42. From Bougie through the Chabet el-Akra to Sétif.
72 M. Road. Motor-omnibus (p. [262]) from Bougie at 6 a.m., in 7½ hrs. (to Kerrata, déjeuner station, in 4¾ hrs.); from Sétif at 7 a.m., in 6½ hrs.; fare 25 fr. 20 or 12 fr. 20 c. (to Kerrata 11 or 4 fr.); luggage at the rate of 10 fr. per 100 kilos (220 lbs.) for every 100 kilomètres (62 M.). Also a diligence to Kerrata, both from Bougie and from Sétif: from Bougie at 3.30 a.m., in 7½ hrs., from Sétif, at 5 a.m., in 6 hrs. (allowing an hour for lunch at Kerrata, 11–12); fare for the whole journey 15 fr. (intérieur 8 fr.). Those who do not care for the unattractive drive from Kerrata to Sétif, where there is direct correspondence in the direction of Constantine and Biskra only, or who are bound for Djidjelli, will return at once from Kerrata to Bougie.—Private carr. from one of the hirers at Bougie (p. [262]) to Sétif about 100–140 fr. (or to Kerrata and back 50–60 fr.). Motor-car at Vogelweith’s (p. [262]) ½ fr. per kilomètre Carr. from Sétif to Bougie 120, half-open (calaffe) 100 fr.; it is possible to drive all the way in one day, but in the reverse direction (Bougie to Sétif) it is best to spend a night at Oued-Marsa or Kerrata.
The road skirts the gulf of Bougie (p. [130]) all the way to the deep depression of the Agrioun Valley. Between Bougie and Kerrata it passes through the finest scenery of Little Kabylia or Petite Kabylie, a wooded hill-region, thinly peopled by Berber tribes. The Chaîne des Babors, the higher mountains, unlike those of the Jurjura (p. [258]), rise but little over the intermediate hills. The Chabet el-Akra is the grandest mountain-defile in Algeria.
Bougie, see p. [262]. The Road leads through the suburb at the station and then to the S.W. across the plain of the Oued Srir (p. [252]).
Passing through the featureless plain on the right bank of the Oued Sahel (p. [251]), we obtain retrospects, growing finer as we advance, of Bougie and Cape Bouak and then of Cape Noir and Cape Carbon also. We soon reach the vine-clad coast-plain on the verge of the wooded hills of Little Kabylia, where the cork-oak abounds, and for a time turn away from the sea.
Halfway between Bougie and Cape Aokas the coast-plain narrows. High above the rocky shore the road mounts a spur of the Beni Mimoun Djoua Mts., and then the (10½ M.) Pointe Tichi, an offshoot of the Beni Amrous hills, beyond which it descends, in view of the picturesque Cape Aokas and the coast as far as Cape Cavallo (p. [267]), into the vine-clad valley of the Oued Djemâa. At the (12½ M.) bridge over the stony bed of the stream, we observe up the valley the Beni Slimane Mts. (4160 ft.) and those of Beni Bou Aïssi, with the lofty Jebel Imoulentaour (5715 ft.).
Beyond the Djemâa valley begins one of the finest parts of the coast. The hills again come down close to the shore. The road passes the handsome Villa Poizat, with its great wine-cellars, and crosses the wild Oued Zitoun. On the slope above the torrent is a pretty farm-dwelling, nestling among eucalypti, bananas, and bamboos. We next round the Cône d’Aokas (1519 ft.), precipitous all round, and come to a bend in the road at (15 M.) Cape Aokas, where we have a beautiful *View of the whole bay.
Just before the village of Oued-Marsa, 6 min. beyond the cape, is the prettily situated little Hôt. du Cap Aokas (R. 2½–3, B. 1, déj. or D. 3½ fr., quite good). The road now enters the broad coast-plain between the Oued Marsa and the Oued Agrioun, lately brought under cultivation, overlooked by the Beni Hassain Mts. (4567 ft.), and still showing a few vestiges of the primæval Forêt d’Acherit, a swampy region notorious for malaria.
We cross the Oued Sidi Réhane and pass the village of that name, with its kubba shaded by venerable trees. A double tunnel under the bed of the torrential Oued Sidi Resgoun next brings us to the broad mouth of the Oued Agrioun.
22 M. Souk et-Tenine (Hôt. des Voyageurs, déj. 1½ fr., poor), the Monday market of the Beni Hassain, lies on a low hill at the entrance to the Agrioun valley. The road ascends on the left bank of the valley, flanked with cork-trees and beautiful underwood.
The road to Djidjelli diverges at the 36th kilomètre-stone (22½ M.) to the left from the Sétif road.
