25½ M. Col-des-Oliviers (1365 ft.; Rail. Restaurant), station for a group of small villages inhabited by immigrant farmers. Thence a steep, winding descent, in a hill-region denuded of its forest, to (31 M.) Bougrina, like Robertville, a station for the large village of El-Arrouch.
35½ M. Robertville (348 ft.; several inns), a village on the Oued Ahmar, is the starting-point of the fine hill-roads through the Massif de Philippeville viâ (23 M.) Bordj Tamalous to (40 M.) Collo (p. [131]; diligence twice daily in 8 hrs.), and to Djidjelli (p. [267]; motor-omnibus, see p. [267]).
The train now descends into the valley of the Oued Safsaf, where wild olives, poplars, and cork-trees abound.
42½ M. St. Charles (138 ft.; Hôt. du Lion d’Or), the oldest farming settlement in the district, founded by Germans and Belgians in 1840, was at first defended by four small forts.
From St. Charles to Bona, 61½ M., railway in 4–5 hrs. (7 fr. 50, 5 fr. 5, 4 fr. 5 c.). 9 M. Râs el-Ma, with a quicksilver-mine; 15½ M. Jemmapes (312 ft.; Hôt. d’Orient; pop. 2800), on the Oued Fendek, a little town founded in 1848, the chief place on the roads from Philippeville to Bona and to Guelma (p. [308]); 19½ M. Oued-Hammimine, a small bath-hotel (pens. with bath 6 fr.), with three hot sulphur-springs (95–115° Fahr.; season Sept.–Nov. only); 41 M. Aïn-Mokra (85 ft.), on a slope near the malarious flats of Lac Fetzara, a swamp of about 35,000 acres, and the now abandoned iron-mines of the Comp. du Mokta el-Hadid; 45½ M. Aïn-Daliah, for the new mine of Marouania belonging to the same company. 61½ M. Bona, see p. [309].
We descend the narrow Safsaf valley to (47½ M.) Safsaf. 50½ M. Damrémont (33 ft.) is the station also for Valée (122 ft.), a village on the vine-clad right bank, on the Bona and Guelma road (see above).—The train leaves the Safsaf, crosses its tributary Oued Zeramna (p. [305]), and passes through a tunnel under the W. slope of Mont Skikda (p. [304]).
54 M. Philippeville.—The Station (Pl. C, 2; no buffet) is not far from the quay, a few paces from Place de Marqué.
Arrival by Sea (comp. RR. 20, 22). The steamers of the Gén. Transatlantique (agent, Fauré, Place de Marqué) moor at the quay; those of the Transports Maritimes (agent, Caffa) and of the Navigation Mixte (agents, Daprela & Campiglia, Place du Commerce) anchor in the Grande Darse (Pl. C, D, 1). Cab-fares, see below. Portefaix (porter) for articles under 20 kilos (44 lbs.) to the station 25, to the town 40 c.; trunk 50 or 75 c.
Hotels (comp. p. [174]). Grand-Hôtel (Pl. a; C, 2), Place de Marqué, with fine views, R. 3–5, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 8½ fr., good; Hôt. Foy, same square (Pl. B, 2), new, R. 3–6 fr., B. 60 c., déj. or D. 2½, pens. from 8 fr.; Hôt. de France & de la Marine (Pl. b; B, 2), same square, No. 3, R. 2–3, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3 fr.; Hôt. Léger, Rue Nationale, R. 2–5, B. ¾, déj. 2½, D. 3, pens. 6–7 fr., plain but good; Nouvelle Poste (Pl. d; B, 2), Place du Commerce, Cinq Nations (Pl. e; C, 3), Rue de Constantine, corner of Rue Gambetta, both plain.
Cafés-Restaurants. Café de Foy, at the hotel (see above); Boutin, Plage du Château-Vert (in summer).