40. From Fort-National viâ Azazga to Bougie.
77½ M. Road. From Fort-National to Azazga 22 M. (no diligence); from Azazga to Yakouren 7½ M. (diligence at 10.30 a.m., in 1½ hr.); from Yakouren vià Taourirt-Ighil to Bougie about 48 M. (no conveyances). Carr. from Hôt. Lagarde (p. [254]), at Tizi-Ouzou, viâ Fort-National to Bougie 150–275 fr.; from Tizi-Ouzou to the Tirourda Pass (R. 39), returning viâ Fort-National to Bougie 175–300 fr.—Carr. hired from Aug. Passicos (comp. p. [257]) and those also in the opposite direction, from Bougie (p. [262]), when hired to Azazga or Fort-National only are rather cheaper.
The Azazga road between Fort-National and the Sebaou Valley is hardly less attractive, especially in the reverse direction, than that between Tizi-Ouzou and Fort-National, although lacking the mountain view. Between Azazga and Bougie our route leads partly through the forests of the Algerian Tell Atlas (cork-trees, evergreen oaks, etc.), now sadly thinned.
Fort-National, see p. [257]. The Azazga Road branches to the left from the Michelet road (R. 39) a few hundred yards from the S.E. gate of the town, and leads through vineyards into the picturesque valley of the Oued Bou Aïmeur, the deep incision between the hills inhabited by the Oumalou, on the E., and the Aït-Akerma Mts. on the W., on the crest of which stand a series of five villages. Behind us is a fine view of Fort-National, which remains in sight as far as (6¼ M.) Fontaine-Fraîche.
The road now runs on the E. slope of the hill, through fig-gardens and olive-groves, soon in full view of the beautiful wooded valley of the Oued Rabta to the right, and descends in short windings to the saddle between the Oumalou hills and the Takorrabt Bou Achbatzene (981 ft.), crowned with a saint’s tomb. Sweeping round to the W. our road next enters the featureless Sebaou Valley (p. [254]), where it joins that on the left bank coming from Tizi-Ouzou. A branch to Mékla diverges ½ M. farther on.
About 5½ M. farther we cross the Sebaou and then pass through a eucalyptus avenue to the Tizi-Ouzou and Azazga road on the right bank, where we ascend rapidly through underwood and fields to—
22 M. Azazga (1418 ft.; Hôt. Gebhardt, R. 3, B. 1½, déj. or D. 3 fr.; Hôt. Vayssières, plainer, good cuisine; pop. largely Alsatian), a large village on the N.W. spurs of the wooded Jebel Bou Hini (3327 ft.).
The road ascends, soon affording a pleasant view as we look back to the Sebaou plain, through beautiful woods in the territory of the Beni Ghobri, to the saddle between Jebel Bou Hini on the right and Jebel Zraïb (3061 ft.) on the left.
29½ M. Yakouren (about 2460 ft.; tavern), a small French settlement, near the Kabyle village of that name. As we ascend to the (35 M.) Col de Tagma (3094 ft.) we look back for the last time to a great part of the Massif Kabyle (p. [257]) and the Jurjura Mts. Beyond the pass we enter the Province of Constantine and descend through oak-forest and underwood, and then through fields and orchards, skirting for many miles the N. slope of the hills of the Forêt de Tizi Oufellah (4285 ft.). The road runs high above the valley of the Oued el-Hammam, where many Kabylian villages are perched on hills or ensconced among rocks. These and the small baths of Acif el-Hammam lie on the left.
Passing at some distance from the Forêt d’Akfadou, the most famous of the oak-forests of Great Kabylia, the road next skirts the N. slope of Jebel Toukra (4806 ft.). Then, affording a distant view of the fine hill-region of the Oued Dahs to the left, it passes close to the large village of K’Bouch on a hill and approaches the neglected oak-woods of the Forêt de Taourirt-Ighil.
50½ M. Chalet de Taourirt-Ighil (about 2950 ft.; rustic but good, R. 2, déj. 3–4 fr.), a resort of sportsmen.
Beyond the hamlet of Taourirt-Ighil the old road descends to the S.E., in wide curves, overlooking on the right the valley of the Fenaïa and the hills of the Sahel Valley (p. [266]), to the (54 M.) Col de Talmetz (2703 ft.; road-mender’s house). A little below the pass we survey the upper valley of the Oued el-Kseur (p. [262]). In the distance rises Jebel Arbalou (p. [262]). Besides oak-forest we pass also through beautiful underwood, where the fragrant erica abounds, vying in spring with the macchia of Corsica.
Next to the forest-zone comes the fertile hill-region above the Sahel valley, beyond which are seen the mountains of Little Kabylia (p. [266]). Passing several Kabylian villages, the road descends in many windings to (64½ M.) the village of El-Kseur (295 ft.; Hôt. de l’Union, rustic).
65 M. El-Kseur-Amizour, and thence to (80 M.) Bougie, see p. [252].
The new Bougie road reaches, on the S. slope of Jebel ou Chiouen (3289 ft.), the upper valley of the Oued el-Kseur, a dull, uninhabited forest region, and then nears the S. base of the bare Jebel Arbalou.
Farther on, in the vale of the Oued Rhir, we cross the La Réunion and Toudja road (p. [252]).
Toudja (650–1000 ft.) is a group of Kabylian villages in the abundantly watered upper valley of the Oued Rhir and on the S.E. slope of Jebel Toudja (1998 ft.), the E. spur of Jebel Arbalou (4291 ft.), the latter of which may be scaled in 3–3½ hrs. Toudja is famed for its oranges. The modern Bougie, like the ancient Saldæ (p. [263]), is supplied with water from the springs of Toudja. The Roman Aqueduct was 13 M. long; remains of its pillars are still to be seen on the Col d’El-Hanaïat (about 1475 ft.), ½ hr. to the N.E. of Toudja.
Lastly we descend into the vale of the Oued Srir (p. [252]) and reach (77½ M.) Bougie (see below).