On the hill to the left are several dolmens and cromlechs mixed up with the remains of Roman tombs and modern Arab graves.
On the opposite side of the valley is seen El-Aria, or, more correctly, El-Haria, the goal of our journey yesterday, twenty-five miles from the cave, and nineteen from Constantine. A caravanserail was built there when the road between Guelma and Constantine passed by it; now the direction is changed, and the building had been abandoned. At the time of our journey a village was in process of construction; it is intended to contain sixteen homesteads, to be occupied by colonists having means sufficient to build their own houses. Each family has received a gratuitous concession of ninety acres of land, but they complained loudly that their allotments were generally in three different positions remote from each other. The Mairie, schools, and other public offices, were to be in the old caravanserail.
After leaving Mahadjiba we went in a south-westerly direction towards El-Khroub, for the purpose of visiting another remarkable ruin, which is only two miles from it, and nine-and-a-half from Constantine, but which is hardly ever visited by English travellers. It is called by the Arabs Es-Soumah, the minaret, a term which they habitually employ to designate any ancient mausoleum or tower-like monument.
This beautiful edifice, the history of which is quite unknown, is in the purest Doric style, and probably dates from the first century. It is built on a mound near the eastern boundary of the territory of Cirta, as has been proved by the discovery of a stone bearing the inscription A.P.C. (ager publicus Cirtensium),[24] and close to the high road between that city and Kalama on the one hand, and Lambessa on the other. Its object was either to serve as the mausoleum of some distinguished person or to commemorate a great victory.
The building as it now exists is composed of three principal parts, a square base, of nearly 10 feet high, surmounted by three gradients, each 20 inches in height. Above these gradients rises a plinth of 3 ft. 7 in., crowned by a splendid cornice, of a bold and firm, yet refined, character, measuring 26 inches in height. At this level a course of stones, 20 inches high, retired from the cornice by 12 inches on all sides, extends like a pavement over the upper surface of the monument, and serves as a footing to four square pillars that occupy each angle, leaving a distance outside of nearly a yard on the two exterior faces. The courses of stone in the pillars are 2 ft. high, and 5 ft. 8 in. on each side. Prominent round bucklers decorate the outward faces of each of these pillars.
Unfortunately, at this point the monument has been thrown to the ground, and it is amongst the ruins that a search must be made for the completion and restoration of the buildings. No doubt, earthquakes contributed greatly to its destruction, but there is abundant evidence that the hand of man was not foreign to the work. Part of the material is scattered in every direction, but it is principally on the north side that it lies heaped up to the level of the floor. We found beautiful capitals of the Doric order, frusta of columns without fluting of any description, soffits decorated with geometric forms, small entablatures, evidently belonging to the interior of the ruined part of the building, and fragments of the superior cornice. No doubt, the square pillars supported columns crowned with a pediment of some sort, and leaving between them an open vista to expose to view and protect some notable object, such as a statue or a sarcophagus.
The whole building is formed of beautifully cut stone, joined with great perfection. No trace of mortar can be perceived.
The ground around it has risen in the course of ages nearly to the level of the base, but in 1861 the south and part of the east side were cleared of débris,[25] and a vain attempt made to penetrate to the interior. The problem of its origin still remains unsolved; but a careful search amongst the accumulated ruins on the north side would, doubtless, be richly rewarded.
No detailed description, so far as I am aware, has been published of this monument, but excellent illustrations, and a proposed restoration of it, are given by M. Ravoisier.[26]
From the Soumah we continued our ride to Constantine, where we arrived just as it was getting dark, and here, for the first time, we found ourselves on the track of Bruce.