33. From Oran to Algiers.
262½ M. Railway. Day-train, with 1st and 2nd cl. saloon carriages and ‘wagon-restaurant’ (déj. 4, D. 4½ fr.), in 11½ hrs. (fares 35 fr. 5, 26 fr. 5 c., 19 fr.); night-express in 9¾ hrs. (‘lit-salon’ 12 fr. more than 1st cl. fare; sleeping-carriage 12 fr. extra). Scenery as far as Affreville uninteresting. The best places for breaking the journey are Miliana, Hammam Rhira, and Blida. At Perrégaux this line is crossed by the line from Oran to Damesme and Beni-Ounif de Figuig (R. 32).
From Oran to (16 M.) Ste. Barbe-du-Tlélat, see pp. [185], 186. Our train now crosses the Tlélat (p. [186]) and the flat saddle between the Tell Atlas and (left) the chain of Jebel Djira (1083 ft.). On the S. slope of these hills lies the Forêt de Mouley-Ismael, an expanse of 11,000 acres of underwood, where Sultan Mulaï Ismail of Morocco (p. [96]) was signally defeated by the Bey of Mascara (p. [200]) in 1707.
32 M. St. Denis-du-Sig (177 ft.; Hôt. du Louvre; pop. 11,900) lies in the fruitful plain of the Sig (called Mekerra in its upper course, p. [186]). The environs are watered by the great Barrage du Sig. Cattle-market on Sundays (‘marché arabe’).—38 M. Bou-Henni (Habra; 66 ft.), at the foot of the Beni Chougrane Mts. (p. [200]), not far from the marshes of the Macta (p. [200]). Melons are much cultivated here.—The train crosses the Habra (p. [200]).
47½ M. Perrégaux (148 ft.; Hôt. des Colonies, Rue de Mostaganem, R. 2½, B. ½ fr., quite good; Hôt. des Voyageurs, near the station for Beni-Ounif; pop. 10,100, largely Spanish), is a pleasant town with a pretty Jardin Public and a detachment of the Foreign Legion (p. [186]). Wednesday market.
Railway to Oran viâ Damesme (Arzew), and to Beni-Ounif, see R. 32.
To the left stretches the Plaine de l’Habra (p. [200]); in the distance rise the hills near La Stidia (p. [200]) and Mostaganem (see below). Beyond (55½ M.) Nouvion-Oued-Malah (420 ft.) the train crosses the hill-region between the main chain of the Tell Atlas and Jebel Bel-Hacel (see below), and at (65½ M.) L’Hillil (410 ft.) enters the Plaine de la Mina, adjoining the plain of the Chélif (p. [208]), one of the hottest regions of Algeria in summer.
A Road (12½ M.; omn. in winter at 1.30, in summer at 8.30) leads to the S. from L’Hillil to the interesting and purely Mohammedan hill-town of Kalàa (pop. 4800; Sat. market), once famous for its carpet industry.
We cross the Mina, 2½ M. below the Barrage de la Mina, which waters some 25,000 acres of land.
77½ M. Relizane (289 ft.; Rail. Restaur.; Hôt. de la Paix; Hôt. de Paris, R. 2, B. ½, déj. 2, D. 2½, pens. 7 fr.; pop. 9000, half Mohammedan) is a small town amidst rich orchards. Our line is crossed here by the Mostaganem and Tiaret line.
From Relizane to Mostaganem, 47½ M., railway in 2¾–3 hrs. (fare 6 fr. 10 or 4 fr. 55 c.). The train crosses the Mina before (7½ M.) Bel-Hacel, and then in a long bend to the N.E. skirts Jebel Bel-Hacel (1694 ft.). It next turns sharply to the S.W. to (18 M.) Mekalia, crosses the hills of the Forêt de Laktoube (1552 ft.), affording fine views of the Chélif valley and of the Dahra range (p. [208]), and then descends to (27½ M.) Oued-el-Kheir. From (34½ M.) Aïn-Tédelès (657 ft.; Hôt. Bellocq; pop. 2900, chiefly Mohammedan), surrounded with olive-groves and orchards, a road leads to (4½ M.) Pont du Chélif (66 ft.) which, situated near the ancient Roman town of Quiza, is named from the bridge built by Spanish prisoners from Mazagran (see below) and rebuilt in 1850. Beyond (45 M.) Pélissier we pass through the charming Vallée des Jardins.
47½ M. Mostaganem (341 ft.; Grand-Hôtel, near the Place de la République; Hôt. du Louvre; Hôt. de la Gare; pop. 22,000, incl. 10,900 Mohammedans and 1100 Jews), a seaport on the E. shore of the Bay of Arzew (p. [199]), situated on an old coast-terrace rising abruptly from the sea (perhaps the site of the Roman Murustuga), owes its foundation, under the name of Bordj el-Mehal, to the Almoravide Yûsuf ibn Têshufîn (p. [95]). It is the oldest garrison of the Tirailleurs Indigènes, a native regiment formed in 1847, and well known as Turcos in the Franco-German war (1870–1). The main quarter of the town, with the station, the fine Jardin Public, the Place de la République, a fine point of view, the Market, and the Chief Mosque, founded by the Merinide Abû’l-Hasen Ali (p. [188]) in 1342, lies on the left bank of the Aïn-Sefra, fully ½ M. above the harbour quarter. On the lofty right bank of the ravine are a second European quarter and (outside the Porte des Medjes) the interesting Mohammedan suburb of Tidjit. The Harbour, now choked with sand and inadequately protected from N. and N.W. winds by two piers, lies between two small tongues of land, La Salamandre on the S.W., and Karouba (266 ft.), with its sacred grove, on the N.E.—The railway from Mostaganem to La Stidia and La Macta (p. [200]) passes (2 M.) Mazagran (459 ft.; Hôt. Pujol), old-Berber Tamazaran, where the Spaniards sustained a severe defeat in 1558, and where a small French force in 1840 repelled the attacks of 15,000 adherents of Abd el-Kâder (p. [221]; monument).
