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To turn Centigrade into Fahrenheit, multiply by 9 and divide by 5 and add 32 to the result. To turn Fahrenheit into Centigrade deduct 32, multiply by 5, and divide by 9. Measures. Metre = a yard and a tenth (roughly), 39 ¦ 37079 in. Decimetre = 4 inches (roughly), 3 • 937 inches. Centimetre = i inch „ 0"3937 „ 0-0394 Kilometre = 5 furlongs. 5 kilometres = 3 miles. 8 „ = 5 „ 10 „ = 6i „ 50 „ = 31 „ 100 „ = 62 „ 100 miles = 161 kilometres. Land Measure. Hectare = 2§ acres (roughly) (2-471 acres). ALGERIA AND TWIS. fl A # E A N % & AV/ T^S& ¦* -^ •<#, € A^ *^s if \ i$8Sn % y*JV-' /^lesliii' / /Tebu&»ik ft&A ¦l':|l^k*#'fT R3?YYa- 1 M/Gulf ofHkumiaiuet ±ivba .Mahmur 'iniamet 7°r -3Cf sS?a> jeb. Tebetssa ThNEMEJISE ill*. beitliS^', \ Ka.sr "^Mih^lS^Mehd a. X^^yt. ,.- )yjtta3 Capoodia 'uj/ta I -•¦ EI fj.7"''': m^r$5&^^-:>-~y- 'v-», (sp^'^ (BASES "Kerteiuial? -£nna Gherba ^m^m^^^k ^^-^SP r£l T 7-i TSlKidaaj. \ JpTerba I gale ^doiakel'i Marnwr Be. -Ati, Gsu *v «) »- M ,Z Aj 3>&£?|f! Ijardaia clief er oW ( llLou' da FmcXv JT ! Zarzis *.lBiban 1 -'{.\>-y,lamrti .\,met- etlaxt; -+,. ««|S« .M.- ;" & fejgT^ |t??" /)lwt" ¦'/ 1 qif^STf®1 V, ElBortna.- "%• ^' RaiifelMa. !> .SaAleleyJ MhwasS.SMeikh bftrqh,l-,,i V~Z Olebat 7 : ; « Vl.vioi ! 7 1 / ^ R WAJTCL / \ ^JraiifSu V *!N*7\V /-', Rela^P^/^ S4ndiillsi ElGole|" ^ yfa,»f Ccurdurri^ \ I 7 7 \ £/_ / J .'/ ) ^ ilcy- trfiar-dttya, Ell&>$irLat<, "7^ Ikmitf r 7*v^^ -^gg ^ £ < DC< h-Z< EL KANTARA. FROM EL KANTARA TO BISKRA. As the traveller from Constantine to Biskra ap proaches El Kantara, and the train winds slowly down the ever narrowing and deepening gorge, his instinct tells him, as he watches the rocky heights of the Aures growing nearer and nearer, that he is not far from the point where the plains and fertile valleys of the Tell end ; and he awaits the moment when the chain of the Aures is passed, and a new world will burst upon the view. I know not where so startling a contrast can be seen as during the few moments that carry you through the mighty gorge of El Kantara and over the bridge (El Kantara = the bridge) into the bound less Sahara. One minute you are in the dark shadow of towering mountains and cliffs, and passing over a rushing river, palms, oleanders, and green fruit trees clothing either bank, in the next you are out in the blazing sun and endless desert. To the eye the rift in the mountain chain, that separates with giddy heights and cliffs the desert from the hills and valleys, the pastures and forests left behind, appears the only possible 10 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. entrance. The moment the pass is cleared, a desolate landscape lies before you, but amongst the burning red and orange rocks that are piled above, and the endless wilderness of sand and stones that stretches far away to the horizon, the eye rests on the belt of rich green close-packed palms that marks the exquisite oasis of El Kantara and its hidden villages, whose gardens hang over the steep banks of the river as it emerges from the gorge. Eight and left of the chaos of crags and precipices, that guard each side of the cleft, the range strikes out east and west, and the steep sides are completely furrowed with ravines, as if a Herculean plough had turned the mountains over into colossal ridge and furrow. If no stay is made at El Kantara on the way to Biskra, it at least deserves a visit, that can be made easily from Biskra within the day. In the interval between the arrival of the morning train from Biskra at 10 a.m. and the one returning from El Kantara at 3 . 31 in the afternoon, some idea of the oasis and its picturesque haunts can be obtained. The place has charms that demand more attention ; and there is the Hotel Bertrand in the gorge, about half a mile from the oasis, where those who are not too fastidious can find a fairly comfortable lodging. The original Eoman bridge still spans the river in the pass, but it has been restored almost out of EL KANTARA. 11 recognition by the French (about 1844) ; still some of the Eoman stonework is visible on close inspec tion. The main road through the gorge no longer passes over the bridge, but keeps the left side of the river. The bridge, a one-arched span, some 31 feet across, is about 52 feet above the torrent ; and the view both up and down stream is wild and beautiful. To the north rises the great Djebel Metlili, to the south tower the jaws of the Mouth of the Desert (Foum es Sahara), as it is called by the Arabs, and the palms of the villages just in sight beyond. The stream below the bridge rushes over rocks and rapids to the oasis, where it pursues its way more quietly through the gardens. Olean ders, palm, fig, apricot and other trees, hang over the pools, and cast their deep shadows on the white shingle and boulders. Down by this river side is many a sight to delight the painter's eye, and defy his art. All day long may be seen groups of picturesque women and graceful girls, in bright colours, washing clothes, fetching water or crossing the shallows, children paddling and bathing in the pools, donkeys and white burnoused Arabs passing the fords. Hidden in the palms, and reached by deep cut paths that wind under cactus and fruit trees, lie the villages of the oasis. There are three, Dahraou'ia on the right bank, and Khedar (or Khrekar), and Khour el Abbas on the left. Their whereabouts is betrayed by the watch-towers that 12 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. peep up above the palms. The population of the oasis is about 2000 souls, and the number of palms about 20,000. The watch-towers were formerly used as points from which warning was given against the approach of marauders, but now serve for sentinels who guard the fruit when the dates are ripe. El Kantara has still the remnants of a wall of mud surrounding it, which served as a protection in the days of inter-tribal wars. To the east of the oasis is the old Turkish Kasbah ; and here and there in the villages you may see blocks of Eoman stone, columns and capitals, remnants of the still older Calceus Herculis. Above Dahraouiia, on the hill side, is a large koubba, where on one occasion I saw the inhabitants around some marabouts, who to the accompaniment of many drums were pray ing for rain ; and rain, a rare event at that season of the year, fell the next day. Good Arab coffee can be obtained at the Cafe Maure, near the quaint cemeteiy on the eastern outskirts of the oasis. The natives here are of the usual type, generally dark, but some are fair-haired and blue-eyed. The women do not veil. Murray describes the people as kindly and unsophisticated, and probably every visitor will find them so ; yet, if the truth be told, the number of murders and attempted assassina tions in El Kantara and district has made it ROMAN REMAINS. 