The surprise of my father and myself was indescribable when, amid
the regal magnificence of a spacious hall, we were finally
brought before the Great High Priest, ruler over all the land. He
was richly robed, and much taller than those about him, and could
not have been less than fourteen or fifteen feet in height. The
immense room in which we were received seemed finished in solid
slabs of gold thickly studded with jewels, of amazing brilliancy.

The city of "Eden" is located in what seems to be a beautiful
valley, yet, in fact, it is on the loftiest mountain plateau of
the Inner Continent, several thousand feet higher than any
portion of the surrounding country. It is the most beautiful
place I have ever beheld in all my travels. In this elevated
garden all manner of fruits, vines, shrubs, trees, and flowers
grow in riotous profusion.

In this garden four rivers have their source in a mighty artesian
fountain. They divide and flow in four directions. This place is
called by the inhabitants the "navel of the earth," or the
beginning, "the cradle of the human race." The names of the
rivers are the Euphrates, the Pison, the Gihon, and the
Hiddekel.[17]

[17 "And the Lord God planted a garden, and out of the
ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to
the sight and good for food." -- The Book of Genesis.]

The unexpected awaited us in this palace of beauty, in the
finding of our little fishing-craft. It had been brought before