Our planet is replete with a considerable number of mysterious and mystical places. And the lakes among them are no exception. True, we often associate the latter with the now legendary Loch Ness with its monster. However, in Africa there is such a mysterious lake - Funduji. And a mystical halo around him is put on not only because of the sacred status of the local tribe, but also because of real phenomena that are difficult to explain. And the thing is that from this lake... it is impossible to take away even a drop of water.
Since ancient times, Funduji has been considered a sacred lake among the local population. For a long time it was believed that it was for this reason that the neighboring tribes never settled next to him, did not fished there and did not even replenish water supplies with its help - and in fact in South Africa there have always been Problems. In addition, according to the beliefs of local residents, it is simply unrealistic to take the water of this lake with you. And every year the tribes made sacrifices to the mythical monster Funduji to appease him.
The lake became known to the general public only from the beginning of the 20th century, when deposits of chrome ores were found in this region - it was then that European expeditions became actively interested in it. During one of which the lake was mapped.
But the members of the expedition encountered a very strange trend: for some reason, the locals were very reluctant to show the way to the lake. The initial reason for this behavior was considered only the sacred status of this place. However, in reality, everything turned out to be not so simple.
Hearing local legends about the monster of Lake Funduji, back in the forties of the last century, scientists conducted a number of geological studies, which were aimed at studying the possibility of mining in this area of chromium ore. And, not surprisingly, not a single monster or any other mystical phenomenon was revealed there. The researchers were also interested in another lake anomaly, which the locals spoke about.
So, they argued that it was impossible to take water away from it, and the one who touched it would soon leave this world. In 1955, Professor Henry Burnside and his assistant Thacker decided to check this legend: they filled containers of various materials with lake water: porcelain, glass and plastic. And then they intended to move a few kilometers away and already there to study the samples taken.
However, the next morning, when the scientists were ready to begin the analysis, they suddenly discovered that all the vessels where the samples were, were simply empty. Then they returned and took another water intake. Moreover, Professor Burnside also tested the taste of the liquid on himself: he dipped his finger into the lake and licked it. So he discovered that the taste of this water is bitter-rotten. During the day they watched the vessels and nothing happened, but in the morning they were all empty again.
Burnside wanted to go back to the shores of the lake again and analyze samples on the spot, but he felt unwell, in connection with which the researchers went to the nearest city for medical help. Unfortunately, this did not help the professor: every day he felt worse, and eight days later he died. It was later revealed that inflammation of the small intestine was the cause of Burnside's death.
After this tragic episode, no serious scientific research was carried out on Lake Funduji. The reasons were the unstable situation in South Africa and the general remoteness of the area from civilization. However, this does not mean that today there is no scientific basis for those mystical events observed in this place. In fact, there is no magic or curses in the nature of these anomalies. The reason is the chrome ore deposits located in the immediate vicinity, which, in fact, led the Europeans to Funduji.
Any chemist will tell you that chromium salts are dangerous to the human body. Moreover, the concentration of this metal in the lake is such that even a few drops of it were enough to poison the poor professor with toxins. The high concentration of chromium also explains the phenomenon of disappearing water, which cannot be carried away with you.
The thing is that at temperatures below plus 19 degrees Celsius, chromium particles in water begin to crystallize. Accordingly, the liquid does not disappear anywhere from the vessels - it simply passes from a liquid to a solid state, concentrating on the bottom and walls of the container.
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True, only a part of Funduji's mysteries has been fully disclosed by scientists - some of them still give the lake an aura of mystery. So, for example, it has not yet been clarified how it is calm in water with a high concentration of chromium there is a huge number of crocodiles, which are also sacred animals for local residents.
And the diet of these reptiles is unclear, because fish do not live in such conditions, and other animals also do not use this lake as a watering hole. Perhaps one day the answers to these questions will be found, but in the meantime the mysterious Funduji continues to hold the title of one of the most mystical places in Africa.
In addition to the topic: mysterious places can also be found in the domestic open spaces - 9 mysterious places in Russia that attract fans of mystical tourism
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/030121/57319/
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