13 notorious in a country where the vendetta and the use of the knife are by no means rare. There are Eoman remains in the neighbourhood. The most noteworthy, some 7 k. away, are at Kherbel el Bordj, the ancient Burgum Specula- torum, built in the reign of Caracalla (211-217) by order of Marcus Valerius Senecio. When hunting the wild Barbary sheep in the mountains south-west of this district, I have, in passing the plains, found the sites of Eoman towns distinctly traceable ; and there can be no doubt that there are many places of interest to the antiquarian that have hitherto escaped notice. The wild sheep or larrowi (called wrongly a mouflon by the French), Ovis ornata or tragelaphus, abounds in the Djebel Metlili and the neighbouring mountains. Few animals, even when on open ground, demand greater skill, better sight, harder work and more patience and sustained effort in their pursuit than the larrowi, and on the Djebel Metlili the ground is particularly difficult and trying. The edmi or admi gazelle, the large gazelle of the mountains, is also to be found on some of the slopes of the Metlili. An occasional panther is reported from time to time ; but this splendid beast is now extremely rare in this district, and those who desire to kill a lion or a panther must go beyond Batna into Tunisia, the neighbourhood of Souk Ahrras or Bone, to do so. 14 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. After passing El Kantara, not only does the physical appearance of the country change, but the further you penetrate into the Sahara the more striking becomes the difference between the character of the native populations on either side of the Aures. The French author of various in teresting works on Algeria, General E. Daumas, puts into something like the following language the ancient quarrel between the Arabs of the Sahara and those of the Tell. The people of the Tell reproach the nomad Arabs thus : — " Dirty Arabs, drinkers of sour milk, wandering over the earth like locusts, you eat nothing but dates. If we stopped your moving about, and bringing your flocks in the summer into our country, you would die of hunger. We hold you by your bellies. You have neither baths, nor mosques, nor woods. Your gods are your sheep and camels, they cause you to forget your prayers and ablutions ; how can you perform them when you have hardly enough water to drink ? We have barley, corn, honey, wood and water, baths and mosques, markets and caravanserais, cloths, cottons, sugar, coffee, scents, iron and steel. We are happy, dwelling by the fountain head ; there we live in peace, and die in plenty." The people of the Sahara reply : — " 0 naked beggars, always wanting our wool and camel's hair and our dates ! What a life is yours ! The THE ARABS OF THE TELL. 15 Sahara provides you with cloths and tents. You camp always on the same fouled ground, in the midst of manure, and eaten by fleas. Your pro fession is that of servants — you work the whole year round — you have to dig in winter and reap in summer. You walk on foot, and live where you are for ever going up or down bill, bruising your selves against trees, and tearing yourselves with thorns. Your country is the country of crimes, of lions, of plagues and of despots. 0 degenerate ones, our father Ishmael would not recognise you as his children ! " You people of the Tell have nothing but your barley, corn and water ; and if we in the Sahara are far from our bread, and near to our thirst, God has given us other blessings. His hand has given us the ship of the desert, which can carry us in a single day from your land of oppression to the land of independence. Countless sheep and lambs are our movable storehouses, their backs (wool), their ribs (meat), and their milk (drink) support us. We have beautiful mares, whose offspring we sell you dear. Our tents, made from our camels' hair, are large, well furnished, and always new. Our women are pretty, with graceful necks and white teeth, and are not too fat, like yours ; they ride our camels in the atatich [a coloured tent with cushions carried on the camel's back], they join us in our fantasias, which they grace with 16 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. their presence, and they take part with us in our fights, which they love. For us each day brings us a new joy, a fresh emotion, a feast, or a wedding when we burn powder [this is the acme of earthly pleasure to the Arab]. Each day there are either the caravans arriving, passing, or starting; they bring us welcome guests. We have the pleasures of the chase — we hunt the ostrich, the antelope, and the gazelle with sloughis (greyhounds) in relays, and the partridge, the hare and the bustard with falcons." Certainly there is a peculiar freedom and charm of life in the existence of the nomad Arab of the desert, whose home is everywhere and anywhere. " The sun his hearth, The moon his torch ; " which make him and his ways an interesting study. The greater freedom enjoyed by their women, who are seldom veiled, and the greater respect with which they are treated, is very marked. Having lived in Arab tents for days together, I have found the women simple, kind and hospitable, and taking a share with the men in ministering to the wants of their guest, his horses and mules. The Chawia women, on one occasion, when my wife and I were camped amongst Chawia tents, showed themselves much more ready to serve and help us than the men, BURGUM COMMODIANUM. 17 who for a day or two stood quite aloof from us. The duties of an Arab woman in the tents are always menial. She not only milks, makes butter, grinds the corn, bakes the galettes, and carries water and wood for firing, but she is also her lord's groom — saddling and unsaddling, clothing and tending his steed. She takes the horse to water, and holds the stirrup when he is mounted. She assists the shepherd with the camels, spins and weaves the mats, the tent-clothes, and horse- coverings; makes the goat-skin bottles and the earthenware pots and pans. To her falls the duty of setting up and taking down the tents, and packing them, and when on the march she leads the mares, while her good man rides at ease on his horse or mule. The Arab woman in the town or harem may excite pity on account of her com paratively idle and objectless life, but her sister of the tents offers little opportunity of employment to that personage who finds mischief for idle hands. After passing El Kantara the railway, an un- fenced track of steel, winds along between the left bank of the river-bed and the foot of the mountains (Djebel Seltoum). The heights of the Dj. Seltoum are crowned by the ruins of an ancient fort, the Burgum Commodianum, built by the orders of Marcus Antonius Gordianus to protect travellers on the two roads that pass this way. One of these so-called roads is a track c 18 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. leading by El Outaia and over the Col de Sfa to Biskra, the other is a path that leads, by curious native villages, some perched high on the moun tain sides and reached only by ropes and ladders, through wild and desolate scenery to Biskra. The villages are Teniet-Tizin (10 k. from El Kantara), Beni Ferah (16 k.), Beni Zouik (32 k), Djemora (34 k), Branes (43 k.), Biskra (56 k). The railway then crosses the river-bed and continues on the right bank. These rivers are often entirely dry for many months in the year, but one or two days' rain in the winter transforms them into mighty torrents. During several winters the railway between El Kantara and El Outaia has been broken, and during 1892-3 the railway was swept away in several places, and through communication with the outside world cut off for a considerable time, till horse service was organised to carry goods and passengers across the gaps. Fontaine des Gazelles (19 k. from El Kantara) is the next station. I have at times seen a few gazelles and admi antelope on these plains, but I fear the traveller will scarcely see them from the train. There is here a cafe maure, but little else in the way of a settlement ; there is, however, a warm spring (76° Fahr.) known to the Eomans as Aquas Herculis, and a hot lake 2 k. to the THE SALT MOUNTAIN AND EL OUTAIA. 