These observations could be supported by the notes collected during an extended stay at Fort Matifou in 1837, supplemented during several subsequent excursions and recently revised during a week devoted to the rediscovery of this fascinating region.

Although these notes were originally intended for a book on African archaeology, the possibility of imminent colonisation projects at Cape Matifou prompted their publication in order to share the information gathered at the site.

According to Berbrugger's writings, Latin inscriptions discovered at Matifou, as well as references in ancient documents such as Antonin's Itinerary, attest to the existence of the Roman colony of Rusgunia, the ruins of which are still visible.

The first, via the Rassauta and Hadjira fords, was safer but longer, while the second, via the Bordj-el-Kifan route, was shorter but involved risks associated with the quicksand at the mouth of the Oued El-Khemice.

According to his writings, the Maherzat quarries, mistaken by the locals for Christian ruins, revealed terraces dug by the Romans to extract the stones, offering a spectacle reminiscent of Cyclopean constructions.