From Relizane to Tiaret, 75 M., railway in 4¾ hrs. (fare 9 fr. 65 or 7 fr. 25 c.). Scenery unattractive. Beyond (5½ M.) Oued-Khelloug the train follows the course of the Mina (p. [207]), which separates the Beni Chougrane (p. [200]) from the Ouarsenis Mts. (p. [209]). 12 M. Sidi-Mohammed-Benaouda (417 ft.), noted for the strange cult of the local saint of that name, in whose zaouïa sacred lions were once kept; the loftily situated kubba, a great resort of pilgrims, is guarded by negroes who are said to be descendants of a servant of the saint (popular festivals in Aug. and Oct.).—27 M. Uzès-le-Duc or Fortassa (840 ft.).—54 M. Méchéra-Sfa-Prévost-Paradol. Near Méchéra-Sfa, on the Mina, are two cemeteries, with several dolmens, of the 4th cent., the sole relics of an ancient Berber town.—69 M. Takdempt, with a ruined arsenal of Abd el-Kâder.
75 M. Tiaret (3577 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient or Lecat; Hôt. des Colonies, R. 1½–3, déj. or D. 1½–3, pens. 4–6 fr.; pop. 7200; Mon. market) lies on a mountain-pass not far from the fertile Plateaux du Sersou, on the S. margin of the Tell Atlas, a cold but healthy site, once occupied by Tingartia, the capital of W. Algeria in the Byzantine period. New Tiaret, the capital of the Kharijite sect of the Ibadites (p. [323]), probably lay below the present town, in the direction of Takdempt.—About halfway on the road from Tiaret to (35 M.) Frenda, among the hills to the S. of Tiaret, are the *Djedar, step-pyramids in the style of the ‘Tombeau de la Chrétienne’ (p. [238]), but on square foundations, tombs apparently of forgotten Christian Berber princes of the 6–7th cent., composed partly of materials from 5th cent. buildings. Three of these, all in a very ruinous condition, are on Jebel Hadjar; ten, including the largest (52 by 49 yds.), lie on the Colline de Ternaten, 3¾ M. farther to the S.
The Algiers Railway, running to the N.E., at some distance from the Sebkha de Relizane or de Sidi Bou Chiane, enters the desolate lower plain of the Chélif (p. [215]), the ancient Chylimath (Arabic Kelmitu). 98 M. St. Aimé or Djidiouïa (243 ft.), with a petroleum-refinery for the oil-springs of Aïn-Zeft (Taghia), lies on the Dahra, the coast-hills to the N. of the Chélif. The train crosses the Oued Djidiouïa.
104 M. Inkermann or Oued-Riou (263 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs; Hôt. d’Inkermann; pop. 5200, of whom 4200 are Mohammedans), with large quarries and a Wednesday market.
The little Berber town of Mazouna, 18 M. to the N. of Inkermann, on a branch of the road to Renault, superbly situated, the capital of the W. Algerian beylic before Mascara (p. [200]), is one of the quaintest places in the Algerian Tell Atlas. Home industries (burnouses, haiks, etc.) are much in vogue. Interesting Thursday market.
The train crosses the Oued Riou. 110½ M. Le Merdja, the last station in the province of Oran.
117½ M. Charon or Bou-Kader, a little town of 5200 inhab., almost all Mohammedans, lies in the province of Algiers (Thurs. market). On a low hill, 2 M. to the N., are Roman ruins, called El-Aouna by the natives. At Touchaïd, 3 M. to the S.W., is a cavern in the rock, 330 ft. long, consisting of a number of low passages, and containing huge layers of bats’ guano. The Trou du Diable, 4 M. to the S. of Charon, is another object of interest.
We cross the Oued Sly, with its barrage, to (122 M.) Malakoff or Oued-Sly, and then pass through a wood of Aleppo pines and carob-trees.
131½ M. Orléansville (410 ft.; Hôt. du Palais, pens. 5 fr.; Hôt. des Voyageurs; pop. 4900, of whom 2300 are Mohammedans), founded in 1843 on the site of the Roman Castellum Tingitanum, is a smiling oasis, irrigated by a conduit from the Chélif, but one of the hottest places in Algeria (maximum 125½° Fahr.). The chief sight is the early-Christian Basilica in the Place de la Mosaique, discovered in 1843, and recently further excavated. It was built in 324, and is the oldest Christian church in Algeria. The foundation walls are alone preserved. It consisted of a nave and double aisles, without a transept, with two entrances from the outer aisles and a rounded W. apse, to which was added in 475 a second choir-recess at the E. end, containing the tomb of Bishop Reparatus. Considerable fragments of the mosaic pavement also have been preserved. The town has also a Mosque (1894) and a Carpet Making School. The Saturday market is important. From the N. ramparts we have a fine view of the Chélif ravine and the Dahra Mts.