19 east. These slightly saline warm springs are not uncommon in this region. There is one a few hours distant, at the foot of the Dj. Bent el Arara, called Ain Hammia. After leaving Fontaine des Gazelles, the great salt mountain Dj. El Melah (called also Dj. Gharribou) comes into sight on the left, and is well worth a visit, being a curious and immense mass of salt rock, worn into fantastic shapes by the rain of ages, to visit which a guide and mules should be taken from El Outaia, the next station. There are a few larrowi and admi on the northern side and the top of the mountain. Care should be taken by those ascending the Dj. El Melah, as the salt is often undermined, and bottomless pits and shafts beset the path to the summit. The mountain at sunrise and sunset is often a most glorious spectacle, its glistening pinnacles and ragged peaks touched with pink, violet, and golden lights, set off by the deep shadows of its myriad hollows and ravines. El Outaia (The Great Plain), 28 k. from El Kantara, is a small oasis of palms, with a loop- holed caravanserai with a cabaret attached, and a cafe maure outside the gardens. There is sufficient accommodation in this caravanserai to provide a night's lodging for the traveller or hunter. I have passed a few nights here at various times, and c 2 20 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. have had my wants well cared for by the proprietor and his wife, who provide beds and fairly good meals, with white bread and wine. El Outaia, the guide books say, is the ancient Mesar Filia. There is here the site of an amphi theatre, and the visitor may decipher the inscrip tions built into the gateway of the caravanserai, relating the rebuilding thereof under the Emperors M. Aurelius Antoninus and L. Aurelius Commodus. On the great plain to the west of the railway I have found vestiges of Eoman settlements, and of a town, some 8 k. from El Outaia, near the foot of the south side of the Dj. Slionina. The plain of El Outaia is now largely cultivated and irrigated throughout its eastern end with innumerable saggias. Great quantities of barley are grown here by the Spahis (the native cavalry), whose headquarters are at Biskra, but who have a large Smala here, and by M. Dufour, who has a large farm situated some 6 k. from the station bear ing his name, La Ferme Dufour, the last stopping place before Biskra. The railway passes over the Oued Biskra, and turns the corner of the last range of mountains through several deep rock cuttings, and the great oasis of Biskra, with the desert around and beyond, comes into sight. Before reach ing the station, the ruins of the old Turkish fort that formerly guarded the river are visible on the left, and then the traveller arrives at his destina- BISKRA. 21 tion, where he is quickly surrounded by a crowd of Arabs and townspeople, who never weary of the daily and only distraction — the arrival of the train — until he is rescued by the porter of one of the hotels from their well-meant but rather embarrassing attentions. 22 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. BISKRA. HOTELS AND LODGINGS — GENERAL DESCRIPTION — CLIMATE AND RAINFALL — ATTRACTIONS — RACES — RAMADAN — THE WATERS OF BISKRA — THE OASIS — DISEASES — THE POPULATION — THE EUROPEAN QUARTER — PUBLIC BUILD INGS, SHOPS, GARDENS AND PLACES OF INTEREST— THE NATIVE VILLAGES — EXCURSIONS, GUIDES, ETC. Hotels. — Hotel Victoria, first-class ; Hotel du Sahara, first-class ; Hotel de l'Oasis ; Hotel de la Gare. There is a new hotel being built, but at present the Hotel Victoria is the best in Biskra, and the Hotel du Sahara is the oldest established house, and open all the year round. The HStel Victoria, situated on the outskirts of the town near the railway station in an open space with fine views of the mountains, is open from November to May. It is kept by M. Aug. Oser. This hotel has an outward aspect that is not very inviting, nor are its internal arrangements the most convenient, but these defects are made up for by excellent management, comfortable furnish ing, and attention to cleanliness and sanitary requirements. The cuisine is as good as the most HOTELS. 23 Fastidious can expect in the desert. The terms vary for pension from 12 francs a day to 15 francs, according to rooms and season, and include wine. Trustworthy guides are attached to the hotel, and the landlord will arrange for and provision expedi tions, supply carriages, and give any information in his power. English cheques and circular notes can be cashed in the hotel. The Hotel du Sahara, the oldest hotel in Biskra, is pleasantly situated in the main street, facing the public gardens. It is essentially a comfortable hotel, managed entirely on the French system, and differs in this respect somewhat from the Hotel Victoria, where some attention is paid to English tastes. Guides and carriages, luncheons, and pro visions for expeditions are provided. The terms are lower than at the Hotel Victoria. Cook's coupons are taken. The HStel de l' Oasis, managed by a Swiss pro prietor, is a more modest hostelry, situated at the • south end of the public gardens, and has rooms overlooking the gardens to the north and the desert to the south. It cannot be recommended for English families, but gentlemen who cannot afford the higher terms at the other hotels can be fairly comfortable here, en pension, at 8-50 f. a day. Meals are taken in the public restaurant or cafe ; it is somewhat noisy, and the sanitary arrange ments are not good. 24 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. The Hotel de la Gare. Terms very moderate ; cannot be recommended. Lodgings can occasionally be obtained at very moderate charges, and meals taken at any of the hotels. GENEBAL DESCBIPTION OF THE OASIS. Biskra, Biskra-en-rTokkel, Biskra aux Palmiers, is situated 111 metres above sea level, in 34° 52' lat. N. and 5° 42' long. E. It was known to the Eomans as Ad Piscinam or Ouesker. Whether you approach Biskra by road or rail the first view of it is striking. As you turn the last corner of the hills in the train at sundown, you see the green oasis in the waste of red earth and stony hills, sparkling in an ocean of golden light, and half encircled by the Aures mountains bathed in sunset hues and shadows. Or, if by chance you come by road over the Col de Sfa, and when the top of the pass has been reached you pause to look at the view before you, the effect is even more startling. Behind you lies the green plain of El Outaia, around you are the mountains as it were giant waves of a stormy sea that has turned to stone in its attempt to break into the endless desert before you. Between you and Biskra's palms is a lonely, ToiunA-pa^e 24 . MAP OASIS op BISKRA THE OASIS OF BISKRA. 25 jarren, undulating land of desolation; beyond is the desert stretching to the blue horizon till it merges in the lighter blue of the sky above, with here and there glistening dunes of sand shining like lakes in a land where no water is. Piesse says " Le touriste ne saurait faire long sejour a Biskra" and many visitors doubtless agree with him ; but, if there are few " distractions " and no social attractions, it has charms which have made a six months' exile there by no means intolerable. Biskra must be wooed before she becomes really lovable, and it requires more than a few days' acquaintance with the Queen of the Sahara to discover all her charms. To those in search of amusement and entertainment I may say at once that nothing is as yet provided for you beyond what an occasional itinerant conjuror, actor, or dentist can afford, but as I write the people of Biskra are building a casino, and have all sorts of projects on paper and in their heads for making their town a fashionable resort. How far they will succeed I do not ven ture to prophesy, but these will never be the chief attractions, and the idea of Biskra, with its un sophisticated people, becoming a Monte Carlo, is not a pleasant thought to those who have known her as she is. The guide books will tell you that at Biskra rain never falls ; this is hardly true, but certainly it is impossible to find a climate that combines such purity and dryness of air with 26 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. such an even temperature, both warm and bracing. Murray's Handbook gives the truest description of the climate : " The climate of Biskra is delightful during six months of the year. Nowhere in Algeria can one find a more genial temperature, a clearer sky, or more beautiful vegetation, but in summer the thermometer frequently stands at 110° F. in the shade, and from 80° to 90° at night. The mean temperature of the year, on an average of ten years, is 73°, the maximum and minimum 124° and 36° during the same time. It is practically rainless, the only drawback is the prevalence of high winds." The winter of 1892-3 was said to be an exceptionally unfavourable one, but I find this is always the case everywhere every winter. Briefly, I found the weather during my stay to be as follows : November. — Perfect weather throughout, with the exception of three days (viz. 10th, dull, and first shower of rain since the spring ; 15th, a shower of rain; and 16th, dull). A uniformly clear sky and a hot sun, but the heat such a dry heat as to be never oppressive. December. — The beginning of the month bright, clear and warm, then fine days interspersed with cloudy and windy ones; on the 17th and 18th a deluge of rain fell, then followed days sometimes bright and warm, sometimes bright with high winds, and one or two dull and showery. CLIMATE, RAINFALL AND TEMPERATURE. 