There were various buildings, probably cells or shops, outside and against the main structure, and the whole was surrounded by a strong wall, flanked at intervals with towers, like a vast fortified convent. This it doubtless was during the later years of its existence, but unfortunately its history is entirely unknown, and its original destination, or at least the destination of the older portion of it, must remain a matter of conjecture.
From a careful study of the architecture of this building however, the grand simplicity of its design and the richness of its materials, it is difficult to believe that the earlier portions of it could have been built after the introduction of Christianity into Theveste, when art was already in its decadence. The presumption is strong, that it could not have been commenced later than the end of the first, or beginning of the second century; this would make it older than almost any of the Roman monuments of Algeria, as it certainly was superior to most of them in elegance and simplicity, though less florid in decoration.
There are many other Roman ruins of interest in the circle of Tebessa, and on Djebel Mestiri, west of the town, and extending as far as Djebel Youkous, are a number of megalithic tombs of a circular form. They are about 100 in number, situated in a single line, the right of which rests on the ruins of a Byzantine tower. The largest is about eleven feet three inches high, and from twelve to thirty feet in diameter. They differ from those of Foum Kosentina by being built in successive and gradually decreasing courses, without any single covering stone; they rather resemble the Medrassen and the tombs in its vicinity.
We left Tebessa for Constantine on May 12, by diligence, following pretty much the same route as that taken by Bruce—whose notes are as follows:—
November 24, 1765.—Passed Ain Shabrou this day. Lay the night of the 24th (fourteen miles) in the mountains without inhabitants, the Hanneisha having fled the country as being in rebellion, and afraid of the Bey of Constantine. They were then in the Sahara, south of Gaffsa. Killed a wild boar of extraordinary size at Ain Shabrou, which served us for meat.
The 25th, arrived at the encampment of the Welled Esa, at Bucowash, where we met the Kaid of Tibberq (?), about twenty-four miles.
There crossed the river Miskiana, on the 26th, and continuing through one of the most beautiful and best cultivated countries in the world, I entered the Eastern province of Algiers now called Constantina, anciently the Mauritania Cæsariensis, whose capital Constantina was the ancient capital of Syphax.
The 27th and 28th, to the east of Sidi Bougeise, a high mountain about twenty miles. The 28th, at Ziganiah, about eighteen miles. The 29th, at Boomarzook, about ten miles from Constantina, where we arrived November 30 (see ante, [p. 50]).
The Ain Shabrou or Chabrou mentioned here is a large spring on the left of the present road, about six and a quarter miles from Tebessa, near which are the ruins of the Roman city Ad Mercuriam. A little to the west of it is Ain Youkous, more correctly Okes, وكيس or Bou Okes, from the Latin word Aquæ. This stream rises in a beautiful cave in the mountains; it is of great depth, and has often served as an impregnable retreat to the Arabs in time of war. The Welled Esa, or Oulad Aissa, is a collective name given to the tribes in the circle of Ain Beida, including the Haracta. In the time of the Turks these formed a great command called the Kaidat of the Aouassi, or descendants of Aissa. Ain Beida did not of course exist in Bruce’s time; it is entirely a French town, the chief place of the Haractas.
This route is especially interesting, as showing that the frontiers of Algeria in Bruce’s time were actually west of Tebessa and of the Miskiana, both of which belonged to Tunis.