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].
43. From Algiers to Constantine viâ Beni-Mansour, Sétif, and El-Guerrah.
288½ M. Railway (comp. p. [173]). Two express trains daily in 12¼–12¾ hrs. (fares 51 fr. 95, 37 fr. 10, 27 fr. 85 c.), one in the morning (with dining-car), the other in the evening (sleeping-berth 15 fr. extra). El-Guerrah is the junction for Biskra (R. 44); Le Khroub for Bona (R. 48) and Souk-Ahras (and Tunis; RR. 49, 51). Railway Restaurants at Bouïra, Beni-Mansour, Sétif, El-Guerrah, and Le Khroub.
From Algiers to (107 M.) Beni-Mansour, see R. 37. The train now leaves the Sahel valley (p. [251]), enters, to the S., the valley of the Oued Mahrir, and passes through a series of gorges flanked with blackish limestone rocks, between the hills of the Beni Abbès on the left and the Beni Mansour on the right, here almost uninhabited. To the left we have a final glimpse of the Jurjura range (p. [258]) behind us.
115 M. Les Portes-de-Fer, the first station in the province of Constantine, with a Sunday market, lies at the entrance of the two passes over the Chaîne des Biban (pl. of bâb, gate) or Chabet es-Sétif. These are the *Grande-Porte (Arabic Bâb el-Kebîr), through which flows the Oued Chebba, the main branch of the Oued Mahrir, and the Petite-Porte (Bâb es-Serîr), the ravine of its tributary the Oued Bou-Ketoun. The train runs through the former of these passes, a grand defile, where the rocks are curiously stratified.
125 M. Mzita (1811 ft.) lies in a bleak plain on the S. margin of the Chaîne des Biban. The train now ascends rapidly to the S.E., between Jebel Mzita (4813 ft.) on the left and Jebel Kteuf (6109 ft.) on the right, to (130 M.) Mansoura (2297 ft.), a village of immigrant peasants, with a sulphur-spring.
Leaving the Chebba valley, we next pass, to the E., through a tunnel of 2405 yds. (5 min.) into the Medjana, a lofty and unattractive plain on the N. borders of the Monts du Hodna (see below).
149 M. Bordj-Bou-Arréridj (3002 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs, unpretentious; pop. 3500, incl. many Alsatian settlers; Wed. market), a small town adjoined by a large Berber village.