A Road (railway in course of construction) leads from Orléansville to Ténès (33 M.; diligence in 6 hrs., at 2, from Ténès at 6 p.m.). It crosses the Chélif and beyond the suburb of La Ferme, hidden among trees, leads through a eucalyptus avenue, and then to the N.W. across a plain to (8½ M.) Warnier (394 ft.), at the mouth of the Oued Ouahran Valley. Then to the N., through the Dahra Mts., inhabited almost solely by Berbers, to (17 M.) Les Trois-Palmiers (525 ft.), with its gypsum quarries, and across the (19½ M.) Col de Kirba (1476 ft.) to the valley of the Oued Allala and (30 M.) Montenotte, with its orchards and iron-mines. 32½ M. Vieux-Ténès, picturesquely situated above the gorge of the Allala, said to have been founded by S. Spanish Moors in 875, was notorious as a den of pirates in the Turkish period. 33 M. Ténès (164 ft.; Hôt. des Arts; Hôt. de l’Univers, etc.; pop. 5000, Berbers 3300), founded in 1843, is perched like Mostaganem on the edge of a plateau rising above its little frequented harbour, which is fairly sheltered on the E. only by the huge rocky Cape Ténès (2093 ft.; lighthouse visible for 40 M.). Of Cartenna, the earliest settlement here, originally founded by Phœnicians, a few Roman cisterns only have been preserved. At the W. end of Ténès there are also some rock-tombs belonging to an early-Christian cemetery.
A second Road (36 M.; ‘courrier’ on Mon., Wed., and Frid. at 6 a.m., in 8 hrs.) leads from Orléansville to the S.E., through the Ouarsenis Mts., viâ (33 M.) Boucaïd, with the zinc and galena mines of the Belgian Vieille-Montagne Co., to (36 M.) Beni-Hindel (3825 ft.) at the S. base of the triple-peaked Ouarsenis (6512 ft.). To Teniet el-Haâd, see p. [211], 210.
Leaving Orléansville, the train runs to the N.E., near the Chélif, to (135 M.) Pontéba. Fine view, to the left, of the hill-region on the E. margin of the lower plain of the Chélif. 140 M. Le Barrage, near the largest reservoir of the Chélif. The train sweeps round to the S., away from the river, and traverses a fertile and well shaded plain to (146 M.) Oued-Fodda (522 ft.), a small town of 5300 inhab., near the left bank of the Oued Fodda, through whose valley peeps the three-peaked Ouarsenis (see above).
In the Plaine des Attafs, as the very monotonous central plain of the Chélif is called, we next come to (148 M.) Temoulga-Vauban, at the foot of the bare Jebel Temoulga (1749 ft.; with iron-mines), to (162 M.) Oued-Rouïna, and (166 M.) Kherba, the station for a village 3 M. to the N., on the margin of the Dahra Mts.—To the right, in the foreground, rises the range of Jebel Doui (3409 ft.), whose spurs bound the central Chélif plain. To the left, for a short time, we have a *View of Jebel Bou Maad (4643 ft.), generally snow-clad in winter, and of Jebel Zaccar Gharbi (p. [212]). 171 M. Duperré (820 ft.), at the foot of Jebel Doui, near the ancient Roman Oppidum Novum.
The train crosses the Chélif above the influx of the Oued Ebda. To the left, in the river-bed, is the pier of a bridge on the old Roman military road. We now pass through a defile between barren hills; to the right we have a glimpse of the broad upper plain of the Chélif. 178½ M. Littré or Les Arib (853 ft.), in the Plaine des Aribs, at the foot of the Dahra. 184 M. Lavarande (945 ft.), on the spurs of the Zaccar range.
186½ M. Affreville (1020 ft.; Rail. Restaurant, with rooms, good; Hôt. de l’Univers, in the village, next to the diligence-office, R. 2, B. ½, D. 2 fr.; Hôt. du Haut-Chélif; Hôt. de Vaucluse, near the station, well spoken of; pop. 2000), at the foot of Jebel Zaccar Gharbi, is one of the stations (Miliana-Margueritte being the other, see p. [211]) for Miliana (6¼ M.; diligence 3 times daily, 1 fr.; carr. 10–12 fr.), and the starting-point for Teniet el-Haâd.
The Excursion to the Cedar Forest of Teniet el-Haâd takes a day-and-a-half (motor-omnibus, 5 or 6 fr., in ca. 3 hrs.; diligence, leaving at 11 a.m., returning at 9.40 a.m., in 8 hrs.; carriage 50 fr. or more, hardly recommended). To the E. of Affreville, beyond the market (Thurs.) and the Oued Souffay, our rather featureless road diverges to the S. from the Dolfusville road; it leads among eucalyptus trees to the (2¾ M.) Chélif, and then, beyond (7½ M.) Le Puits (971 ft.), ascends by the Oued Massin through an almost uninhabited part of the Tell Atlas, between hills thinly clad with pines. 10½ M. Pont-du-Caïd (1329 ft.); 16½ M. Caravansérail de l’Oued-Massin; 22 M. Marbot (2287 ft.). Beyond the 39th kilomètre-stone (24½ M.) we observe on the right the curiously shaped sandstone rock of Jebel Hadjra Touïla. We then cross a pass (2920 ft.), whence We have a pleasing view of the valley of the Massin behind us, to (27½ M.) Dutertre on the Oued Rouïna.
