was that of a tortoise. The Indians believed there were
seven seas in the world,--one of milk, of so delicious a nature that
the gods ate butter made of it. One day, when the gods wanted to feast
on the butter according to custom, they brought to the shore of the
milk sea a high mountain of gold, which supported fourteen worlds that
composed the universe. The uppermost part of the mountain served for a
resting place, and over it was brought an adder of monstrous size,
having a hundred heads. The gods made use of this adder as a rope, in
order to get at the butter more easily; but while they were attempting
to procure the butter, the giants, who had a continual hatred against
the gods, drew the adder on the other side with so much violence that
it shook the whole universe, and sunk it so low, that Vixnu, in his
tortoise form, placed himself under it and supported it. Meanwhile the
hundred-headed adder, being unable any longer to endure the pain the
gods and giants inflicted on him, vomited poison upon the giants,
which killed many of them on the spot. Vixnu afterwards assumed the
form of a beautiful woman, and such of the giants as remained alive
fell in love with the fair being. In this guise, he amused the giants
till the gods had eaten all the butter.

In his third incarnation, Vixnu changed himself into the form of a
hog, in consequence of the following circumstance:--One day a contest
arose between the three gods, Bruma, Vixnu, and Rutrem, regarding the
extent of their power. Rutrem undertook to go and hide himself, and at
the same time promised to submit himself to him who should first
discover his head and feet; but if they could not find these parts,
then the baffled gods were to acknowledge him their superior. Bruma
and Vixnu having agreed to this proposal, Rutrem vanished, and hid his
head and feet in places a great distance from each other, where he
imagined they could not be found. Bruma, in the likeness of a swan,
commenced to search for the head, but, finding he could not obtain any
trace of it, he resolved to return home. Just, however, as he was
going to give up the search, he met the thistle flower, which came and
saluted him, and showed the place where Rutrem had hid his head.
Rutrem, exasperated, cursed the flower, and forbade it ever to enter
his presence. For this reason, his followers prevented thistles being
brought into their temples in any part of the East Indies.

For the purpose of finding the