27 January. — Generally fine and bright, but often very disagreeable high winds blowing, sometimes cold winds from the mountains, but towards the end of the month hot sunny still days. February, March, and April. — Three beautiful months of constant sunshine, occasional great heat, and now and then a disagreeable wind, and once or twice a sirocco, with sand storms. The high winds generally last about three days, and are very intolerable outside the oasis. Sometimes when they blow from the north over the snow capped Aures they are bitterly cold ; but at all times within the oasis, amongst the palms and between the garden walls, and in the streets of the old town, you may walk in peace, warmth, and sunshine, quite unconscious of the storm that rages in the desert outside. Snow or frost are of course unknown at Biskra, and even in the coldest days of rain and damp in December, when it felt chilly in fireless rooms indoors, the thermometer was seldom if ever below 58° Fahr. Annual Rainfall and Temperature. Biskra (roughly) 2 inches . . January. 56° August. 91° Average. 71° Oran „ 12 „ .. 52° 75° 61° Constantine 16 ,, 46° 80° 59° Algiers 27 ,, 57° 75° 64° 37° 61° The peculiar virtue of the climate is the pure dryness of the air ; except for a few days in the 28 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. year, not a trace of humidity or dampness is ever perceptible. Hence there is never the chill at sundown that is a danger in other places. At Biskra the afternoon sinks into evening twilight, and twilight into night, without any noticeable change in the temperature. The smoker will find out quickly this peculiar dryness ; nothing is more sensitive than tobacco, and it is an infallible criterion of the state of the air in any place. At Biskra, wherever cigars are placed, they are always dry and in good condition, and pipe and cigarette tobacco, however carefully tinned, quickly turns to dust and powder. The dryness of the atmosphere and the hardness of the water are a little trying to some skins, but when this and the high winds have been mentioned, the tale is complete of the draw backs to Biskra. Light cool breezes from the mountains make the African sun, even on the hottest days from November to May, a delight and not a burden. So clear and bright is the atmo sphere that as you look on the red and barren mountains, you feel as if you had but to put out your hand and you could run your finger along their clean-cut rugged outline against the Light blue sky, or as you turn your eyes to the south, where stretches the endless desert, the distance shines like a great still blue ocean. The climate is particularly suited for persons suffering from pul monary complaints, consumption, kidney diseases, SCENES IN THE OASIS. 29 rheumatism, and gout ; and the hot springs of saline andsulphurous water at the Fontaine Chaude (Hammam Salahine) are credited with healing virtues. To those who become in the course of time touched with the genius of the place and fall into the quiet, easy, and observant habits of the Arabs amongst whom they dwell, there is an endless store of interest in the daily life of this isolated little world. In the autumn long strings of camels come in daily from the Oued E'ir and the distant oases, bearing dates from the south, from Tougourt, and from the Zibans, to find a market here. At first there is something strange and weird in watching the numberless great un gainly ships of the desert after their long journey slowly bearing down on the oasis, the eye of every camel marking you without turning the head, and each grotesque face wearing the same curious expression of patience and dignified suffering, mingled with a supercilious contempt for all its surroundings ; and there are the groups of bare footed, black or bronze-faced Arabs that accompany each caravan, exhibiting no outward sign of that satisfaction they must feel to be within reach of rest and the luxuries of the town once more. Each morning sees herds numbering from 400 goats of every shade and colour passing out to pasture on the scant herbage of the desert, and every evening sees them returning, each taking its own road home 30 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. through the streets and entering the Arab houses for the night. There are the little bands of black donkeys, hidden under immense loads of barley and wood, coming in or making their way back to the mountains. There are a hundred sights and sounds of the street and the market, of the bazaars and the cafes, the washing, the water- carrying by the stream sides, native horsemen with richly embroidered saddles, bridles, and breast straps, mules carrying at least two Arabs apiece, the native cavalry, the Spahis, with their red burnouses and long red boots, the faithful at their prayers at sundown, picturesque children playing at the corners and under the palms, and brightly clad girls with sparkling eyes, with bangles on their arms and ankles, carrying small bundles containing dusky babies. All these scenes, so novel at first, become as much a part of your daily life as the milkman's or postman's rounds do in London, but are so much more entertaining and pleasanter, and when tired of the glare of the street and the hubbub of the market, a few steps take you into cool glades under the mimosas or the palms, where you sit down by the rushing waters that flow in and out amongst the gardens in every corner of the oasis the whole year round. It is difficult to advise the tourist as to the best time to visit Biskra. RACES — ARAB FANTASIA. 31 In November you are sure of bright clear days and a hot sun, and uninterrupted fine weather, and you can witness the operations of the date harvest and the arrival of the caravans. In December, after the middle of the month, you cannot be quite so sure of the weather, and till the end of January there may be occasional high winds and rain. In January there are the Races, well worth seeing ; they last for two or three days, and are attended by the natives and tribes in great numbers. On one day, at least, there is an Arab fantasia, when the tribes mounted on their horses gaily caparisoned, decorated with silver-mounted and embroidered bridles and saddles, are mar shalled on the race-course, each tribe under its own colours, headed by its Kaid, to the accompaniment of the weird music of pipe and drum, and indulge themselves in their favourite pursuit of giving their horses full rein and galloping past in a cloud of dust, blazing away with their flint locks and muzzle-loaders, and burning powder to their heart's content. The Arabs are fine horsemen, and are as much and more at home on a bare-backed horse as on their own feet ; but as far as I have observed have no judgment when riding a race, their sole idea being to urge their horses to the utmost from start to finish. There is usually a long distance camel race from 32 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. Ouargla or Tougourt to Biskra. The camels that cover this long distance are Mehara, a peculiarly fine breed of running camels that is reared among the Touaregs, distinct from the common camel. The race is arranged generally in a manner which allows the time at which the competitors shall arrive to be pretty correctly estimated. The finish is usually on the Tougourt Eoad, oppo site Kora. Cardinal Lavigerie, who devoted himself to advancing the material as well as the highest interests of the natives, originally instituted this •competition, and gave, in 1892, a prize of 1000 francs for the winning Mehari, which I was told covered the distance from Ouargla to Biskra, 366 k. by the road, in 36 hours, 20 minutes. On this occasion an objection was lodged against the win ner, on account of his rider having practised a ruse on the other competitors, by pleading illness, and asking them early on in the race to wait a while for him ; whilst his fellow travellers waited he took a short cut he knew of and entered Biskra far ahead of his comrades. The Cardinal, to whom the dispute was referred, overruled the objection with the words " II a gagne par la tete," a de cision which commended itself to the Arab popu lation, if ¦ not to the defeated candidates. The camels that have competed in this race compete on the race-course over a short distance on a sub sequent day. Plate III. To/ace p. 33. THE KAID OF BISKRA'S FALCONERS. HAWKING — QUAIL — RAMADAN. 