36 M. Teniet el-Haâd (3806 ft.; Hôt. du Commerce, R. 2, déj. 2, D. 2½ fr., tolerable; Hôt. de la Colonie, humble; pop. 2100), the starting-point of caravan-routes to Tiaret (p. [208]) and to Chellala and Laghouat (p. [215]), situated on one of the most important passes of the Tell Atlas, owes its name (‘Sunday Pass’) to its Sunday market, attended chiefly by the inhabitants of the Plateaux du Sersou (p. [208]). On the E. side of the little town lies the poor ‘Village-Nègre’ (comp. p. [181]).
The *Cedar Forest of Teniet el-Haâd, on the slopes of Jebel el-Meddad (5863 ft.; ‘cedar-mountain’), to the W. of the town, is still the finest in Algeria, although largely cut down of late and bereft of its primæval character. The Atlas cedar (Cedrus Atlantica Manetti), with its silvery and very short needles, and of gnarled and often fan-like growth, is smaller and less showy than the Himalaya cedar (Cedrus Deodora Roxburg) and the cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libani), but in a few cases attains a circumference of 30 ft. The cedars are mingled, particularly in the lower parts of the forest, with evergreen or holm oaks and cork-trees (Quercus ilex, cenis, and suber). The excursion to the forest, as far as the Rond-Point and back, takes 4½–5 hrs., or including Kef Siga 6–7 hrs. (Mule, obtained from the natives, or horse, from the Bureau des Messageries, 5 fr.; carr. from the latter, 20–25 fr., hardly advisable as the road is bad.) The road to the (8¾ M.) Rond-Point leaves the highroad to the S. of the town, but riders and walkers take a short-cut from the W. side of the town, thus saving about 1¼ M. In about 40 min. we come to the Parapluie, on the right side of the carriage-road, an umbrella-shaped cedar on a rocky height on the N. slope of the Kef Sachi (5134 ft.), and in 25 min. more to the forester’s hut (gourbi forestier) of Pré-Maigrat. The finest parts of the forest are near the forester’s house at the Rond-Point des Cèdres (4889 ft.; rfmts. if required), on the N. margin of the Jebel el-Meddad, where the Sultane, one of the grandest of the cedars is pointed out. From the Rond-Point a steep zigzag path ascends to a saddle with a pasture in a clearing (on the right), where we dismount, and whence we climb over the rocks to the top of the Kef Siga (5624 ft.), the N.W. peak of the ‘cedar-mountain’. The *View embraces the whole of the Ouarsenis group (p. [209]); to the E. rise the mountains of Boghar; to the N. the Zaccar range with Miliana. To the S. we survey the Hauts-Plateaux, with the bare hills of Chellala, as far as the distant Jebel Amour (p. [170]) in the Sahara Atlas.
From the Rond-Point we may ride on to the W. to (5–6 hrs.) Beni-Hindel (p. [209]).
The train crosses the Oued Boutan. It then runs to the N.E., soon with a retrospect of the Ouarsenis Mts., and ascends the luxuriantly fertile valley of the Oued Souffay, between the Zaccar range and Jebel Gontas (2858 ft.), to (193½ M.) Miliana-Margueritte or Adélia (about 1700 ft.), the station for Miliana, 5½ M. to the W. (reached by steam-tramway, in connection with the trains, in ¾ hr.), and for Margueritte (p. [212]; diligence).
Miliana.—Hotels. *Hôtel du Commerce & d’Isly, Rue de Constantine, near Place Carnot; Hôt. Valentin, Place Carnot, next the diligence-office, with dépendance (Hôt. d’Europe) in Rue Fontenoy, R. 2 fr., B. 40 c., déj. or D. 2, pens. 6 fr., unpretending, attentive landlord.—Diligence to Affreville (in the morning in connection with the motor-omnibus to Teniet el-Haâd), see p. [210].
Miliana (2428 ft.; pop. 8400, incl. 5300 Mohammedans), which is said to have been founded by Bologgîn ez-Ziri (comp. p. [221]) on the site of the Roman Zucchabar, lies most romantically on a terrace on the S. slope of Jebel Zaccar Gharbi, amidst luxuriant gardens, and is particularly charming in April when the fruit-trees are in blossom.
The chief gate, the N. gate of the modern town-walls, is the Porte du Zaccar, near the tramway-terminus, a few paces from the small public Jardin Magenta.
Passing the covered Marché Arabe the Rue St. Paul, a beautiful avenue of planes, leads in 3 min. to the Place Carnot, in the centre of which rises an ivy-clad Minaret (now a clock-tower), a relic of the chief mosque, which was destroyed during the war with Abd el-Kâder (p. [221]).
Near the S.W. angle of the Place Carnot passes the Rue St. Jean, also planted with plane-trees, leading to the S. to the Esplanade de la Casbah (nicknamed Pointe aux Blagueurs), which affords a delightful view of the Chélif plain and the Ouarsenis Mts. The orchards around and the cascades of the Oued Boutan (see above) are better seen from the rampart promenade on the E. side of the town.
