Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/227

 BEJA— DUGGA. 188 soon be connected with the main Tunisian railway system by a branch line, which will tap a rich and extensive agricultural district. During the fairs it is visited by dealers from all parts, and its population is then nearly doubled. The surround- ing district has retained the six?cial name of Frikia, fonnerly applied to the whole Roman province ; thus by a curious contrast this term of "Africa" is on the one hand restricted to a small rural district, whilst on the other it has been extended to the whole continent. The numerous mines, situated in the hills north of Beja, will soon be traversed by the railway running to Gape Serrat and Tabarka. The basin of the We<l Khallad, which falls into the Mejerda at the mouth of the gorges, is one of those Tunisian districts which most abound in the finest Roman remains. In the upper valley of the tributary are Zenfur, the ancient AsHuras, and Mesf, formerly Mtisfi, with their remains of temples, theatres, triumphal arches, and mausoleums. Farther down Dntjria, the ancient Phoenician and Roman Thuyfja, is still more interesting from an archaeological point of view, for here are still to be seen nearly the whole series of public monuments which usually ornamented the great cities under the Roman Empire. The famous bilingual (Punic and Libyan) inscription, discovered in IGJU by Thomas d'Arcos, and the study of which led to the reconstruction of the Berber alphabet, has been detached from the superb mausoleum, of which it formed one of the faces, and deposited in the British Museum. But the Arabs employed by Read to carry out this work have unfortunately demolished a large portion of the building, and the entrance of the sepulchral chambers is now obstructed by heaps of overturned blocks. About 3 miles north of Dugga lies the little modem town of Tehursuh, in the midst of olive-trees which yield the best oil of this region. Here also stood a Phoenician city, restored by the Romans, and manj' ancient ruins "are still to be seen, more especially around the copious spring near which stood the town of Thihitrsicum Bare. West of Tebursuk rise the escarpments of the Jebel Gorrha, said to be one of the richest in veins of argentiferous lead ; but these mines, pierced with many himdred galleries by the Romans and Carthaginians, are no longer worked, although they could be easily connected with the main Tunis railway by a branch line. The fluvial basin of the Wed Siliaua, which falls into the Mejerda north-east of Tebursuk, is scarcely less rich in old ruined cities than that of the Wed Khallad. The site formerly occupied by the " mysterious Zanm " is sought for in this basin as well as in those of the Meleg and of the Wed Khallad. Not far from the Kessera plateau, which is covered with numerous dolmens, are the still imposing ruins of the oppidum Mactaritanum, the Mnktcr of the present day. The camp of Suk-el-Jeman, situated on a neighbouring plateau, has been selected as an inter- mediate station between Kef and Kairwan. This spot is the strategical centre of the whole of Tunisia south of the Mejerda. Below the confluence of the Wed Siliana. Tcntur, a small town of great anti- quity, standing on the right bank of the Mejerda, is mainly peopled by " Anda- lusian" Moors, whose industry has surrounded it with well- cultivated gardens and fields. Farther down on the same bank the hamlet of Slughia is peopled with