33 The Kaid of Biskra usually gives an exhibition, at the close of the races, of hawking with bagged hares. The falcons are fine birds, beautifully trained, and worth seeing when flown at wild game in the desert, b"ut with bewildered and stiffened hares amidst a race-course crowd it is a stupid spectacle, and a degradation of the sport. In February, March, and April the weather is usually most beautiful, though sometimes marred by high winds. In the latter two months any number of quail may be shot round Sidi Okbar, on the Ferme Dufour, and at El Outaia ; fair bags can also be made on the outskirts of Biskra. Guns can be hired and ammunition purchased from M. Perinaud, coiffeur, &c, Biskra. Ramadan — Er Eamadan or Es Siam. — During the fast of Eamadan, Biskra's people are seen under conditions different to that at other seasons. It is an interesting time to be at Biskra, and the visitor should go round the native quarter before sundown and see the people, who, having fasted all day, are preparing for the moment when the gun from the Fort St. Germain announces that they may eat, drink, and smoke once more. The following particulars about Eamadan may be interesting to some readers. When the month of Chaban has passed, and the new moon is first seen in a clear sky, the fast of Eamadan begins, and lasts till the next moon. The fast each day D 34 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. is from the moment at dawn when a black thread can be distinguished from a white one, and con tinues to the moment when the gun-fire proclaims to the faithful that the sun has set. The observa tion of Eamadan is obligatory on all Mussulman men and women over 18 years of age. It can be dispensed with in illness (or lunacy) on the authority of a doctor or a marabout, but the days on which the fast has been broken must be ren dered subsequently. A man can liberate his wife from her fast if he requires special work from her. Not only is all food, drink, and smoking rigorously forbidden, but even the smell of food or tobacco ; and all distracting thoughts and actions are dis allowed. If the heat is very excessive, drinking is allowed on condition of keeping the fast an equal number of days after. When the time ap proaches for breaking the fast at sunset, the Arabs may be seen grouped round their houses and the cafes, which have been closed all day, waiting with cigarettes rolled, their coffee beside them, and a few dates, or an orange in their hand. When the sun is down, they preface their breaking fast with the prayer, " Oh God, I have fasted in obedience to Thee! I break fast in partaking of the good things Thou providest. Forgive my past and future sins." Shortly after a good meal is made, and when three-quarters of the night is passed, they eat another meal, the sehour, before dawn. THE WATERS — DISEASES. 35 The Oasis is about 5 kilometres in length, stretching along the west bank of the Oued Biskra, and in width ranging from 100 to 700 metres. To the north of the palms lies the European quarter, and the native villages are hidden amongst them. There are in the Sahara 360 oases (Arabic = Fiafi) belonging to the French. The importance of each oasis is, as a rule, measured by the number of its date palms. Biskra has a political or mili tary importance which causes it to rank first, a position that its 160,000 date palms would almost give it independently, though several oases, such as Tougourt (170,000 palms), have more date palms. The, Waters of Biskra are one of its chief charms. The spring, which has been pouring out its endless supply at the rate of 70 litres a second, from before the time of the Eomans till to-day, has made Biskra what it is. Should those waters cease to flow the 160,000 date palms must die, and the oasis quickly vanish off the face of the earth. The water required constantly for the irri gation of the palms is measured out by the louska ( = the width of the fist) ; thus the price of one louska for twelve hours will sometimes amount to some francs. Besides the palms there are some 6000 olive trees, as well as fig, orange, citron, and lemon trees, but many kinds of fruit that might be cultivated here, such as bananas, plaque- mines, nefles, and others, are entirely neglected. d 2 36 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. The water of Biskra is not pleasant to the taste, being rather salt, but it is pure and wholesome, though slightly aperient it is said, and useful as counteracting any injurious tendencies resulting from a warm and very dry climate. Diseases. — The people of Biskra suffer much in summer from fever, and a curious disease, some what similar to the disgusting Aleppo " button," known as the " Clou de Biskra," is very common, both amongst natives and the resident European population. It is a large dark scabby sore, in size varying from that of a florin to a crown, that comes mysteriously on the face, the arms, and legs, and has hitherto defied all attempts of medical treatment ; it lasts for many weeks or months, and frequently leaves a disfiguring scar. I have never heard of visitors being attacked ; it would appear that long residence is a condition for its development, but hitherto no one has been able to assign with any certainty its origin or cause. The number of blind or one-eyed people is very great, due chiefly to ophthalmia, flies, and small pox, The Population of Biskra may be put down thus — 1. The French town with a large proportion ofi Europeans, mostly French and Italians . . / 2. The garrison and military .. .. 800 to 1000 3. The native villages and neighbouring oases . . 7000 NATIVES. 37 Biskra is the capital of the Zab region or the Zibans, and has long been recognised as such, though its importance was much diminished by Turkish misgovernment. The Natives of Biskra are of a very mixed origin, partly Berber, partly Arab. There are, be sides the Arabs of various tribes, Mzabis, Kabyles, Chawias, Jews, and Negroes. Tlie Kabyles are the descendants of the ancient Berbers, the original inhabitants of the country, from the more northern and mountainous parts of the Provinces of Constantine, Algiers, and Oran. They are said to have a great deal of Eoman and Vandal blood in their veins, and the many fair, red-haired, and blue-eyed amongst them are pointed to as evidence of this. Their language is distinct, and their habits more industrious than the Arabs ; their women enjoy greater liberty, and receive more consideration than the Arab women. They use the Eoman names of the months, and show, in some of their customs and words, traces of the period when their forefathers were Chris tians. They are said to still observe Christmas day, but they are orthodox Mussulmans. The Chawias are the descendants of the original Berber population that have survived in the south, and in the Aures Mountains. It would seem that the Arab immigration and conquest, either by extermination or assimilation, wiped out 38 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. the Berber, save where the mountain fastnesses gave them shelter and immunity from, or inde pendence of, the conquerors. Their language is full of