The *Jebel Zaccar Gharbi (5181 ft.; ‘Western Zaccar’) is ascended by a good mule-path in 2½–3 hrs. (mule 4–5 fr.). The view of the wooded Dahra Mts., of the Chenoua (p. [242]), of part of the Mitidja, and of the S. Tell Atlas, is one of the finest in Algeria.
A delightful *Excursion, by carriage or on foot, especially in spring, may be taken to (6¼ M.) Margueritte, the road to it being part of that from Affreville to Blida and Algiers (comp. p. [214]). The road branches to the left, a few minutes to the N.E. of the Porte du Zaccar, from the Adélia road, and soon passes close below the iron and copper mines of the Société des Mines du Zaccar, which are connected by a line of rails with the road tramway. Farther on, ascending gradually through orchards, a perfect sea of blossom in spring, we reach the gorge of the Oued Righas or Rirhas, between Jebel Zaccar Gharbi and Jebel Zaccar Chergui (5027 ft.; ‘Eastern Zaccar’), which also is famed for its view.
Margueritte (2395 ft.; Hôt. du Zaccar, poor) lies picturesquely on the S.E. slope of the hill, 3 M. above the rail. station of Miliana-Margueritte (p. [211]), with a fine view of the valley of the Oued Souffay, and yields one of the best red wines in Algeria.—Farther on the road skirts the E. slope of the Zaccar Chergui, rounds the gorge of the Oued Tizi-Ouchir, and then descends in windings across the Col des Oliviers (1834 ft.; beyond this a rough road to the left diverges to Hammam-Rhira, see below), aside from the village of Vesoul-Benian (1653 ft.; 4½ M. to the N. of the rail. station, see below), to (9 M.) the Pont de l’Oued el-Hammam (see below).
Just beyond Miliana-Margueritte the Railway passes through a tunnel (2525 yds.) into the bleak valley of the Oued Zeboudj. 200½ M. Vesoul-Benian, station for the village (see above).
205 M. Bou-Medfa (797 ft.), about 1 M. to the W. of the village of that name, is the station for the baths of Hammam Rhira. (Hotel-omnibus meeting every train, up in 1, down in ¾ hr.; trunk ½–1½ fr.)
The road ascends to the W. from the station in the valley of the Oued el-Hammam, which at Bou-Medfa joins the Oued Zeboudj to form the Oued Djer (p. [213]). 2 M. Pont de l’Oued el-Hammam (883 ft.), at the junction of our road with that leading from Affreville and Miliana to Bourkika (p. [243]), Blida, and Algiers. We follow the latter into the side-valley of the Oued Djir, whence we ascend to the S.W. in windings to the (7 M.) village of Hammam Rhira (1542 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient, poor).
7½ M. Hammam Rhira (1706 ft.; *Grand-Hôt. des Bains, of the first class, with beautiful grounds shaded with palms, and baths including two hot swimming-baths, R. 4–8, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 5, pens. 10–18 fr., open 15th Dec.–15th May only; Hôt. Bellevue, dépendance of the former and below it, also with baths, plainer, pens. 7–9 fr., open May-Dec.), the Aquae Calidae of antiquity, Arabic Hammâm Sidi-Slîmân (Solomon’s Bath), is the most fashionable watering-place in Algeria. It lies on a barren terrace descending abruptly to the S.E. to the Oued el-Hammam, affording a fine view of Jebel Zaccar Chergui to the W., and of Jebel Gontas (p. [211]), Jebel Louhe (4751 ft.), and Jebel Mouzaïa (p. [213]) to the S. The hot springs (113–166° Fahr.), which are strongly impregnated with carbonate and hydrated sulphate of lime, are used as a cure for rheumatism, gout, etc., while the water of a cold chalybeate spring is drunk by anæmic and dyspeptic patients. The chief season for foreign visitors is from the middle of Feb. to the middle of April; in summer the military hospital, which contains three restored ancient piscinæ, and the Mohammedan and Jewish baths below the Hôt. Bellevue are much frequented by Algerians. The Allée des Ruines in the public grounds contains a few relics from the ancient Aquæ Calidæ. We may walk thence to the W., between vineyards which yield excellent red wine, in ¼ hr. to the Forêt de Chaïba, a pine-forest of 2000 acres, in which the ‘petit tour’ of 2½ or the ‘grand tour’ of 5 M. may be taken. The Samsam (2800 ft.) commands a fine view of the Mitidja and the Sahel (p. [221]). Pleasant drives (carr. 15–40 fr. per day; driver and horses to be fed by the hirer) viâ (12½ M.) Margueritte to (18½ M.) Miliana (comp. p. [212]); viâ Bourkika and Marengo to (23 M.) Tipaza or to Cherchell (see pp. [243], 244).
From Bou-Medfa the train descends to the N.E., skirting the Oued Djer, and through a defile, overgrown with underwood, at the foot of the Nador des Soumata (2507 ft.), to (214 M.) Oued-Djer, and then to the E. into the broad plain of the Mitidja (p. [221]). To the left in the distance rises the Chenoua (p. [242]), and on the Sahel range (p. [221]) may be seen the ‘Tombeau de la Chrétienne’ (p. [238]).
