FAC-SIMILE OF FINISHED INDIAN INK DRAWING BY BRUCE (AND BALUGANI?)

HENRY S. KING Co. LONDON.

Various attempts have been made to penetrate it, but till quite recently without success. Salah Bey endeavoured to force an entrance by means of artillery. General Carbuccia commenced to explore it in 1849, and discovered the passage leading to the sepulchral chamber; but, owing to the roof having fallen in, he was unable to penetrate further. Commandant Foy resumed its exploration with no better success; Monsieur le Garde du Génie Bauchetet failed likewise in 1866; but being again sent in 1873, with more ample means, he succeeded in clearing away the débris and penetrating to the central chamber, which he ascertained to be 10 feet 3 inches long by 4 feet 7 inches broad. Nothing of any interest was found inside, but clear evidence was obtained that it had been opened at some former period, and that an attempt had been made to destroy the building by means of fire; great quantities of charcoal and lime (the latter the calcined stone of which it is built) were discovered, and the fire having communicated to the woodwork which supported the roof of the passage, the superincumbent masonry had fallen in and obstructed the entrance. The masonry in the passage and chamber is very inferior to that of the Tombeau de la Chrétienne, and it differs from the latter by the passage going straight to the centre instead of in a spiral direction.

Numerous tumuli, also of a circular form, were discovered around, together with the traces of a bastioned enclosure, proving the place to have been an immense necropolis, subsequently used as a fortress, of which the Medrassen was simply the principal tomb.

There have been many speculations as to the meaning of the word and the destination of the building, which is not mentioned by any classical author. There can, however, be little doubt that the word Medrassen, as it is usually written, or Madghassen,[47] which is the more correct orthography, is the plural of the Berber word Madghes, the patronymic designation of an ancient family from which Masinissa was descended. Ibn Khaldoun says that Madghes was the son of Berr Ibn Kais; he bore the name of El-Abter, and was the father of the Berbers-Botr.[48] The name still exists in that of the tribe inhabiting the vicinity, the Haracta-Mader, and in that of a stream, the Oued Mader.

It is much more probable that this was the tomb of the Numidian kings—perhaps of Masinissa—than that of Syphax, to whom it has been referred, whose capital was at Siga, near the Tafna, and who only occupied Cirta for a short period. This would lead us to assign the date of B.C. 150 as about that of its construction, a supposition amply supported by the style of the architecture.

Here it may be well, before proceeding with my own route, to continue Bruce’s narrative of his.

Alluding to the Aures, he says:—

This mountain is of a very considerable height but inferior to Atlas, beautifully covered to the top with thick woods of cedar; on the top are fine plains and plentiful pastures; about 14 miles from Meda Cashem we encamped at the Shek of Auress’s dowar. His name is Mahomed, and Beni Momnein[49] are his people on the plain and Lashash[50]; formerly he commanded all Auress till his father was slain by Morad Beni Manesseh,[51] who now has taken the greatest part; Lashash, Welled Abdi, Boozenah and Marfah are dependants of Mahomed, and were at war with the Amamrah, Haract, Welled Sheela and several other clans, so that it was with great danger we passed on towards Tezzoute.

Here I met, to my great astonishment, a tribe, who, if I cannot say they were fair like English, were of a shade lighter than that of the inhabitants of any country to the southward of Britain. Their hair also was red and their eyes blue. They are a strong and independent people, and it required address to approach them with safety.