The beautiful Djidjelli Road (from Bougie 60 M.; motor-omnibus daily, fare 14 fr. 30 or 10 fr. 30 c.; diligence daily at 5 a.m., in the reverse direction at 4 a.m., in 12 hrs., fare 10 or 7 fr.; provisions should be taken for the journey) continues to skirt the bay of Bougie, passing at places through fine old forest of cork-trees, pines, etc., thickly overgrown with creepers. It crosses the Oued Agrioun beyond the 36th kilomètre-stone and the Oued Boulzazène, and then returns, to the N.E., to the coast.
Near the 42nd kilomètre-stone (26 M.) begin the *Grandes Falaises, a series of bold cliffs, extending along the coast for 1¼ M., through which the road is tunnelled at places. Fine view of the bay behind us, as far as Jebel Gouraya. We next skirt two secluded bays, separated by Jebel Afoerer (473 ft.), pass the Pointe Ziama (450 ft.), and cross the Oued Ziama.
32 M. Ziama consists of a group of settlers’ dwellings near the site of Choba, a Roman seaport, where there are still considerable remains of the Roman town-walls, of baths dating from 196 A. D., and of the Byzantine ramparts.
Beyond the cliffs of Pointe Mansouria (hotel), off which rises the rocky islet of that name, we come to (37½ M.) the mouth of the Oued Guelil or Dar el-Oued, near the stalactite Grottes de Mansouria or de Dar el-Oued, discovered in 1901. The chief grotto, 165 yds. long and 16 ft. high, is lighted with acetylene (adm. 1 fr.).
Passing several caverns on the coast, we next skirt the small Anse de Taza, at the mouth of the Oued Taza, which, farther up, has carved out a grand defile through the S. margin of Jebel Taounnart (2546 ft.). Partly through cuttings and tunnels, the road now leads to (47½ M.) the village of Cavallo, near Cape Cavallo (p. [130]), the E. limit of the bay of Bougie. Near it are large granite-quarries.
Off the rocky coast lie on the left the islets of Grand and Petit Cavallo (p. [131]). 50½ M. Montaigne or Agadie is the only European settlement on this part of the coast. A little beyond the Oued Kissir a road diverges to the left to the lighthouse on the Râs Afla (p. [131]). Our road skirts the wooded flanks of Jebel Mes Ritan or Mezritane (1294 ft.), and at the Anse el-Kalâa sweeps round to the S., inland. Lastly, passing the small Anse des Beni-Caïd (see below), it reaches the Porte de Bougie, the W. gate of—
60 M. Djidjelli (Café de France, R. 2 fr., déj. or D. 2 fr., quite good; pop. 6400, incl. 5000 Mohammedans), a poor seaport, consisting mainly of two streets planted with fine plane-trees. This was the ancient Igilgili, once an important mart of the Carthaginians, which in the middle ages long retained its trade as the seat of a Genoese factory, but after its occupation by Horuk Barbarossa (p. [221]) became a mere den of pirates. The small Harbour, open towards the E., and inadequately sheltered on the N. and N.E. sides, admits lighters and fishing-boats only. On the adjacent Crique de l’Ouest rise the Citadel and the Poudrière, an old fort. At the Vigie, the clock-tower on the neighbouring aloe-clad hill, we enjoy a charming view of the hill-region around, noted in spring for its gorgeous wealth of flowers, backed by Jebel Sedderts (3153 ft.) to the E. and by the inland hills of Little Kabylia. To the W. of the town, particularly on the headland between the Anse des Beni-Caïd and the Anse el-Kalâa (see above), are many Punic Rock Tombs, now empty.
A highroad leads from Djidjelli to (42½ M.) El-Milia, (84½ M.) Collo (p. [131]), and (95½ M.) Robertville (p. [303]; motor-omnibus in 10 hrs., fare 25 fr. 30 or 20 fr. 30 c.); another viâ (66 M.) Mila (Hôt. du Commerce, R. 2 fr., déj. or D. 2 fr., tolerable), the Roman Mileum (with an interesting, well-preserved Byzantine town-wall), to (102½ M.) Constantine (p. [297]).—Railway viâ El-Milia and Mila to Constantine projected.
The Sétif Road ascends gradually to the S., on the left bank of the wooded Agrioun valley, at the E. base of the hills of the Beni Hassain (p. [266]). On the opposite bank, on the slope of the finely shaped Jebel Beni Bou Youssef (3061 ft.), runs the new mineral railway of Tadergount (see below). 25 M. Aux Deux-Fontaines (about 410 ft.; inn).