219½ M. El-Affroun, a village on the Affreville and Algiers road, is like Castiglione (p. [238]) a starting-point for Tipaza and Cherchell (steam-tramway, see p. [243]). To the right rise the hills of Blida, with the deep incision of the Chiffa ravine (p. [215]).
222½ M. Mouzaïaville (368 ft.; pop. 5000) lies near the spurs of the wooded Jebel Mouzaïa, inhabited by the Berber tribe of that name. 225½ M. Chiffa (364 ft.), near the left bank of the Chiffa (see p. [238]), and nearly 4 M. from the entrance to the ravine (by the Rocher Blanc, p. [215]).—We cross the stony bed of the Chiffa, opposite the influx of the Oued el-Kébir (see below), and then ascend through fields, vineyards, and cactus-hedges to—
230 M. Blida.—The Station (689 ft.) lies about ¾ M. below the town, to the N.W., 18–20 min. from the chief hotels. Omnibus to the Place d’Armes, with luggage, 10 (at night 20) c.; cab 50 c.
Hotels. Hôt. d’Orient (Pl. a; C, 3), Rue d’Alger and Place d’Armes, R. 3–5, B. 1–12, déj. 3½, D. 4, pens. 12, omn. ½ fr. good; Hôt. Géronde (Pl. b; B, 2), Rue Lamy, plainer; Hôt. de la Mitidja (Pl. c; B, 2), Rue Flatters, corner of Rue Pélissier, R. 2, déj. or D. 2 fr., plain but good; Hôt. de la Gare, near the station, déj. 1½, D. 2 fr., humble.—Café d’Orient, in the hotel, and Brasserie Lyonnaise, both in the Place d’Armes.
Post & Telegraph Office (Pl. 5; C, 3), Place d’Armes.
Cabs (stand in the Rue de l’Hôpital, behind the Place d’Armes). In town ½, to Sid-el-Kébir 3–5, Chiffa Ravine 8–12 fr. (according to bargain).
Sights. Forenoon, Jardin Bizot, Bois Sacré, cemetery of Sid-el-Kébir, and Stud Farm (‘la Remonte’); afternoon, trip to the Chiffa Ravine, either from Sidi-Madani or Camp-des-Chênes (p. [215]). If desired Algiers may be reached by train the same evening. The attractive mountain tours (Les Glacières, etc.) are feasible in summer only.
Blida (886 ft.; pop. 18,400, incl. 10,700 Mohammedans), one of the pleasantest provincial towns in Algeria, with a strong garrison, is charmingly situated at the N. base of the Tell Atlas, on the right bank of the Oued el-Kébir. To this so-called ‘great river’, as well as to the considerable rainfall in winter, the town is indebted for the splendid timber in its public grounds and the luxuriant vegetation of its orchards, notably the orange-groves between the N. suburbs of Joinville and Montpensier. The town is said to have been founded by Andalusian Moors in 1535; in 1825 it was destroyed by an earthquake; it has been rebuilt since 1838, but in 1867 was again much damaged by an earthquake.
From the station we proceed viâ the Avenue de la Gare to the Bab el-Sebt (Pl. A, B, 2), 5 min. to the N.E. of the Bois Sacré (see below), and within the town-walls we follow the Rue Lamy, called also Boulevard Trumelet, to the—
Place d’Armes (Pl. C, 3), which, with the adjoining Rue d’Alger (Pl. C, 3, 2), is the centre of traffic. This pleasant square is planted with plane-trees and has a fountain in the centre shaded by a great date-palm (a band plays here in winter). Adjacent is the Place Lavigerie with the Catholic church of St. Charles (Pl. C, 4).
The streets to the N. of the Place d’Armes, with the two small Mosques (Pl. 3 & 4; C, 3, 2), and the lanes near the Place du Marché-Indigène (Pl. C, D, 3; interesting Friday market) are inhabited mainly by Mohammedans and Jews. From the Place d’Alger, at the end of the Rue d’Alger, the Rue Zaouïa leads to the left to the large Stud Farm (Dépôt de Remonte; Pl. C, 1), where fine horses of the Arab and Barb breeds may be seen.
From the Place d’Armes the Rue and Porte Bizot lead to the S.W. to the *Jardin Bizot (Pl. B, 4), containing fine araucarias, palms, and magnolias. On the N. side of the Avenue du Champ-de-Manœuvres, 5 min. to the W. of the Porte Bizot, lies the famous Bois Sacré (Pl. A, 3, 4), where two picturesque tombs of saints are shaded by superb groups of Aleppo pines, araucarias, and olive-trees.
The Avenue du Champ-de-Manœuvres joins, near the drill-ground, the highroad to Boukirka (and Affreville; comp. p. [212]), from which, just before Chiffa (p. [213]), 5 M. to the W. of Blida, the road to the Chiffa Ravine and Médéa (p. [215]) diverges to the left. This route to the Rocher Blanc (p. [215]) is uninteresting and in summer extremely dusty (cabs, see p. [213]).
