ADAM’S FOOTPRINT

Evening Star, Issue 18043, 10 August 1922, Page 1

ADAM’S FOOTPRINT

A LEGEND OF CEYLON, One of the mountains of Ceylon is called Adam’s Peak, from an old tradition of the Mohammedans, who believe that a great footprint on a rock at tho summit of the mountain was made by Adam when he was driven from the Garden of Eden. This mountain (a writer in the ' New York Herald ’ says) is more than a mile high, ts conical in shape, and is so steep that it has to be climbed 1 by means of a chain which is fastened to* the summit. One would think that, being so stesp, i( was not often climbed, but two factious make it a shrine, and every year hundreds of pilgrims venture the steep ascent to see the holy footprint in the great rock. The Buddhists claim it to bo the footprint of Buddha when he stepped from Ceylon to Siam, but the Mohammedans avow that Adam made it when the flaming sword shut off tlio Garden of Eden and drove h ; m into exile. • Eve’s tomb, or last resting place, is claimed by the Arabs to be at Jidaah, the seaport of Mecca. There in a graveyard, surrounded by high white walls, which has not been opened for a single interment for more than 1,000 years, is a great tomb, with a palm tree growing ov-t of (he si me roof, a wonder of the Orient in itself, which is supposed to mark the last place of rest of our first mother. According to the Arabian tradition, Eve was more than 200 ft tall, so this would be in keeping with the great footprint of Adam. Every seven years thousands of devoted Ishmaefites make a pilgrimage to this ahriiro; and every year, so the legend runs, on June 3. which date represents the anniversary of the death of Abel, tho door of the temple forming a canopy over the supposed tomb of Eve is forced 1 open, and remains so all night, in spite of all the efforts of tire keeper, and terrible exit* of anguish are heard, which are supposed to be the lamenting of Eve for her beloved non.