Latin words, and their customs exhibit a Christian ancestry. The Mzabis or Mzabites come from the Mzab, and claim to be the descendants of the ancient Moabites. They are schismatic Mussulmans out side the] four recognised sects. They are fair- skinned, and sometimes blonde, with blue eyes. They wear generally a striped coloured shirt or coat, blue, red, and yellow, by which they are easily distinguished from the Arabs, who always wear the white burnouse. In some respects they are more fanatical and strict in religious obser vances than the Arabs. Their work, such as coverings, carpets, &c, has a character of its own. The Negroes are mostly the descendants of slaves, or slaves escaped from the territories south of the French sphere of government. Some have migrated and settled here. They are a fine race, and do most of the rougher work in the town. The majority live apart from the rest of the people in the Negro village. They are as a rule very poor. The European Quarter, in which all the hotels are situated, and which has a population, ex cluding the soldiers, of about 1100 souls, though built of sun-dried mud bricks, is for the most part French in style. Latterly, a few houses have been Plate IV. To face p» 39. THE MARKET, BISKRA. PUBLIC BUILDINGS — THE MARKET. 39 constructed partly or entirely with stone, but these are chiefly the Municipal Buildings, such as the Hotel de Ville, the Gendarmerie, &c. The Hotel de Ville is an almost extravagantly large and decorated pila It is built in an exagge rated Eastern style, but the whole appearance of the building, with its court, its arcades, its columns, its facade, the whole surmounted by a great white cupola which rises above the town, and can be seen shining from afar amidst the dark green foliage around, is pleasing and effective. Two large red marble lions guard each side of the entrance within finely ornamented iron screens and railings. In front of the Hotel de Ville is a little shady public garden where the band plays on Sunday afternoons. To the west is the Gendarmerie, and to the east is the Post Office and Telegraph Office. Letters arrive each evening by the daily train, and are delivered, according to circumstances, between 7 and 9-30 the same evening. The English mails come via Philippeville, Bone, or Algiers almost every day. The Market is situated at the south end of the European quarter, and has many attractions ; here natives of all descriptions assemble to buy and sell, to have their letters written by the public letter-writer, to have their heads shaved under the arcades, and to tell and hear all the news and 40 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. gossip of the district. All that the heart of an Arab can desire is here procurable. There are cafes, slipper and shoe makers, general mer chants, tobacconists, jewellery makers, silk, wool, and cotton sellers under the arcades in dark little dens of rooms. Outside the shops, under the arches, Arabs sleep, talk, and rest. In the centre of the market-place is a covered market, but out side it in the sun are camels with their loads of dates around them on the ground ; skins full of tar, used freely for anointing camels and waterproofing the water bottles ; Arabs squatting on the ground by mats on which are spread native and Brumma gem odds and ends, wooden kous-kous spoons, mirrors, soaps, scents, needles, scissors, knives, &c. On the north side of the market there are the goats, sheep, camels, mules, and donkeys for sale, and occasionally a horse or two. The mules and horses are ridden up and down by an Arab, who calls out the highest price that has been bid as he goes : " Achereen douro Toud " — " 20 douros (5 franc pieces) for the horse." To the south stand the little donkeys or borricos loaded with wood, straw, fodder, barley, or salt. To the east are stacks of fruit, plaited baskets, mats, and vegetables, and amongst them, perhaps, a group of Arabs seated on the ground listening to a marabout or a story teller, who now and then adds to the din of the market by beating his drum. Beneath the covered BAZAARS — NATIVE WARES. 41 market are vendors of fruit, vegetables, and dates. In one corner are stalls gaily decorated with Arab knives in red leather sheaths, embroidered mirrors, stuffed lizards, jackal skins, gazelle horns, red and yellow leather babooches, and fly fans. Other Arabs are seated on tables with little bread loaves spread in front of them. Then come the sellers of Manchester cottons of all colours ; then the dealers in grain, and the butchers. Outside the market are many native shops or bazaars ; some eight or ten are full of objects of native manufacture and curiosities that will tempt most tourists. Here are some of the things to be found in them. The prices are usually moderate, and as a rule no large abatement is made by the Arab sellers from the price asked. Large desert lizards (l'ourane des sables) stuffed and ornamented. The prickly-tailed lizard (tarente vulgaire or lezard des palmiers). Horns and skins of gazelles, gazelle des sables, Edmi gazelle, antelope, wild sheep (mouflon), panther, jackal, fox, and wild cat skins. Curious camel skin boxes, engraved with the knife and coloured. Negro knives, tom-toms, castanets, necklaces, amulets, all thickly ornamented with cowries. Kabyle silver jewellery and work; Kabyle knives. 42 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. Arab knives, jewellery, old inlaid flint-lock guns and pistols, charms, baskets, embroidery, shoes and slippers in yellow and red leather. Touareg leather cushions cut and engraved in colours withTThe knife, spears, arms, daggers, and swords. Copper utensils, bowls, and ornaments. Ostrich eggs and feathers. The chief shops kept by Europeans are on the east side of the French town. The principal ones are — M. Bonnet's Bazaar Fromentin. — M. Bonnet collects the choicest pieces of native embroidery, jewellery, and curios. He also has a good supply of French articles, stationery, books, Algerian guides, pictures, photographs, English, Egyptian, and Havannah tobaccos, and is also always glad to give to traveller suseful local information, of which he has a large store, to change their circular notes and cheques (at 25 francs to the £), and to obtain from Algiers, Constantine, or Paris, such things as are not obtainable in Biskra. Further down the main street, in the Square Bechu, is a small circulating library {Location de Livres), where French novels and books can be borrowed, and stationery and photographs pur chased. Near by is a good cobbler's shop, where boots can be made and repaired, also a coiffeur (Perinaud), who sells tobacco, cartridges, and shops. 43 sporting requisites, and who lets out guns, and who generally has a useful dog for quail shoot ing. PJwtographs. — Excellent photographs can be obtained at the shop of M. Fernandus, near the Hotel Victoria, who has always a good collection, including local subjects, the ruins of Thimgad and Lambessa, and El Kantara. He develops and prints Kodak and other photographs for amateurs, or will provide them with a room for their work. (Befits for Kodaks and all photographic materials can be got from M. de Noter's, Eue Bab Azoun, Algiers.) M. Fernandus has generally lion, panther, mouflon, gazelle, hyaena, jackal, cat, fox, or other skins and heads for sale, as well as birds. He also cures and sets up trophies, and if he has not always a tame gazelle or two for sale he is able to obtain them for visitors for about 20 francs apiece. There is another very good photographer, whose studio is near the post office. Provision Merchants. — Sardon Freres, at the south end of the public gardens, and Gachouli, at the back of the same block of buildings, are the universal providers of Biskra, and supply almost every kind of provisions and stores, from tinned meats, vegetables, Huntley and Palmer's biscuits, pots and pans, and stable requisites, down to dog- chains and walking-sticks. Expeditions can be fitted out here, and boxes of dates of all sizes will 44 