From Porte Bizot we may turn to the E. and walk round the town-walls through an avenue of carob-trees to the Bab el-Rabah (Pl. D, 4), the S.E. town-gate, which is reached also from the Place d’Armes by the busy Rue Tirman. To the S. of this gate the Avenue des Moulins, a broad avenue of planes, leads along a conduit with several mills into the pretty valley of the Oued el-Kébir. After 10 min. we diverge to the right by a shadeless road, passing pleasant orange-groves and crossing the stream twice, and then, just beyond (½ hr.) a mill, ascend a path to the left to the poor village of Sid-el-Kébir. Above the village are the Zaouïa and the picturesque Cemetery of Sid-el-Kébir, with the tombs of Ahmed el-Kebîr (d. 1560), the founder of Blida, and his two sons, to which on great Mohammedan festivals pilgrims flock from far and near. A second footpath to the N. descends hence into the valley.
The highest mountains of Blida, the Jebel Mouzaïa (p. [213]) and the *Pic des Beni-Salah or Jebel Sidi Abd el-Kâder (5345 ft.), are famed for their cedar-forests, where the natives, however, have made sad havoc, and for the grand panorama they command. The distant view embraces the Tell Atlas from the Ouarsenis (p. [209]) to Jebel Dira (p. [250]), the Dahra (p. [208]), and the whole of the Mitidja with the Sahel and the Jurjura chain (p. [258]). The ascent of the Jebel Sidi Abd el-Kâder viâ Aïn-Talazit takes 4 hrs.—Hardly less repaying is the ascent of the Kef Chrea (5085 ft.), to the S.E. of Blida, to which a bridle-path (mule 4–5 fr.) leads from the Avenue des Moulins (p. [214]), viâ the village of Les Glacières (3957 ft.; Hôt. d’Altitude, déj. 3 fr., good) in 4 hrs.
From Blida to Berrouaghia, 52 M., railway in 4 hrs. (fares 9 fr. 40, 6 fr. 70, 5 fr. 5 c.). The train diverges to the S.W. from the Oran and Algiers line, crosses the Oued el-Kébir and the Chiffa (p. [213]), and beyond the Rocher Blanc (466 ft.; inn) enters the Gorges de la Chiffa, a grand defile, flanked with the slopes of the Pic des Beni-Salah and Jebel Mouzaïa, here over 3000 ft. high. At (7½ M.) Sidi-Madani (597 ft.) begins the finest part of the ravine; the grandest scenery is around the Hôt. du Ruisseau-des-Singes (738 ft.; déj. 1¾–3, D. 3 fr.), at the mouth of the side-valley of the Oued Tamesguida, and at the waterfalls beyond the inn. The numerous apes (p. [171]) that dwell in the rocks here sometimes descend to the bottom of the valley.—12 M. Camp-des-Chênes (1253 ft.; inn), beyond the lateral valley of the Oued Merdja. Following the valley of the Oued Mouzaïa the train leads round the S. slope of Jebel Mouzaïa to (19½ M.) Mouzaïa-les-Mines (1640 ft.), with its deserted copper and iron mines, and then, in numerous windings, ascends the W. slope of Jebel Nador (3675 ft.; fine views) to (28 M.) Lodi (3042 ft.).—31 M. Médéa (3019 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient; Hôt. du Commerce; pop. 3800, incl. 1900 Mohammedans and 1200 Jews), a small town, perhaps on the site of the Roman Lambdia (Tirinadis?), was founded by Bologgîn ez-Ziri (comp. p. [221]), and was the capital of a beylic in the Turkish period under the name of Titteri. Great native markets (Thurs. and Frid.). The environs yield excellent white wine, but it is often adulterated.—The train next ascends to the S.E., in numerous windings, to (44½ M.) Ben-Chicao (3790 ft.), the highest station on the line.—52½ M. Berrouaghia (2953 ft.; Hôt. de France; Hôt. des Voyageurs), a small town of 2300 inhab., is the present terminus of the line, which is being continued to Djelfa.
A diligence runs daily in 5½ hrs. (at 1 p.m., returning at 9.35 a.m.) to (27½ M.) Boghari (2077 ft.; Hôt. Célestin, R. 2, déj. or D. 2½ fr.), a small trading town of some importance on the upper Chélif (p. [208]), with a Monday market and a picturesque Ksar on a hill (evening dances by girls of the Ouled Naïl tribe; see below).
Boghari is the starting-point of the important caravan-route to the Sahara oases of Laghouat and Ghardaïa. Diligence every other day at 3 a.m. vîa Aïn-Oussara and Djelfa (night-station) to Laghouat in 58 hrs. (also motor-omnibus sometimes); most of the stopping-places have very fair inns or caravanserais (R. usually 2, déj. or D. 2½ fr.). 13 M. Boughzoul or Bou-Guezoul (2100 ft.); 32½ M. Aïn-Oussara (2330 ft.); 57 M. Guelt es-Stel (all three in the Hauts-Plateaux, p. [169]); 85 M. Zmila (good drinking-water); 96 M. Djelfa (3803 ft.; Hôt. de France, quite good; Hôt. du Roulage; pop. 2200), in the midst of the Sahara Atlas. This little town, situated in the valley of the Oued Djelfa or Melah, where dolmens abound, and at the junction of our road with the caravan-route to Bou-Saâda (p. [270]), is the capital of the nomad tribe of the Ouled Naïl, whose daughters usually lead an evil life in the S. Algerian towns before marriage. (Their valuable trinkets are noticeable.) 118 M. Aïn-el-Ibel (3412 ft.); 137 M. Sidi-Maklouf (3019 ft.).—177½ M. Laghouat (2461 ft.; Hôt. Storace, good; Hôt. Mendane; pop. 5700, incl 5000 Mohammedans and 400 Jews). This picturesque little town, on the S. slope of the Sahara Atlas, with its military headquarters and brisk trade, lies on the Oued Mzi (called Oued Djedi lower down; p. [284]), amidst the fruit-trees of a palm-oasis. It has a pretty Jardin Public. The native quarters present a curious and lively scene.
