The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1857-07-18

mate, and beautifully diversified scenery
for want of other comparisons have beer
compelled to designate it as the "Garder
OF the World" while Others have Spoken
of it as an Earthly Paradise, and only
wanting the artificial improvements tt
make it such; and Others, with theil
minds set on the early history of the hu.
man family, speak of it as veritable
EDEN.
Ii is not our purpose to confirm or deny
the truthfulness of their allegations; but
simply to hint, nsodestly, that it is not i'm
possible that the Valley of the Kansas was
indeed the Eden in which our first parents
were created. We do not suppose the
country would possess any greater attrac-
tions in the estimation of intelligent per-
sons, even if this were the case, or other
wise; and yet, if it is true. they would be
glad to know it. We purpose removing
every doubt from the mind of the reader,
before we leave the subject; if we fail it
viii be for the want Of facts.
Moses appears to locate the Garden in
Asia, on the Euphrates, by what author
ity we do not design to inquire. 1t is
evident that it was at point very distant
from where the Ark rested, on Mt. Ara
rat, from the fact that it was one hundred
and fifty days floating upon the water, dur
ing which time the foundations of the
great deep were broken up, torrents fell
from Heaven, "and all the mountains
were covered" and the "Ark went upon
the face of the waters" For nearly six
months Noah and his companions were
drifting about at the mercy of the winds
and waves. tits prepostsrous to suppose
that in THAT long period a vessel would
have made the distance Of only one or two
hundred miles; on the contrary, it is more
reasonable to suppose that it made half
the circuit of the earth. Were the earth
at this moment one vast body of water,
and should ship of the largest dimen-
sions-such as the Ark is described as be-
ing-set adrift from this point in Kansas,
would it not probably arrive, in the course
of half year, on the eastern side of Asia.
1t will be ''recollected that Columbus was
strengthened in his conviction that the
Indies could be reached by sailing west
ward, because of the arrival on the west
ern coast of Europe, after long westerly
winds, of various substances not common
to that climate. Those same winds pre-
vailed, no doubt, while Noah was coursing
over the boundless ocean, of which him.
self and family were the only voyageurs
Commencing in the autumn, and blowing
constantly in one direction, with no OBJ
structions, such as are now experienced by
the interposition of continents and islands,
and of which the trade winds are good il
Illustrations, it is very evident that Noah
would have naturally made the long jour-
ney alluded to between the Garden of
Eden-now known as Kansas-and Mt.
Ararat.
It may be objected that Noah himself
was not resident of Eden. Very true:
but it appears he resided near that spot
Cain and his family had journeyed east
ward, and established himself probably
within the present limits of Missouri; hut /.
the other descendants of Adam remained |
in the vicinity of the birthplace of hui
mainly, after his forcible election there
from by the Lord, and his descendants
had grown exceedingly populous and
wicked. It was because of this wicked
Hess that the Governor of the Universe /
determined upon destroying every living
thing upon the earth, save q single pair
of each species.
Does the geography of Kansas agree
with the description of Eden, as described /
BY Mosess
aAnd river went out of Eden to water |
the garden; and from thence it was part |
ed, and became into four heads. Gen. ii: |
10.
That river now bears the name of Kan
sas, and its four branches are known as
Smoky Hill Fork, Grand Saline Fork, |
Solomon's Fork, and Republican Fork
The former, it seems, was known to the |
sntediiuviaas by the name of Pison, and
composed the whole region now known
as Southwestern Kansas, where, according
to Moses, there is gold. The late discov-
cries of gold on the head waters of the Ar
kansas river are in the immediate vicinity
of the head of Smoky Hill Fork, and those
who adopt our views, and p lace full con-
fidence in the Bible-and who does not? |
should seek for gold in the next river
north Of the Arkansas, near its source in
the Rocky Mountains. The biblical his
torian says:
.'The gold of the land is good; there is
bedeilium and the onyx-stonc.n
The latter is described by travellers as
Astounding in great plenty in that region.
a friend of ours who spent a couple of /
years there, furnished US some specimens
of this stone. which We have now in our
possession. 1t was mistaken by his
party for genuine diamonds, and was
treasured up with great care; but its prin-
cipai value had departed, on its arrival by
the sack-full in New York.
The other branches of the river which
waters the Garden Of Eden, are not as well +
described by the historian; as their Names
and the country through which they
passed, are only given in the general
description furnished Us of the country
Those uames of eoursa r,assad a,rar, nth