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. be forwarded to any part of the world by oolis postal, la grand or la petite vitesse. There are two good Chemist's shops at present, Dandrieu, near Sardon's, and Pujol, near the Hotel du Sahara. There is an excellent Doctor, Docteur Diquemare, who resides next door to Dandrieu, and can be thoroughly recommended. Failing Dr. Diquemare, the military doctor or aide-major of the garrison attends private patients. The Public Gardens are well kept, and have several streams of water flowing through them, and on the hottest days comfort and shade can be found under the long avenue of beautiful mimosas, and among the palms, pepper, mulberry, and other trees. To the east of the public gardens is the Fort St. Germain, named after a French officer, Com mandant du Cercle de Biskra, who was killed at Seriana, a neighbouring oasis, during an insurrec tion of the Zaatcha in 1849. The fort is 400 metres square, with bastions at each corner, and gates in the centre of the north and south ends. It is large enough to shelter the whole of the civil population in case of emergency, and here the people sought refuge in the rebellion of 1871. It contains barracks, officers' quarters, a public and military hospital, and is provided with wells. The public are permitted to pass through at all BUREAU ARABE — CHATEAU LANDON. 45 hours of the day. Here some tame gazelles are generally to be seen ; and one interesting relic of the Eoman occupation of the country is preserved within the fort in a Roman altar from the bridge at El Kantara dedicated to Mercury, Hercules, and Mars, by Eufus, centurion of the Third Legion. MERCVRIO. ET HERCVLI. ET MARTI. IVLIVS. RVFVS. LEG. III. AVG. The Bureau Arabe is on the west side of the town, and here application should be made for escorts, or information obtained from the authori ties with regard to the distant and unfrequented districts. Capitaine De Farge, who has charge of the Bureau Arabe, has a most beautiful collection of Eoman remains and lamps, discovered in this district, and will, with a letter of introduction, show it to visitors interested in antiquities. The Chateau Landon and Gardens. — -Comte Landon's garden at Biskra, though not very ex tensive, is one of the most beautiful in Algeria, and he gives the public and visitors every possible facility of visiting and enjoying it. It is situated on the banks of the Oued Biskra, and overlooks 46 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. the river-bed and the oasis of Alia beyond ; it is reached by passing the Village des Negres (at the turning off the Tougourt road that leads to Sidi Okbar). It is a veritable paradise of tropical trees, palms, bamboos, shrubs, and flowers, and is kept in beautiful order and prettily irrigated. His residence is in detached buildings, scattered through the grounds. In order that visitors may not be deterred from seeing the beauties of the place, a notice is posted outside the entrance doors, stating that the attendants are to receive no fees, though those who can afford it will probably not think a franc misplaced if given to those who show them round. The only church in Biskra, the Catholic Church, is situated in the south end of the public gardens. An English chaplain is expected next winter. There is one Mosque in the European quarter, at the north end of the market-place. The minaret and the palms round it are an effective addition to the view from the market-place. Close to the mosque is The Residence of the Kaid of Biskra, one of the most influential kaids in the Sahara. Those interested in falconry can see here the falcons of the kaid, and may have the opportunity at times of seeing them hawking in the desert. Rue des Ouled Nails. — This is the most picturesque street in the French town, with its THE OULED NAILS. 47 wooden balconies and gaily-dressed women of the I Ouled Nail tribe. It is situated south of the I market. The women of the Ouled Nails are / ladies of easy virtue, who gain their living in various towns of the Sahara, and are considered to be exceptionally beautiful when young. They are unveiled, are dressed in the most effective colours, and are often literally covered with gold, / coins, and jewellery. Their heavy gold necklaces, silver and gold brooches, large earrings, and bangles on arms and legs, are often very handsome and costly. All their wealth is secured in this j form. In the evenings, from 8 till 10, they frequent the cafes maures in the street to which they are confined, where they play, sing, and dance to a barbaric orchestra of pipes and tom-toms. The dancing does not agree with western notions of the Terpsichorean art. It is a slow movement of the feet, accompanied by gesture of the hands and arms, and a swaying and wobbling of the body. As a rule .there is nothmg beyond the unpleasantness of the stifling atmosphere of a crowded cafe to prevent ladies from being taken to see these performances. Some of the faces of the younger Ouled Nails are pretty, but they are all much disfigured by tattooing, and the painting of the eyes and eyebrows with coheul. Their fingers and hands and sometimes their hair are, like those of other Arab women, stained red with henna. 48 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. Though they paint themselves, they, in general with all Arabs, regard being painted or photo graphed by others as contrary to the rules of their religion. A few are found who will sit as models to artists, but these are always impatient under the process. It is said, but I fear not on sufficient authority, that most of these women after a few years of this life return to their tribe, attract husbands by their accumulated wealth, and make exemplary wives and mothers. Beni Mora is a small oasis on the north-west outskirts of Biskra, half a kilometre from the Hotel Victoria. A State experimental garden was started here some years ago, but abandoned. There is a cafe which is used as a sort of third- rate casino, and outside is the Tir aux pigeons, happily very little patronised. A good bird's-eye view of Biskra is obtained from the isolated Tock on the road to Beni Mora on which is one of the little forts which, with three or four others, forms one of the striking features in the landscape outside the oasis. A project is talked of, of building baths at Beni Mora and bringing the hot waters in pipes from la Fontaine Chaude. A new casino is being built near the Tougourt road, south-east of the French town. There are two Clubs, the Cercle Militaire and Cercle Civile, in the town. Balls are occasion- THE NATIVE VILLAGES. 49 ally given here, and at the Hotel de Ville during such times as the race week and the new year. The members of the clubs are very generous and free in issuing invitations to visitors as well as to residents. There is an ancient Koubba, or marabout, dedi cated to About Fadel, on the Ziban Eoad, near the south-west end of the oasis, which is conspicuous on account of its large white dome. The French Cemetery is situated outside the town to the north of the race-course; it is a dreary, ill-kept, ugly place, surrounded by a high mud wall ; it is devoid of grass, flowers, and trees, and is a melancholy collection of earthen mounds and hideous monuments, strewn with the horrible wreaths of wire and iron, beads and sham flowers with which the Europeans keep alive the memory of their departed friends. THE NATIVE VILLAGES. The Negro Village or Village des Negres, though by far the least interesting in respect to situation, construction, and surroundings, being situated nearest the French town, may be noticed first. It is situated on the east side of the Tougourt road, just beyond the town, near the river bank. Here E 50 BISKEA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. the descendants of negro slaves and those who have escaped from servitude in the south find a home and freedom, though they live in poverty. The negroes do most of the rougher and harder work in Biskra, stone breaking, gardening, scav enging, and building, and are usually willing, pleasant, and obliging. The women and old men are generally to be seen sitting in groups by their little mud houses, or spreading their kous-kous to dry in the sun. Little black-faced and white- toothed children are a merry sight playing in the streets, and are as importunate as their little Arab neighbours, and follow the visitor with a plaintive " mackash sourdi 1 " that is hard to resist. Some of these people make gay little baskets, trays, and boxes, by plaiting coloured wools with grass and palm fibre. Some of the negresses weave and make the common white burnouses, which are afterwards embroidered by the men. A dance at the negro village, which takes place there occa sionally, or which any of the Biskra guides can arrange to have performed by special request for a few francs, is well worth seeing once. The dance begins about 8.30 in the evening. A crowd of dusky forms squat on the ground or stand round the performers, who are just visible by the light of one or. two candles. Three or four drums or tom toms are beaten in a. certain rhythm, with a loud, harsh castanet accompaniment, and a monotonous A NEGRO DANCE. 