General Herbillon in 1847, and of General St. Arnaud in 1850, in their expedition against the Nememchas.

We had been overtaken by heavy rain soon after passing Oued el-Hamma, and on our arrival at Khenchla, whither our baggage had preceded us, we were dismayed to see the tents standing in a lake of mud and water. To sleep there was impossible. Fortunately we were once more in civilisation, and found an excellent auberge, in which we passed the night most comfortably. The station was in a great state of excitement, owing to a visit which was hourly expected from the Bishop of Constantine. The bad state of the roads had evidently detained him, and I believe it was dark before His Grandeur arrived. On the following morning the Commandant showed us all over the station and the various public buildings which he has constructed by means of the troops under his command.

He has had the good sense to build all the inscriptions and fragments of sculpture, which he has found, into the walls of the military _cercle_; the only way of preserving them on the spot, and preventing their being carried off by sacrilegious relic-hunters. He assisted us to procure fresh mules for our baggage and horses for our own use, and generally to arrange for our journey to Tebessa. Here we dismissed the Government mules we had brought from Batna and their attendant _tringlots_. We were quite sorry to part from the latter; they were the best natured and most helpful fellows possible, always ready to serve us in a thousand ways; never grumbling at any hardships or difficulties that they had to encounter.

Bruce’s route must have passed very close to this place; the only record, however, for our guidance is a memorandum:—

The 13th [December, 1765], encamped at four miles from Baggai, continued our course towards the S.E. of Aures.

The present road from Ain Khenchla to Ain Beida, on which there is a regular line of omnibuses, passes close to the ruins of Kasr Baghai, the ancient Bagaia; a city which had already attained considerable importance during the Imperial era, as is proved by numerous inscriptions. During the time of St. Augustine it was one of the African cities in which Christianity had attained the most progress. Several councils were held here; but religious dissensions soon began to produce their destructive effect; the Donatists burnt the Basilica and committed the sacred books to the flames.[87] Solomon was charged by Justinian to re-establish order in Africa. One of his captains, Gantharis, sent to operate in Mount Aures, established his camp at Bagaia; Procopius says that it was then in ruins. It is probable that the Byzantines then built or restored the immense fortification, the trace of which is still entire. It consists of an irregular quadrilateral figure, the sides varying in length from 770 to 1,227 feet, with round towers at three of the angles, and a square one at the fourth. The wall is further strengthened at irregular distances by square salient towers. On the N.W. side is a second enclosure or citadel; near the W. angle are the remains of a Mohammedan mosque, decorated with ancient columns still standing.

Instead of following the diligence route, we determined to continue our course straight to Tebessa, over the immense plains forming the summer pasture grounds of the great Berber tribe of Nememcha. The whole country is covered with Roman remains, showing that in former times the land was much more susceptible of cultivation than it is at present. This is attributable in a great measure to the total disappearance of the forests which once covered it. We were especially struck at the frequent occurrence of buildings used for the manufacture of olive oil, in districts where not a tree is to be seen for miles around. Vines were no doubt extensively cultivated, but we only saw one in all our journey, and that was an extremely old plant, which according to Arab tradition has existed since the Roman era.

At about seven miles from Khenchla is a beautiful clear spring, issuing from a Roman wall, and surrounded by ruins of important buildings; it is called Tazou-garet. At Ain Bedjen, fourteen miles further on, is another spring, and here we halted for the night (May 8). We congratulated ourselves on having exchanged our mules for horses; the former are invaluable in the mountains, but their pace is extremely fatiguing over a long plain, the tedium of which can only be alleviated by an occasional gallop.

On the 9th we breakfasted at Ain Kemellel, seven miles from our last halting-place; this is another clear stream flowing amongst Roman ruins; it is absolutely devoid of shade, but an Arab tent had been pitched for our accommodation, in which we rested an hour or two during the hottest part of the day.

It was late in the evening before we reached Oglet-ed-dib, about twenty miles from Ain Bedjen and ten west of Djebel Tasbent. The Smala of the Kaid of the district happened to be here; he himself was absent, but he was represented by his brother. This was the only occasion during our journey on which we met with an ungracious reception, but that even was only for a moment; the Kaid’s brother subsequently gave us the usual _dhiffa_, and himself accompanied us to Tebessa. Tasbent is a bold, flat-topped mountain, an excellent point to steer by in these interminable plains. Near its northern slope is a Roman mausoleum in a good state of preservation. It consists of two stories; the upper one was shut in by a wall in the direction of the north-west, from which bad weather usually comes, and open towards the east, with two free columns forming a niche for the reception of a statue. It was probably the tomb of a Romanised Numidian; it bears the following inscription:—

DIS

MANIBVS

AVMASGARIS . MAGARSAE FILIO

TASCVRI FLAVI FAVSII FILIA

CONI . . . . ET III COCCLIVS SIVIRVS

PIISSIMO PATRI VIX. ANNIS LXXX

H.S.E.

As usual with such tombs, it goes by the name of _Es-Souma_, the minaret. About a mile further on are the remains of a Roman post, supposed to be the ancient Tymphes. It is called by the Arabs Kasr el-Kasir, and a fragment of an inscription was found here bearing the legend

RESPVBL . T . . . .

Shortly after passing this the road enters very beautiful mountain scenery; the hills are clothed with oak and Aleppo pine, with here and there a wild almond tree. At the foot of the eastern slope is a spring, Ain el-Amba, which has been led into a drinking-fountain, and from this place, indeed from the crest of the hill above it, there is a good trace of a road commenced by the French but not finished, as far as Tebessa.

The distance from Ain Khenchla to Tebessa is 57 miles, which we did in three days. It is a most unsatisfactory journey to make, and I should recommend anyone following in our footsteps to go by diligence _viâ_ Ain Beida in preference.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 85: Marchand, _Ann. Soc. Arch. Const._ vol. x. p. 167; Ragot, _l.c._ vol. xvi. p. 207.]

[Footnote 86: See a translation of Kitab el-Adouani, by M. Ch. Feraud, in _Ann. Soc. Arch. Const._ vol. xii. p. 1.]

[Footnote 87: Morcelli, _Afr. Chris._ i. p. 91.]