The before-mentioned island of _Vaypi_ is thirteen miles long and one in breadth. The inhabitants, who have immured themselves there, begin their æra at the period of its origin, as the other natives of Malabar begin theirs at the building of the city of _Collam_. This æra is called _Puduvepa_; from _Pudu_, new; and _Vepa_, the foundation or introduction of any thing. I was assured by Mr. John Truyns, the sworn interpreter of the Dutch East India Company at Cochin, that the origin of this new period, and the epoch when it began, are registered in the chancery of the company. I saw also several Malabar letters, written by members of the Christian congregation at _Nharakel_, which were dated according to this new æra. The soil both in the island of _Vaypi_, and in most of the flat districts of Malayala, consists of sea sand and calcareous matter combined with various kinds of earth and clay, which, during the rainy season, are washed down from the Gauts. The Indians assert, that the sea formerly extended even to the bottom of these mountains. This tradition, as evidently appears, has, however, no foundation; but it is certain that some of the plains found in this country have been produced by conflicts between the waves of the sea and torrents of rain. The devastation occasioned by such inundations can hardly be described. Grandchildren sometimes can scarcely point out, with any certainty, the spot where their grandfather resided, because it has assumed a form totally different[70]. When I arrived in Malabar, a stream flowed so near our convent at _Verapole_, that the water touched the steps of the door of our garden; and in the course of eight years it washed up so much earth that we acquired an entirely new garden. As I saw that this spot always increased, and was already 300 paces in length, I waited on the king of Travancor, who at that time resided at _Perur_, and requested he would make a present of it to our church of St. Joseph at _Verapole_. The worthy prince complied with my request, and the letter of donation is still preserved among the archives of the place. Our sub-prior made it his business afterwards to get this spot planted with young coco-nut and banana trees. In like manner I saw an island, a mile long, produced, in the course of ten years, before our church at _Cettiyatti_, by the opposite effects of the rain and sea-water. Those changes, which are observed in all parts of the world on the sea-coasts and in the low lands, have been produced by the force of water; whereas those in the mountains have resulted from subterranean fires. The former is the case in India, in particular, where the ebbing and flowing of the sea succeed each other every six hours, and where the latter is so strong that in many of the streams and rivers it extends to the distance of six leagues up the country. The terrible and awfully grand scenes of nature which take place on such occasions are beyond description: