Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/170

158 In the old Persian literature there is mention of certain places for the blest made by Yima, the first mortal and king, but there is no mention of the Isles of the Blest. In China the idea is present in a definite form. This is a description of these places, dating from about the fourth century, which is quoted by Major Yetts: "To the east of the Gulf (i.e. the Gulf of Chili)—it is not known how many myriads of li distant—there is an ocean, vast in extent, and, in very truth, bottomless. In its fathomless depths is the so-called 'Abyss of Assembly,' to which the waters from the eight points of the compass, and from the uttermost parts of the earth, and from the streams of the Milky Way all flow. And this they do without causing any appreciable change in the depth of the Abyss.

"Here lie the Five Isles, named Tai Yu, Yuan Chiao, Fang Hu, Ying Chou, and P’eng Lai. In height and round its base each island measures 30,000 li, and the circumference of the plateau on the summit of each is 9,000 li. Each is separated from its neighbours by a distance of 70,000 li. Upon their shores the terraces and pleasure-towers are built of unblemished white. Thick groves there are, laden with pearls and gems, and not a flower but gives forth a fragrant perfume, nor a fruit but has delicious flavour. On those who eat thereof is conferred the boon of youth and immortality. The inhabitants are all hsien and holy sages, who pass their days in happy companionship, which the intervening ocean channels do not interrupt, for they float through the air from isle to isle in countless numbers.

"Now originally the bases of these Five Islands were not anchored in any spot, and in consequence they always followed the movements of the tides, up and down and to and fro, so that never for a moment were they firmly fixed." Finally the islands were fixed by being supported on the backs of five gigantic turtles.