It was a long time ago: someone launched the “duck” in one respected print publication about an extraordinary phenomenon that exists in the state of Algeria, in North Africa. And this “bird” began to fly from one publication to another, etc. And then it returned to the original print organ after about 30 years and a new round of the fairy tale about Ink Lake, also called the Eye of the Devil and poisonous, took place. Then they invented the Internet, and the fairy tale continued the journey, overgrown with new details ... However, everything once ends.
I'll tell you a story, my friend ...
In a distant land surrounded by sand, called Algeria, a lake arose in time immemorial, in whose birth the Devil himself took part. He somehow appeared in these places in order to buy the souls of the inhabitants of the town of Sidi Bel Abbes, and was very successful in his business. So much so that he did not have enough ink to draw up and sign contracts with those who wanted to sell something that was impossible to see and touch, but to which, for some reason, the Evil One attaches such great importance. And then, in order to complete such a successful business on human souls, the Devil turned the water in the nearest lake into ink.
Since then, the Ink Lake has gained a fame: its water is considered poisonous and hazardous to health, even if you don’t bathe in it, but simply stay close, because the fumes rising from the surface of the reservoir poison all living things around. There is a dead zone: birds do not sit near black water, fish are not found in it, and plants prefer to grow away from the damned place.
This tale, invented about Ink Lake many years ago, for many years (we can say, a century and a half) excites the minds of lovers of exotic.
Modern version of the story
The modern version of the tale even looks convincing. In the state of Algeria, there is an amazing lake, the water of which is identical in ink to its chemical composition.
The residents of the nearby city of Sidi Bel Abbes enjoy a bad reputation due to the legend associated with its formation, as well as due to its toxic composition. There is no living creature in the reservoir, since no living creature is able to withstand such conditions.
For a long time, scientists could not explain the phenomenon of the composition of the liquid filling the Ink Lake. But careful research allowed us to solve this riddle. The solution was simple: two rivers flow into the lake. One of them contains a large percentage of iron salts, and the second carries in its waters organic compounds from peat bogs through which it flows. Combining in a lake, two rivers form a chemical reaction, the result of which is ink.
The local population was divided into two camps. In one, there were adherents of the myth of the damned lake, and in the other, practical residents, who, armed with bubbles, organized the mass filling of containers with ink, which are very popular among tourists both in Algeria and abroad.
Objective reality
Residents of Sidi Bel Abbes, if they have heard about these terrible stories related to the lake, are clearly not going to follow the behavior that is attributed to them in these stories. Quite the contrary: on weekends, the shores of the lake are filled with afflicted people who want to relax near a cool reservoir from the hot city streets.
On Google maps, this pond really looks like an ink stain. But not a single river flows into it, which flow aside. So, there is nothing to derive a chemical reaction from. If you look for information about the lake in French, you can find a lot of videos where the local population, and not only, fish in a pond, children splash in the same place, different species of birds fly.
You might think that this is another lake, but the fact is that within a radius of 5 km only this body of water exists. It is sad, of course, that such a beautiful myth of the Ink Lake is dispelled, but the truth is more expensive.
A bit of history
The town of Sidi Bel Abbes owes its name to one of the descendants of the Prophet Mohammed, who held the post of Sharif. And his grandfather in ancient times settled in the Maghreb to preach the Word of Allah. Sharif died in 1780 and rests in a mausoleum on the banks of the Mekerra River. Around the grave of the holy man, people began to build their homes, as a result, a settlement was formed, and then a city.
In 1830, France colonized Algeria and the gradual settlement of Sidi Bel Abbes, which the French called "Little Paris", began. The life of immigrants in an African country, as well as the exotic features of nature, interested many readers of various publications. And the newspapers as they could try to satisfy the curiosity of readers.
The history of Ink Lake in Algeria began with the publication in one of the American popular science magazines on April 15, 1876. It was an ordinary “duck,” which other editions gladly reprinted.
Today on the Internet, unverified versions of some events or stories are also being transferred from site to site. And this is normal, but requires attention and a critical approach to information. That's all about the Devil's Eye or Ink Lake.