Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/311

 north-west winds. The Romans had some purple dye-works at this port, which during the Middle Ages was much frequented by Italian and French traders, Since its occupation by the French in 1845, Collo has again become a flourishing seaport, doing a considerable export trade in minerals, cork, sardines, and other local produce.

About midway between Collo and Bougie stands the ancient seaport of Jijili, which still preserves in a slightly modified form its Libyan name of Igilgili, handed down by inscriptions from the very dawn of history. The tombs excavated in the cliffs along the coast are the work of Phœnician colonists, as shown by their perfect

resemblance to those of the old Syrian necropoli. During Roman, Byzantine, and Mediæval times, Jijili continued to enjoy a considerable degree of commercial prosperity; but after its capture by the Turks in 1514 it fell into decay, and at the French occupation in 1839 was little more than a fishing village. Since 1871, when the surrounding tribes were finally reduced, it has recovered some of its former trade, and the new town, laid out in regular shady streets, has spread within the fortifications from the old town to Fort Duquesne, erected on a rocky headland towards the south-east. Jijili, which is one of the healthiest places on the Algerian coast, is encircled by a fertile tract cultivated by Spanish and Maltese colonists.