A few miles from the Kubben Romeah, is the mouth of the Masaffran, the eastern boundary of this province, a river very little inferior to the Shelleff. In passing through the several deep vallies of that part of Mount Atlas, where some of its branches have their fountains, it runs in such a variety of mazes and turnings, that I crossed it fourteen times in an hour. The name of Masaffran*, was probably attributed to it from the tawny or saffron colour of its water. CHAPTER IV. Of the most remarkable inland Places and Inhabi tants of the Western Province, or the Province of Tlemsan. If we return then to the westward, five leagues to the southward of the mouth of the river Tafna, is the city Tremesen, as the modern geographers write it, or Telemsan or Tlemsan, according to the Moorish pronunciation. It is situated upon a rising ground, below a range of rocky pre cipices. Το γαρ ταφες (της Αιαντος) τα προς τον αιγιαλον, έφασκεν τον τ8 επικλυκαι θάλασσαν, και τον έσοδον προς το μνήμα 8 χαλεπην ποιησαι. Paus. in Attic. Han. 1613. p. 66. Καταβασι δε εκ ακροπολεως, μνημα επι #gos Jaλacon Aλɛyos. Id. ibid. p. 82. vid. annot. V. Cl. Abr. Gronov. in P. Melam. * Mazafran, fulvus; ex fulvo rubens. Vid. Gol. in voce. " cipices, the Sachratain (as we may take them, to be) of Edrisi: these make a part of Mount Atr las; and upon the first ridge of them, (for there is a much higher one to the southward), we have a large strip of level ground, that throws out from every part of it a number of fountains. These, after uniting gradually into little rills, fall in a variety of cascades, as they draw near to Tlemsan. In the west part of the city, there is a large square bason of Moorish workmanship, two hundred yards long, and about half as broad. The inhabitants entertain a tradition, that formerly the kings of Tlemsan took here the diversion of the water, whilst their subjects were taught the art of rowing and navigation. But the water of the Sachratain, as Leo well observes, being easily turned off from its ordinary course, this bason might have been rather designed for a reservoir in case of a siege; not to mention the constant use of it at all other times, in preserving a quantity of water sufficient to refresh the beautiful gardens and plantations that lie below it. Edrisi takes notice of a structure of this kind, where the fountain of Om-Iahia discharged itself. Most of the walls of Tlemsan have been built, or rather moulded in frames, a method of build, ing which Pliny informs us, (l. xxxv. c. 14.) was used by the Africans and Spaniards in his time. The mortar of which they consist is made up of sand, lime and gravel; which, by being at first well tempered and wrought together, has attain ed ed a strength and solidity not inferior to stone. The several stages and removes of these frames are still observable, some of which are at least one hundred yards in length, and two yards in height and thickness; whereby may be estimated the immense quantity of this compost that was made use of at one time. About the year 1670, Hassan, then Dey of Algiers, laid most of this city in ruins, as a punishment for the disaffection of the inhabitants; so that there is not remaining above one sixth part of the old Tlemsan, which, when entire, might have been four miles in circuit. Among the eastern part of these ruins, we meet with several shafts of pillars, and other fragments of Roman antiquities; and in the walls of a Mosque, made out of these old materials, we have a number of altars dedicated to the Dii Manes; but the following was the only legible inscription: D. M. S. M. TREBIVS ABVLLVS VIX. AN. LV. M. TRE FECIT. Gramaye* informs us, that Rabbi Abraham had seen several medals dug up in this place, inscribed, TREMIS. COL. a city, I presume, not known in the old geography; for Timicet, from some supposed affinity in the name, has been generally, though *Afric. illustr. c. 25. + Atl. Geogr. vol. iv. p. 313. though with as little reason, taken for Tlemsan; whereas Ptolemy's Lanigara will better agree with this situation. There is some room likewise to conjecture, that Tlemsan may be an appellation of Arabic extraction, on account of the rich arable ground which lies round about it. Upon the banks of the Isser, which is the eastermost branch of the Tafna, we fall in with the baths of Seedy Ebly; and after them we enter upon the rich plains of Zeidoure, which extend themselves through a beautiful interchange of hills and vallies, to the very banks of the Wed el Mailah, at xxx M. distance. These have no small affinity with the dogs of the Greeks; an appellation that denotes such plenty and fertility as we every where meet with in these plains. About the middle of them is the Shurph el Graab, or the pinnacle of the ravens, a high pointed precipice, with a branch of the Sinan running by it. The Welled Halfa and Zeir are the principal Arabs of this part. Six leagues to the S. of the Sinan is Jibbel Karkar, a high range of rocky mountains, which bend our prospect to the south. Beyond them are the mountains of the Beni-Smeal, with the Arabs Harar, a little beyond them in the Sahara. After them again, at the distance of five days journey to the S. S. W. are the villages of Figig, noted for their plantations of palm trees, from which VOL. I. K * Derived perhaps from Telem, (sulcus terræ, speciatim face tus sementis ergo) and San, (formare.) Vid. Gol, in voce. which the western parts of this province are sup plied with figs. Beyond the river Mailah, as far as Warran, is the Shibkah, as they call a very extensive plain of sandy saltish ground, which is dry in summer, but covered with water in the winter season. The Ammer have their encampments in this neighbourhood, who from their long intercourse with the Spaniards, whilst they were masters of Warran, retain several of their customs, and speak their language with great propriety. To the southward of the Shibkah, are the noted mountains of Souf el Tell and Taffarowy, which make part of Mount Atlas. The extensive ruins of Arbaal lie on the one side, and those of Tessailah on the other. The latter, which from an affinity in the name, might belong to the ancient Astacitis, are surrounded with some of the most fertile plains of this country, cultivated by Weled Aly, the implacable enemies of the Weled Zeir and Halfa. Crossing afterwards, nearly in the same parallel, the rivers Makerra and Hamaite, both of which fall into the Sigg, we come to Mascar, a collection of mud-walled houses, built in the midst of a plain, at ten leagues distance from Musty-gannim. There is a little fort to defend it against any sudden revolt of the neighbouring Arabs, which is not garrisoned as usual by Turks, but by its own inhabitants. The Hashem, who are the Bedoweens of this part of the country, are called Jowaite, or gentlemen, being excused from |