----------------+------+------+--------+--------+-------------+------- | | | | | Bir | |Sikait| Bir | Bir | Bir Abu| Shadli[115] | Bir | Well.|Masur.|Metawit.|Hamamid.+-------+-----|Helie. | | | | | I. | II. | +------+------+--------+--------+-------+-----+------- Total solid | | | | | | | matter in | | | | | | | solution | 7,360| 880| 4,020| 1,720| 2,380 |2,980| 4,040 ----------------+------+------+--------+--------+-------------+------- Cl | 1,263| 57| 1,027| 225| 555 | 749| 323 | | | | | | | SO3 | 2,530| 263| 1,042| 318| 540 | 776| 1,447 | | | | | | | CaO | [116]| 200| 350| 330| 310 |[116]| 610 | | | | | | | MgO | [116]| 29| 116| 87| 69 |[116]| 211 +------+------+--------+--------+-------------+------- Equivalent of | | | | | | | Cl as NaCl | 2,075| 94| 1,687| 370| 912 |1,231| 530 | | | | | | | Equivalent of | | | | | | | SO3 as Na2SO4 | 1,850| 1,377| 466| 550| 960 |1,377| 2,569 | | | | | | | Alkalinity to | | | | | | | methyl orange | | | | | | | calculated as | | | | | | | NaHCO3 | 500| 222| 550| 848| 298 | 260| 651 ----------------+------+------+--------+--------+-------+-----+------- All the above waters were quite drinkable, though that of the Sikait well was rather disagreably salty. An analysis of the water of one of the Halaib wells in 1895 is given by Dr. Natterer,[117] who found (in parts per million):— Cl 336 SO4 449 CO3 48 Dr. Natterer records that the sample, which was clear, tasted slightly alkaline, and contained very distinct traces of nitrites and nitrates, free carbon dioxide, free ammonia, and organic matter. During my stay of four days at Halaib in May 1908, I drank regularly of the local well-water; I found it very hard, and though the Arabs seemed to like it, its action on myself was so strongly aperient that I sent into the mountains to Bir Frukit for purer supplies for use on the long march to Port Sudan.