The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-07-11

lost nearly all it's original coating
of glazed tiles. Encased in its thick
walls are monumental stones, from the
! still older Roman city Pomparia, which
occupied the same site as Aghadir,
more than two thousand years ago.
The stones are hewn; many are carved,
inside and out, with Latin Inscriptions,
now almost effaced, and on several may
be traced the dim word, Pomparia.
The upper part of the minaret is brick,
probably of later date than A. D. 7s9,
when the mosque was erected.
A few yards lower down the fortif-
cations commence. The road passes
through the crumbling arch of a gate
way which was named after Sidi
Daoubi, the patron saint of Aghadir,
whose tomb lies a few feet below.
Descend little farther into the charm
ing valley of Oued Kalia-Oued being
the Arab word for river, and Kalia the
name of brawling little brook fed by
mountain streams. A walk through
groves and gardens, under fig, olive,
ash, elm and walnut trees, leads you
close under the second or outer line of
the walls and towers of vanished Agha-
dir; and thence to very old Arab
burial ground, with Marabouts of
saints and limewashed Koubbas glis-
tening in the sun. The cemetery is so
beautifully situated that one would sup
pose the dead saints would arise from
their tombs to gaze at the scene, and is
shaded by ash and elm trees of enor-
| nous size.
On the way back, you may wander
through the dense olive-groves which
the French rulers of Tlemcen have
christened the Bots de Boulogne.
A bright stream eddies and sparkles
at the foot of gray old walls covered
with climbing plants; fg-trees and
terebinths grow in the chinks and
crannies of shattered towers; deep is
the shadow, sweet is the violet-sented
air; and you find it difficult to believe
that this is really far-off desert Africa!
All travellers are astonished at the
cool fresh verdure of Tlemcen. which is
doubly refreshing after the many miles
of sterility one is obliged to cross on
the way here-immense areas, already
scared by the hot airs of early summer
The change is due to the remarkable
climate of Lalla Setta mountain, where
rains fall continually from October to
May, and abrupt variations of temper.
allure cover as much as fifty degrees.
The Sireco, dreaded south wind rarely
blows in this favored locality. Frost,
though never severe, is not uncommon,
and snow occasionally lies on the ground
a fortnight at time. The whole neigh
borhood, irrigated by numerous springs
and streams, is highly cultivated, and
the luxuriance and abundance of apple,
peach, pear, cherry, almond, fig and
olive trees explains the name of Poma-
ria bestowed by the Romans.
| The winters are too cold for orange
or lemon trees to flourish, but the olive
trees are wonderfully fine and produc-
tive. 1t is said that every olive tree is
worth at least fifteen francs a year,
| and the number OF young trees planted
| by the colonists indicates that the cult
walton is profitable.
Another interesting ramble takes you
out of Tlemcen by the gate ofBouMedin;
whence you follow the highway to Dram,
perhaps $50 yards, past the ruined mint
! and over bridge which spans the Oued
Kalia. The path leads along the rivers
edge; on one side the public gardens, on
the other extensive remains of walls
and towers. This edge of the old city
being most exposed, was naturally most
strongly fortified, and the crumbling
towers are set thick as lamp-posts on
Broadway. Close by it is the Christian
cemetery, in a sad state of neglect and
dilapidation, regret to say.
FANNIE B. WARD.
An Interstate Complication.