51 chant is kept up by some of the bystanders. Two negroes, each with the long, double-ended negro castanets, like flattened dumb-bells, enter the ring and begin dancing round and round each other in quick, long lurching steps, and as they warm to their work, they feint at each other, groaning and keeping their castanets clanging and clacking the whole time; as the tom-toms are beaten louder and quicker the excitement of the per formers and onlookers increases, and the pace and action of the barbaric dance grows fast and furious, the most surprising feature being the time they keep up the exertion. When exhausted others take their places, and the ball is kept " a rowlin " for an hour or two. The whole scene is weird and curious, and the Englishman who sees it is forcibly reminded that he is far from his native land. A good view of the great river bed is obtained east of the negro village, which, save for a few weeks in winter, when occasionally it has the appearance of a raging sea, is a dry, white bed of stones and gravel, some 1200 yards across. Looking down the river, there will be noticed a koubba or marabout in the centre of the river bed. It appears little short of a miracle that this marabout, dedicated to Sidi Zerzour, should have withstood for centuries the winter floods in the Oued Biskra. This koubba stood formerly in the oasis, a fact f. 2 52 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. that speaks to the force of the floods. On the high eastern bank of the river, opposite the koubba of Sidi Zerzour, is the little oasis of Alia, whose palms hang over the steep cliffs. Below the negro village, on the left-hand side of the Tougourt road, is a large white block of buildings, standing in enclosed lands, which were erected by the late Cardinal Lavigerie. They are the barracks and chapel of Les Freres Anne's du Sahara, a religious order of armed brothers, insti tuted by the Cardinal, and formed to bring civilisation, agriculture, and Christianity into the far south, by the erection of a chain of stations. They are especially devoted to the object of libe rating slaves and affording refuge to the oppressed negroes from the slave-traders and raiders of the interior. Though they are armed, and subject to a quasi military discipline, they are not permitted to take the offensive against slaveholders and dealers. Visitors are permitted to see the build ings and gardens ; ladies are not, however, allowed beyond the chapel, which was fitted and decorated throughout by the brothers. Gentlemen are shown over the clean but anything but luxu rious quarters of the Freres Armes, and can inspect the armoury, gardens, and farm. The uniform of the order is a loose white tunic, with a large red cross on the breast, white loose trousers, and a large red fez. Visitors are expected to drop a THE TURKISH KASBAH. 53 donation into the box, near the entrance gate, towards the cause. Further down the Tougourt road, in the southern part of the oasis, below the native villages of Eas el Guerria and Medjenich, stand the desolate ruins of the ancient Turkish Kasbah (La Vieille Kasbah). The kasbah was a large mud-built citadel, erected on a high mound of . earth. Some portions of the loop-holed, mud-built battlements and bastions remain, and numerous caves in the sides of the mounds are pointed out as the former dwellings of the natives of Biskra. A romantic story attaches to the taking of Biskra by the French, the scene of which was the kasbah. On the 14th March, 1844, the Due d'Aumale marched into Biskra, and the Turkish garrison surrendered and handed over the fortress without bloodshed. The Due d'Aumale left a garrison of 68 in the kasbah, 8 of whom were French, and 60 Arabs, and went off to extend his conquests in the surrounding districts. On the night of the following 12th May, an adventurous Arab, Bel Hadj, succeeded in raising a number of his fellows, and sur prising the garrison, massacred the whole of the French officers, men, and Arabs in the kasbah, with the exception of one man, Sergeant-Major Pelisser, who alone escaped, and fled to Tolga (40 k), where he was kindly received by the Kaid. From Tolga Pelisser was able to send word to the Due d'Aumale Plate VI. To face p. 55. A GATEWAY IN LE VIEUX BISKRA. LE VIEUX "BISKRA. 55 The villages are: (1) M'Cid, east of the Tou gourt road between it and the river; (2) Bab-el- Ztherb (Bab-el-Derb, Bab-el-Darb, or Bab-el-Zerb), south-east of the Kasbah; (3) Ras-el-Guerria, west of the Tougourt road between the French town and the Kasbah ; (4) Sidi Barkat, west of Eas-el-Guerria ; (5) Medjenich, north-west of and close to the Kasbah; (6) Gadesha, south-west of the Kasbah; (7) Moselkara, south-east of. Gadesha ; (8) Zogag-el-Koleil, south of Bab-el-Ztherb on the Tougourt road ; (9) Bab-el-Rhalek ; and (10) Bab- el-Khroka, near Eas-el-Guerria. All these villages consist entirely of mud-built houses among the palms. 1. M'Cid is most easily reached by following the track along the river side beyond the Landon garden ; it is a pretty path, winding in and out among the palms, passing through native burial grounds and by the side of running saggias. It is worth a visit if only to see a very fine old cypress tree that grows in a garden there, and the Mosque of Sidi Malek. 2. Bab-el-Ztherb (or Darb) is a very pretty village, with picturesque houses, curious turns, and a good minaret to its mosque, the mosque of Sidi- Abd-el-Moumen. 3. Ras-el-Guerria {Geria or Grid), is approached by a long lane under the palm trees by a stream side, which leads from the south end of the Euro- L)4 BISKRA AND THE OASES OF THE ZIBANS. of what had occurred. The bones of the murdered garrison lie in the adjacent Arab cemetery. Curi ously enough the object of this attack and massacre was the passion of Bel Hadj for the pretty cantiniere of the garrison, Cantiniere Marie, and his deter mination to possess her. He carried her off, and kept possession of her for the long period during which he defied all the French efforts to capture him ; afterwards he escaped into Tunisia, where he kept la belle cantiniere for forty years as his wife. About the year 1889 he fled from the French again, when they entered Tunisia, and Marie, to the astonishment of all those who had heard the story of her abduction in- .1844, turned up one fine day at Biskra, having at last escaped to her own people from Bel Hadj. She laid claim to certain property that had belonged to her rela tives in the French army during the early days of the French occupation of Algeria, and the govern ment gave her a pension and property, upon which she retired to pass the remaining years of her adventurous life. Le Vieux Biskra. Le Vieux Biskra is the collective name given by the French to the native villages which are scattered through the oasis, to distinguish them from the French town. Plate VI. To face p. 55. ', - • 7 i.. '