The route over a stony plain to the (½ hr.) Zenâga Pass crosses the Oued Melias, the bed of which is generally dry, near the frontier of Morocco, indicated by heaps of stones. The vegetation here is limited to a few thorn-bushes—jujubes (Zizyphus vulgaris; Arabic sedra; French jujubier) and the prickly Anabasis arietoïdes (Arabic ajerem), the ‘chou-fleur du Sahara’ of the soldiers, which is much used in this part of the Sahara as fuel. At the entrance to the pass, about 200 yds. in breadth, we may observe to the left, on the stony slope of Jebel Zenâga (3435 ft.), several graffiti, or rudely engraved sketches on the rock (comp. p. [202]), but not very distinguishable under the black patina. Beyond the first palms of the oasis, at the exit of the pass, rise the Kubba Sidi-Fedel, surrounded with numerous votive stones (kerkours, rĕ-yems), and the Haouïta Sidi-Tifour, an open walled rectangle. We have here a good survey of the lower part of the oasis, with the village of Zenâga (p. [206]) and numerous bordjs (round watch-towers), backed by the Jebel Grouz range, while on the edge of the plateau of the six upper villages gleams the conspicuous Kubba Sidi ben-Aïssa l’Aredj.
Our route now leads to the N.E. across the barren, dazzling white Plaine de Bagdbâd (2818 ft.). We may first visit El-Hammâmin, the two E. villages, Hammâm-Tahtâni, on the slope of the high plateau, and Hammâm-Foukâni (2950 ft.), where Bou-Amama was encamped in 1900–2 (p. [222]); but it is more usual to go direct to the four W. villages, at first through small fields of barley and vegetable-gardens, and then between the high mud-walls of the palm-gardens.
We ascend through a picturesque defile on the rocky and fissured slope of the upper plateau, whence the water flows down in open cuttings (see p. [94]) to the village of El-Maïz. We note here the quaint architecture and the lanes arched over with palm-wood beams, under which the natives take their siesta on stone benches in the hot season. Some of the little houses of the Mellah, or Jewish quarter, are owned by Morocco leather-workers.
Through the contiguous village of Ouled-Slîmân we pass to El-Oûdâghîr (Berber ât a’addi), the largest village in Figuig next to Zenâga. Since 1902 this has been the seat of a Moroccan Amel, or governor, who with his few soldiers occupies the dilapidated Dâr el-Beïda (‘white house’) on the barren H’sen, as the upper plateau is called (2940–3000 ft.). The mud-built houses of the village, mostly consisting of two or more stories, are overlooked by the new square minaret of the Chief Mosque, where the governor attends the Friday prayers. A second mosque has a very old and graceful octagonal minaret. The Prison (visitors admitted), the tents of the Amouriât, the girls of the nomad tribe of the Amour, whose habits resemble those of the Ouled Naïl (p. [215]), and the Mellah, where the escort prepare tea in their own peculiar manner, also may be visited with interest.
To the W. of El-Oûdâghîr is the basin of the Aïn-Tzadert, a spring which supplies Zenâga also and has often given rise to bitter quarrels between the two villages. From the massive Bordj belonging to the villagers of El-Oûdâghîr, adjoining the basin, we obtain a splendid *Panorama of the oasis and the girdle of mountains around it. At our feet lies El-Abîd (ât enneï), with its many towers, the westmost village, now dilapidated and partly deserted.
On our way back, passing the underground Aïn-Meslout, with two vaulted baths (hammâm), we come suddenly to the precipitous brink of the plateau (here about 100 ft. high), where we enjoy a beautiful view of the forest of palms around Zenâga.
The village of Zenâga (Berber iznâïn), 1¼ M. to the S. of El-Oûdâghîr, and 4¼ M. to the N. of Beni-Ounif, with its one-storied mud-built houses, its massive towers, its mellah, and many vaulted lanes, has for its centre the chief mosque and the square in front of it. A smaller mosque lies outside the village. The large basin is fed by underground conduits (p. [94]) from the Aïn-Tzadert.
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.