The journey from Laghouat to (130½ M.) Ghardaïa by the rough Sahara road is very fatiguing. (Diligence every second day, in winter at 4 a.m., in summer at 5 p.m., in 30 hrs.; fare 30 or 25 fr.; motor-omnibus projected.) The chief stages are: 220½ M. (from Boghari) Tilghemt or Tilrempt (quarters), in an oasis of terebinths (p. [202]); 265 M. Berrian (1936 ft.), a little town of 3800 inhab., the northmost settlement of the Mozabites (17th cent.), lying on the chalky limestone plateau of the Chebka, with a palm-oasis on the Oued Bir.
308 M. (from Boghari; 130½ from Laghouat) Ghardaïa (1805 ft.; Hôt. du Sud; pop. 8200, incl. 5400 Mozabites), a free market, is one of the most picturesque and interesting places in the Sahara. Situated on the Oued Mzab, in a beautiful oasis, with 64,000 palms, the town is enclosed by a lofty wall defended with towers, and is dominated by the great minaret of the chief mosque. It holds high market on Fridays, and has two places of amusement (for Arabian music and dances). Ghardaïa is the headquarters of the Mzab, a small republic of towns which was founded in the 11th cent. by fugitive Berber Ibadites (p. [208]) after the destruction of Tiaret, was presided over by a priestly caste (tholbas), and in 1852 became a protectorate of the French who annexed it in 1882. The Mozabites or Mzabites, who hold aloof from the other Mohammedans, are often met with as artisans and small traders in the towns of the Tell Atlas and in the oases of the E. Sahara, but in their old age they always return to their original home. Their manners and customs are still somewhat mediæval; their mosques with minarets in the form of blunted pyramids, their curious cemeteries and tombs with votive offerings, and their schools will be found interesting. Their language is a Berber dialect akin to those of the Kabyles (p. [252]) and the Tuâreg, but Arabic and French also are generally spoken.
Among places worth seeing near Ghardaïa are (¾ M.) Mélika, with its black inhabitants and large cemeteries, and (1¼ M.) Beni-Isguen, a wealthy place of 5400 inhab., the sacred town of the Mozabite league, from which Arabs and Jews are excluded, with a massive town-wall, clean streets (smoking forbidden), and a loftily situated castle. The oldest town of the league is El-Ateuf, founded in 1012, with 2000 inhab., 5½ M. to the E. of Ghardaïa, on the caravan-route to (55½ M.) the Mozabite colony of Guerrara. Other caravan-routes lead from Ghardaïa to the S.W. viâ (166 M.) El-Goléa (1280 ft.), with its small oasis, to In Salah and the Tuat Oases, and to the S.E. to (112 M.) Ouargla (p. [285]).
Beyond Blida the train, running to the N.E., through orange-groves and fields of vegetables, again descends to the Mitidja. 234 M. Beni-Mered (459 ft.), with fertile gardens.
239 M. Boufarik (164 ft.; Hôt. Benoît, Boul. National; Hôt. Nemoz, Place Mazagran, D. 2 fr., quite good; Hôt. de la Gare, humble; omn. to the Place Mazagran; pop. 6000), once a fever-stricken village of peasants, is now the centre of trade for the produce of the Mitidja. Around it are admirably irrigated vineyards and orchards (oranges, mandarins, etc.), sheltered from the prevailing winds by planes, thujas (arbor vitæ), or cypresses. Near it are factories of perfume and immense wine-cellars. To the W. of the town is the large Marché Arabe (cattle-market; Monday), 12 min. from the Place Mazagran, or reached by a road direct from the station.
On the right, farther on, we observe the hill-ranges of Rovigo and L’Arba (pp. [248], 247) and the Jebel Bou-Zegza (p. [249]). Beyond (245½ M.) Birtouta-Chebli we near the low spurs of the Sahel (p. [221]). 252½ M. Gué-de-Constantine, in the plain of the brook Harrach (p. [247]), where the eucalyptus abounds.
254½ M. Maison-Carrée (p. [247]), junction of the lines to Tizi-Ouzou (R. 38), Bougie (R. 37), Constantine (R. 43), and Biskra (R. 44), and also of the tramways to Aïn-Taya and Rovigo (p. [219]).
The train turns to the N.W. and reaches the shore. High up on the left lies Kouba (p. [233]). 257½ M. Hussein-Dey, see p. [233].
Skirting the Jardin d’Essai, on the left (p. [232]), we now sight Algiers. Beyond the S.E. suburbs of Le Hamma, Belcourt, and Mustapha-Inférieur (p. [232]), we come to the minor station of (260½ M.) Agha and then to the (262½ M.) main station of Algiers.