The times., 1900-12-31

| Fahrenheit AS this heat is, however, ex-
| tremely enervating to the bather. 1t is ad-
visable to order the bath beforehand and
| to allow Ii time to cool to a REASONABLE
| temperature. The tramway which runs
| to the baths passes first under palms and
mimosa through the exquisite oasis OF
Beni-Mo out into the desert. taking
| about three-quarters of an hour.
| In the afternoon there are excursions,
| driving riding, on horses or camels, to
| the enyirons and to the neighboring GASES,
and. after dinner. concerts. operettas.
petits chevaux, and baccarat at the
Casino, or visits to the numerous Moorish
! cafes in the town, where may he seen the
native girls dancing their strangely mon
otonous Arab dances to the no less mon
| otonous accompaniment of Arab music,
strident tom-toms and ear piercing pipes.
intended only, one is told, as an accom-
| paniment to the distracted thoughts of the
| listener, while he sips the sweetened
coffee and smokes innumerable cigarettes.
The rather squalid haunts of the hashish
smokers may also be visited; excellent
guides are to be found at the hotels. all
of whom speak French, and some little
! English. Travellers who visit Biskra. un-
less for health, usually stay a day or two
only; but it is really worth a longer visit.
A fortnight certainly can be pleasantly
.
expedition by diligence to the important
oasis and city of Pugart can be under
taken. There is also fairly good shooting
within easy reach; chamois, and the mouf-
Ion, which are really Barbary sheep,
abound between Biskra and Ell Kantara.
and for these expeditions the services of
one Of the numerous trustworthy guides
can be requisitiGned.
feature OF Biskra is the curious villa
of Count Landon. which he kindly allows
to be shown to visitors during the after
| noon. The various rooms are not under
| one roof but are isolated and distributed
in different parts Of the splendid tropical
| gardens in which are successfully ac-
climatized many rare fruit trees, shrubs,
| and other plants. Very charmingly do
the hours slip away in these enchanted
gardens. remote from the noises of the
| town. remote from the world Screened
| from the MONDAY sun by thickest tropical
vegetation, one can repose in the heat of
| the day in the Arab salon where day
| light filters in sparingly through hanging
masses of vivid bougain yilleas, stroll
| later through groves of feathery bamboo,
! and orange gardens golden with fruit and
heavy with the voluptuous scent If bl0s-
| som, and, finally watch from the river
| terrace the scarlet glory of the sinking
sun, most splendid of natures many
| splendid pageants. most glorious of God S
many glorious gifts, TRANSPORTING in a
] blaze of rose-colored fire the grey Sill
| houetted outline OF the distant Djebel-
Metlili, and touching with magical rays
the golden waves of the Sahara and the
| island oases of Lalia and F'iliash.
This same sunset hour is one of the
| daily charms of life in the desert and the
northern traveller must stand spelibound
before such riot of southern coloring
| should like to say that during a two
months tour in Algeria and Tunis in the
height of the recent Anglophobia 1 ex-
perienced nothing but the utmost civility
and kindness from all classes. both Of
Frenchmen and Arabs. Where the re-
verse has been experienced may it not
have been because our countrymen are
occasionally. as n modern novelist has
wittily told US, too consDicuously dress
ed in the Union Jack?"