Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/229

 BIZEBTA. 185 possibly in reference to the famous Cato of Utica, so renowned for his high virtues and calmness in the presence of death. A thorough examination of the ground has brought to light the acropolis, aqueduct, cisterns, amphitheatre, theatre, hot baths, quays, and military port of Utica. By examining the relief of the land, the plan of the town, with its ramparts and buildings, has almost been reconstructed, and many objects of value have been found amongst the ruins, none of which are now visible above the ground. At the extremity of the rock of Utica flows a mineral spring whose waters are exceptionally rich in arsenical salts. East of the headland, on the opposite side of the plain now watered by the Mejerda, rises the cape on which stood the Castra Cornelia, or winter quarters of Scipio during his campaign against Carthage. The town of Rhar-el-Mclah, called Porto Farina by the Italians, is no longer a port, the alluvia brought down by the Mejerda having almost completely closed the passage by which its lake formerly communicated with the high sea. Bizerta, or rather Benzert, the corrupted form of the ancient PhoDnician Ilippo- Zaryte (Ilippo-Diarrhi/tus), lies mainly on the western bank of the shallow canal whence the town took its name of Diarrhytus, or the " Pierced." Thie houses of the European quarter stand on an islet between the two branches of the cantU, and a castle to the south of the bank is called BorJ-el-Zeiizila, or "Castle of the Chain," from the chain which formerly barred the passage at this point. Bizerta presents a fairly imposing appearance, thanks to its walls flanked with towers and its quadrangular kasbah, which stands at the very mouth of the canal. Should its aspirations ever be realised, it will become a considerable city, and the chief arscnul of the French possessions in Africa. Except the strait of Messina, no other harbour could be more advantageously situated than its lake both for sheltering the navy and for guarding the most frequented passage of the Mediterranean. Vessels of more than twenty tons burden are now obliged to anchor in the offing of Bizerta. The coral fisheries, which were conceded to the French Government long before the annexation of Tunisia, formerly gave employment to some twenty Sicilian barks trading under the French flag. There are now scarcely a dozen boats engaged in this pursuit ; but fishing, especially for mullet, and the preparation of botargo, gives employment to a great many sailors. The fisheries are monopolised by a Marseillaise company, who rent it annually. The Andalusian Moors, who occupy a separate quarter outside the walls, and the Maltese immigrants, impart a certain animation to the town, which, however, is not yet of sufficient importance to justify France in laying the railway which was conceded to them in the first year of the conquest. Some of the villages near Bizerta are surrounded with well- cultivated lands ; amongst them is the charming Menzd-cl-Jcniil, or the " Pleasant Retreat," situated on an escarped hill north-west of the lake. The Tunisian shores west of Bizerta are an " iron-bound coast," shunned by mariners. With the exception of Beja, there are no inland towns ; the Mogod, Amdum, and Nefza populations were still nearly independent some years ago, and the Khumirs had frequently repulsed the troops which came to collect the taxes. Tubarka, the Tabrnca of the Romans, a few miles from the Algerian frontier, is •AP