The New York herald., 1876-02-04
THE VERGE Or SAHARA.
Progress of the French Exploration
Party Through South Algeria.
BISKRA EN-. NOKKEL.
A Franco-Arab City Born
i'll an Oasis.
LIFE AND CHARACTER SKETCHES.
The Wonderful Mirage Of the
Chott FL Mir.
BISKRA EN-. NOKKEL.
.lFE AND CHARACTER SKETCHES.

As Informed You in my last communication. the
town Of Biskra has undergone complete transforma
during the last four years At the time Of the oc
cupaton of the oasis by the French in 1874 the mod
Biskra did not exist just say to-day that
the old town does not exist now group of crooked,
toruous lanes tringed with certain numberof mud
cabins, with gardens of palm trees and overhangng
the extremity Of the oasis the crumbling ruins of
immense Kasbah-these, fact, are all that remains
Of the capital OF the Zibans, which occupied In
by the Romans, the Tunisians and the Arabs OF
Algers At distance of one kilometre beyond these
tottering runs rises the town-Biskra Nokkel
(BisKra of the Palm Treesl
Since 1874 the construction of Fort St Germain an
enormous square 200 metres Fashioned enclosing
barracks hospital and all the buildings necessary for
the accommodation of large garrison has been
menced In 1851 when the large barrack and the walls
which enclose it were finished the troops which
pied old Bskra to install themselves in It, bring
ing with them the few European traders who had fol-
lowed the expeditionary column The tranquility
! which regned and which the natives had never
enjoyed previous TO the French occupation, the
security the roads the efforts of the military author
ties attract the nomads all produced the best effects
and the present town grew up rapidly around Fort ST.
German. In 1871 the public squares and avenues
were, however still without any vegetation; during
the summer months 1t impossible to go out OF
doors such the heat of the sum- intensified by the
reflection from the white burnt EARTH and the slight
breeze raised clouds Of dust from the cayey soil
But now that the plantations thanks to the works of
irrigation have rendered the soourn in the de-
lghtfu where the temperature during the winter does
not exceed 80 deg, strangers beginning to
Biskra, which has become incontestably the most
charming of the which thrown in echelon
to the foot of the Aures Mountains
In contrast to Arab towns the streets wide and
straight and lighted up at night The greater
Der bordered with houses having arcades story
high and topped with terraces The market, the
schoohouse and the public buildings many little
monuments. Everywhere the water flows in streams
and preserves a perpetual verdure. In the principal
stree-that by which the town entered from the FL
Kantara road-we hnd at the Hotel du Sahara which is
the only refuge of travellers, amount Of comfort
which many Paris hotel cannot boast Of and which is
all the surprising because does expect
find home comforts in the desert All the remainder
oil this street. which is frnged with quasimonumenta
arcades is occupied by the public garden garden Of
acclimation where see aourishng side by side the
robust palm and trees OF various kinds such
the cocoa and the gum With the shade we find
refreshing GOODNESS, thanks to the numerous little
streams of water
CANALS IRRIGATION,
very skilfuly distributed through the oasis-which
its source is called Oued-outaia and oued Kantara,
following the custom in Algeria OF changing the
names OF according to the district they
water All this material prosperity is owing
to the initiative Of General Lacroix and to the
persistent and happily, successful efforts OF the
mandng oflcersof the district, Chcfde-bataon Crou-
yet II would be desirable to have many more such
works performed in the OF Algeria that above
all many other such officers as NJ Crouzet could be
found to execute them BY a singular chance the man
who had made such good use OF his authority left
Bskra for good the very day arrived, having been
recalled France with the rank OF lieutenant colonel
This excellent oicer-though am told hard hearted
man-could separate himself from his oasis with
out showing strong emotion, which increased still
by the taking of the principal coloniss who
made point OF honor mark their sense OF graft
tude by accompanying him FL Kantara to the
other side Of that desert which he had ertzed His
successor is Commandant Gales, and We have nothing
but praise to bestow for the good reception which he
and Captain Lefrod have given us.
During the ten days that have remained here two
English families inhabitants OF tho province
have come to stop at the Hotel du Sahara When will
tourists condescend to bestr themselves in their
turns The rock Constantine the ruins OF Lambese
the gorge Of Fl Kantara the hill OF STA and the
Bskra are the vchaltng places for the in the
lize all the daring feats OF travel-who perhaps are
still making it'a point to go "Around the World in
Eighty Daysn nightly at the Porte Saint Martin-put
their courage even TO the test of going to Touggourt
before reaching which they enabled TO form
OF the famous sand hills Of the desert But still not
OF them has yet mustered courage enough TO push
far as FL 0ued the capital OF the SouE would not
engage however, to go to Bskra during the summer,
for Notwithstanding the shade the heat is insupporta
bic The town seems deserted during portion of the
dav The garrison even is confined TO barracks from
nine A. NJ. TO five p NJ, and the Thermometer rises
and from 80 to 35 deg. centigrade (S6 to
95 deg Fahrenhet during the night We're net for
the precautions above mentioned cases OF sunstrokc
would be Of daily occurrence and eye diseases would
be very numerous With regard TO the latter /
have remarked that even the Arabs, accustomed as
they are their birth 10 the scorching heat of the
SUM- are frequently attacked with diseases Of the eye
which for want of proper care, often the loss
Of an eve or even total blindness Ophhalma is per-
manen RESIDENT It is created by the sun, the sirocco
and the dust and fostered by want OF cleanliness
Biskra is watering place, for at a distance Of
phur spring called Hammann Sahin after mara
bout saint which rivals the waters OF Lourdes and
La Saette radically curing rheumatic and skin dis
cases Il is true that the spring Is not the object OF
single pilgrimage and that people go there simply 10
should have to reproach myself II failed to men,
ton the secular school where the children Of Europeans
aud natives alike assduousy pursue their studies The
latter largely in the majority and learn to speak
purer French than the young Moors OF Algcrs. This
result is the director OF the FrancoArab school,
NJ Colombo who has superintended the education OF
The influential families OF the country, among others
that OF the present Aga Of Touggour and who during
the fifteen years he has spent at Biskra mas rendered
constant services the Of education, which Is
here OF such great importance.
The female school kept by the nuns Is no longer re.
auented by the natives the Sisters having committed
the grave error of trying 10 make proseytes have
even been told certain story OF a conversion which
caused tho greatest scandal In the OASIS and which re-
suited in the withdrawal from the school OF all the ma
tive children.
A few figures will be instructive.
THE NEW Town BsKRA
at present forms commune OF 1000 inhabitants OF
whom 600 are Europeans or naturalzed Jews Inc
old town, comprising seven different quarters, sun
contains q population Of nearly 6,OOO persons VINO
occupy themselves solely with the raising OF palm
trees The number OF these trees which are so charac
terc Of the Sahara region over l4O 900 IN the oasis
aud its vicinity. Before the French occupation the
owners Of palm trees had TO pay tax whlcn va 80
for the most part they abandoned their gardens TO
those who were willing to pay tho tax since then
nnh No mnnia hAVA noarlY doubled tho