The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-17
SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SPOT
HAMMAM MESKOUTINE, TIE
"BATHs OF THE CURSED"

In the Be6rt OF Algerla-A OuperI
Eot- Water Fall Gives Forth an
Abundance of Steam-History Of the
Cones and Springs and the Stories
Told in Connection With Them.
From Chambers Journal
Hammam Meskoutine or the "Baths OF
the Cursed, " is q lovely little resort in the
heart OF Algeria, within easy Teach OF Al
giers, Bone, or Constantine. 1t is rather
too far from Algiers to be got at in single
day. But by travelling all day to Constan-
tine and sleeping there one may then take
the O'Clock train in the morning, Whlch
reaches Meskoutine at $50.
Forests of olives and thickets Of scrub
gladden. the eyes and tell of the game which
is here plentiful enough to make Meskou-
tine worth visiting for the guns sake alone
And so, having passed through two or
three defiles we finally draw up In more
open country, with hills in the distance on
all Sides and with green meadows and dark
woods far and near over the plateau.
1t is previously hot; but then no wonder,
for the very streams in the gullies are Of
warm water, and If you are near one or
other of the many springs which here burst
from the ground they may be warm enough
to scald you.
The writer, when he left the train at Mes
Routine on a fine May morning, did so in
company with two or three rich Arabs in
gay apparel and a family or Jews and jew
esses with enough gold about their persons
to keep them for years. These were some
of the clients of the baths of the cursed.
By and by we saw one OF the ladies in one
of the baths, draped in a sheet, and there
was alook of pain in her eyes. Here at the
station. however, though it is fashionable
resort for Europeans as we'll as Africans,
was none of the tumult OF welcome with
which porters and domestics assail the Wis
itor at other "bath" cities.
Two or three tawny individuals lounged
against the palings Of the little flower gar
den OF the station, but offered no aid to any
one. Jews, Arabs and Europeans were left
TO look after themselves as best they could.
1t is a walk of but three or four minutes
TO the bath establishment and some or the
various wonders of Meskoutine. Wonderss
you ask Why, yes; there's no doubt the
word is applicable here.
For, ere you have walked quarter Of a
mile, you come face TO face with a superb
waterfall, hot-water fall, which makes you
hold your breath from admiration and the
plentitude OF its steam. Yet IL is not at all
of water. For the most part it is rigid,
like thing Of ice. 1t is, in fact, mainly a
petrifaction.
The calcareous deposit In the hot springs
above has incrusted the rocks, so that they
have the corrugated appearance and some
thing Of the color Of barley sugar. Here
and there, over and between the still masses,
there is an ooze or trickle of warm water,
adding to the work already done.
Grass and flowers grow we'll by the sides
of this nutritious waterfall, though the
whitened soil in the neighborhood does not
seem adapted for ventilation of any kind.
You climb to the level of the top of the
cascade and then see, close by, number
Of odd-looking cones and columns standing
up from the blanched surface of the ground.
The soil is hot to the hand, and you tread
with an echo.
The springs either were or still are under
foot. making for the vents by the cascade.
There they bubble up merrily with a tenn
perature of more than 300 Fair.
litter Of eggshells and fowls feathers by
the edge of them tells of the purpose they
serve to the residents OF Meskontine. What
is the use of lighting domestic fires when
nature offers her kitchen for human service
night or day all the year roundf
And SO here the dinner Is cooked and the
clothes are washed in one or other of the
little basins by which the springs eddy up
to the daylight Though the Arabs give
the baths so impolite name, and tell
various weird tales about them, they love
them well.
You see two or three of them, wrapped in
their burnouses, lying all white, save their
faces near the foot of the cascade, fast
asleep in the shade.
But the cones Well, to borrow the
dgurative explanation of French
authority, they look like a procession OF
gigantic phantoms suddenly petrified.
Some are six or seven feet in hight, and
some are fourteen or fifteen feet.
They mark the site of ancient springs now
subsidized. At one time each of these cones
was but the mere ruin or lip of basin in
which the hot water bubbled as we see it al
the top of the cascade
Thus the water continued TO boil upward
in jets. like the geysers, for centuries, grad
ually-by the deposit of lime which fell
from raising the hight of Its lip. Amor
the subterranean force which impelled Il
vertically weakened.
The cone had attained its full stature
The springs one by one found other exits
and the cones themselves closed their ORR
fees. Such is the matter-of-fact history Of
the eccentric rock masses
The Arabs, however, have their owr
theory about the things. King Solomon
they say, here created baths for all the
world, and put them in charge of a
number Of genii who were deaf, dumb and
blind.
The cones are these genii. And the worthy
guardians, who still think that King Solo.
mon Is alive, continue to keep the baths
warm, as they did at the first, for the use OF
the kings subjects.
IL is supposed TO be a matter of great
difficulty to announce to these afflicted
genii the fact that their master is dead.
The fact is, therefore, that they will con.
tinue 10 warm these baths until the end of
time.
There is also another tale which is less
pleasant. A certain rich Arab had two
children, a boy and girl, both of remark
able beauty. These children loved each
other with exceeding affection.
When they grew up their love remained
unchanged, indeed increased until it became
uncomfortable, and so they resolved 70
marry each other. The cadi of the tribe.
after protest, agreed to sanction the mar.
riage-they were so rich and so lovely a
couple that it seemed to him and his neigh
bors that even heaven itself would forgive
such crime In their case
The marriage day arrived. The concourse
OF visitors was immense. Il was a calm
bright morning, audl.all the auguries were
hopeful.
The preliminaries of the marriage were
soon settled, and then feasting and dancing
began. The married couple were about to
withdraw to their tent. when suddenly a
fearful tempest broke upon them; there
was an earthquake, flames shot up in their
midst, and boiling water rose into the air.
When at length this diabolical storm aud
outbreak abated nothing was left of the
bride and bridegroom, the cadi and the