The High Road leads from the right bank of the Boudouahou in long windings through the beautiful hill-country of the Sahel, which flanks the N. side of the Tell Atlas. Passing mostly through underwood it crosses the Oued Corso, and leads viâ the villages of Ste. Marie-du-Corso (125 ft.) and Belle-Fontaine (p. [250]), on the left, to Ménerville (p. [250]).
The railway, carried partly through cuttings, intersects the Sahel to the N.E. 26 M. Corso-Tahtâni (118 ft.), ¾ M. from the sea, near the mouth of the Oued Corso. To the left we have a brief outlook towards the sea. In the foreground rise the hills of the Sahel as far as Cape Djinet (p. [253]).
The train leaves the coast, passing at places through cuttings and between pleasant hills planted with mimosa, and enters, to the S.E., the vale of the Oued Bou Merdès, resplendent in spring with its mantle of golden broom.
30½ M. Belle-Fontaine (167 ft.); the village lies on a fine open hill to the right (466 ft.). We next pass between mimosa-clad hills, backed by wooded mountains, and through a defile which forms the portal of the Isser valley and Great Kabylia (p. [252]).
34 M. Ménerville (492 ft.; Hôt. Blanchard, plain but good), on the Col des Beni-Aïcha, a dirty village of 3000 inhab., is the junction for Tizi-Ouzou (R. 38).
Our line descends to the S.E. into the valley of the Isser, and then ascends on its left bank. 38 M. Souk el-Haad (230 ft.).
Beyond (40½ M.) Beni-Amran (420 ft.) begins the grand Ravine of the Isser (Gorges de Palestro or des Beni-Hinni), which pierces the Massif des Beni-Kalfoun, 4½ M. long, rivalling the gorge of the Chiffa (p. [215]). Views chiefly to the right; but owing to the numerous tunnels we see little of the bold limestone rocks.
48 M. Palestro (525 ft.; Hôt. de France, déj. 2 fr., Hôt. du Commerce, both humble), a poor village of 600 inhab. (with Wednesday market), defended by a fort, lies in the fertile central section of the Isser valley. Near it rises Jebel Tegrimoun or Tegrimont (3373 ft.), the highest of the Massif des Beni-Kalfoun (see above), commanding the famous view of the Jurjura Mts. (p. [258]).
Beyond (55 M.) Thiers (624 ft.) the train leaves the Isser, offering a glimpse of the head of its valley to the right, and turns to the E. into the tame valley of its tributary Oued Djemâa.
61½ M. Aomar-Dra el-Mizan (778 ft.), station for Aomar (1266 ft.) and (7½ M.) Dra el-Mizan (p. [254]; diligence).