Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1899-05-25
THE GARDEN OF EDEN
Article - This Subject by General
Gordon In 1881.
TIE Dsttish Soldiers Belief Was That
Man, osistnsl ABIDE was
Probably OF the Island
Of Psaslin.

There has been almost, if not quite.
A. much diversity of opinion as to the
site of the Garden of Eden as there
has been in regard to the birthday of
the world. As to the latter, April L.,
July IS and October 26 seem to be the
dates resting upon the best authorities,
with preference, perhaps, for April
vs. at least the birth month-all this.
of course, upon the Scriptural account
of the creation. Science places that
event 10 far in the past that NO con-
lecture even has been hazarded rs to
when it occurred.
In regard to the site of the Garden
of Eden. that is a matter about which
the modern scientists do not dispute
1t is only those who hold to the Biblical
account of the creation of man who
have seriously attempted to locate the
site of the Paradise in which be was
placed. Among these there has been
wide diversity Of opinion. some plac-
ing il near the upper sources of the
Tigris and Euphrates: some. like Mil
ton in Paradise Lost" identifying Cey-
Ion as the lost Paradise of man; Others
locating it in America. and, Others still
in Abyssinia
New interest 10 added u this question
by an article in the Strand Magazine
entitled: THE Site OF the Garden of
Eden" by Gen. Gordon. A note by the
editor states that the article was writ
ten by Gen. Gordon in 1852 and now
secs the light for the first time. The
editor further suggests that Gen. Cor
don was probably the most capa bic per
son in the world to deal with this fas-
cinating subject, as he combined q deep
religious feeling and extensive research
ON all matters pertaining to Biblical
and oriental history.
Gen. Gordon gives his reasons in this
brief article for believing that the
Garden of Eden is at or necr the Sey.
chelles. He says: II could even pur
II at Praslin. IA small isle 20 miles north
Of Maize" The Seychelles are a group
Of islands in the Indian ocean 600 miles
northeast of Madagascar, Maize, the
larger. being only IL miles long by
broad, while Praslin is the next in size.
Ten. Gordon says: Eden is district.
the garden is . spot chosen in that dis.
trict. the trees were actual trees. i'm
bued for time with spiritual quail
ties
He goes further. He not only gives
reasons for believing the Garden OF
Eden WAS located on Praslin. but he
also attempts, fancifully enough to
most readers, perhaps. to distinguish
the tree of kpowledS, and the tree of
life. OF these he says: ..
Well. l though, there were two trees
actual tre~s-which had been aAcramentai
and had ceased to be so; and in Praslin
near Seychelles. and only there in the
whole world. Is a MAGNIFICENT tree cur,ou.
beyond description. called the prince of the
vegetable kingdom, II IL unique in it,
species and on earth. The Laodicean
Scychellsrium or Coco di Mir. This. he.
lave. WAS the tree Of kno~ledse- then
thought II the one tree is TO be found SO is
the other. and this think is the Ar,ocarpus
incisa. or bread fruit; IL Is \ humble tree,
OF no great distinction. yet to an observer
II II as unique in Its kind and among trees
- the other. This last tree 10 only found
IN the Indian ocean. II 10 . life s0sta lining
tree. and. like the other. II is full OF Scrip
tnral types"
CuriouSly enough, Gen. Gordon seems
to have started on his search for these
two trees first, and having found them
in Praslin. he next proceeds to show
how this island in its location CORE
spends TO the Eden described in Gene
ala. In doing this he adopts the transla-
ton OF Genesis, 2-Io, that the four riv-
era flowed into Eden instead Of out OF it,
/ Thence he takes the Euphrates and
the TigriA which meet and flow into
the Per.ian gulf. and from the two
other rivers he takes Pison to be the
Nile and Gihon - the brook on the
southern side Of Jerusalem, which
meets the Kedron and hows into the
Dead Sea-
OF course. there arc difficulties about
Gen. Gordon's superstition, difficulties
not only in the meaning OF the verse
to which he gives . different signifi-
canoe to the usual one. but Eeographi-
cal difficulties, especially as regards the
brook Gihon, which certainly is an in
significant stream to be mentioned with
the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates. But
all the attempts to locate the lost Para
disc OF the human race have their Diff
f'culties, and Gen. Gordon's theory is
NJ least ingenious and probably Ms near
the truth as any. The article is more
vAluAble ~ showing the deeply reli-
Rious character Of Gen. Gordon's mind
than a. a contribution to subject con-
corning which it is impossible to do
more than supply an ingenious conjec-
turs.-Chicago Tribune.
A Embryonic DeAsas.
oy h,rc "a, ;I,~ su;A shs I.n,i,s,