The road ascends more steeply, high above the river-bed. At a bend just before the 43rd kilomètre-stone we have a splendid survey of the central Agrioun valley, enclosed in a semicircle by the lofty and barren crests of the Chaîne des Babors. The road then descends to the S.W. into the valley again. To the left we look into the lateral valley of the Oued Tiraz, with the iron-glance mines of Tadergount, on the slope of Jebel Beni Felkaï (4452 ft.). Wild oleanders abound in the bed of the Agrioun. On the wayside are several Kabylian huts with orange and fig-gardens.
Beyond the 49th kilomètre-stone we see, high above us, on the right, Beni-Ismaïl or Smaïl, a mission-house of the White Fathers (p. [247]) called after the tribe of that name, placed near a waterfall between Jebel Imoulentaour (p. [266]) and Jebel Takoucht (6221 ft.).
Beyond the 50th kilomètre-stone (31 M.) two massive pillars of rock mark the lower end (about 590 ft.) of the **Chabet el-Akra, the grand ‘ravine of death’ (4½ M. long), between the bold and partly bush-clad Jurassic rocks of Jebel Takoucht, on the W., and Jebel Adrar Amellal (5817 ft.) and Kef Randek, on the E. An inscription on the rock to the right records the construction of the extremely costly road (1863–70). Monkeys (p. [171]) are sometimes seen on the hill-sides.
Near the 54th kilomètre-stone (33½ M.) the road crosses the stream, which dashes over huge rocks far below the bridge, whence we have a fine view down the valley. About ½ M. farther the valley again contracts to a narrow defile. An inscription on a slab of rock in the bed of the stream recalls the first march of French troops through the gorge (1864). In the foreground rises a great rocky cone called the *Pain de Sucre (Arabic Drâ-Kalawi), apparently closing the valley. Passing some strange rock-dislocations, with vertical strata, we reach (35½ M.) the upper end of the gorge.
37½ M. Kerrata (1575 ft.; Hôt. du Chabet, R., déj., D., each 2½–4 fr., very fair; Hôt. de Kerrata, humble; Tues. market), a village of the Beni Meraï tribe, lies in a bleak hill-plain, adjoining the stony S. slope of the Chaîne des Babors.
From Kerrata viâ Aïn-Abessa to Sétif, 34 M., pleasanter, by carr. or cycle, than the main road viâ El-Ouricia, particularly in the reverse direction. This road leaves the highroad near (3¾ M.) the mouth of the Oued Atteba, one of the sources of the Agrioun, ascends its valley, and crosses a pass to (17½ M.) Aïn-Talaouart. Here to the right diverges the so-called Route des Caravansérails to the little town of Aïn-Roua (3806 ft.), at the foot of Jebel Anini (5243 ft.), noted for its mineral wealth, and to the sulphur-baths of Hammam-Guergour or Sidi el-Djoudi, in the Massif de Guergour, which were already known to the Romans. From Aïn-Talaouart our road turns to the S.E. and ascends past the (20½ M.) village of Aïn-Abessa (3616 ft.; Hôt. Copel) to the saddle (4019 ft.) between Jebel Megriss (5700 ft.) and Jebel Matrona (4679 ft.). Descending to the Oued Bou Sellam (p. [251]) the road here rejoins, a little before (30 M.) Fermatou (see below), the main road to (34 M.) Sétif.
The highroad ascends out of the Agrioun valley, soon offering a glimpse of Jebel Babor (6575 ft.) on the left, and mounts in windings, to the S.E., through a once wooded hill-region to the (48 M.) Tizi N’Béchar (2910 ft.), 1¼ M. below the large Berber village of Takitount (3448 ft.), and 2 M. to the W. of Aïn el-Hamda, a village noted for its mineral water, known as ‘eau de Takitount’. We descend from the pass to (52½ M.) Amoucha (Hôt. des Voyageurs, déj. 3½ fr.), in the upper valley of the Agrioun.
A road leads to the S.E. from Amoucha to (7½ M.) Périgotville, the chief village in the Canton de Takitount, on the Oued Aïn-Kebira. It lies on the site of the small Roman town of Satafis. The school-yard contains a few antiquities. Diligence viâ El-Ouricia (see below) to Sétif (p. [271]).
As the road ascends we have another view of Jebel Babor. It winds up to the S. to the (59½ M.) Teniet et-Tine (3806 ft.), a pass on the N. margin of the plateau of Sétif (p. [271]) commanding fine views, and then descends to (64½ M.) El-Ouricia (3543 ft.), a village near the head of the Oued Bou Sellam valley (p. [251]), with a few vineyards. 68 M. Fermatou, at the mouth of the brook of that name.
72 M. Sétif, see p. [271].