Still farther, on the sea coast, lies _Mahè_ or _Mahi_, a town and colony belonging to the French. When the European inhabitants of this place heard of the French revolution, they ran into the streets, bawling out in full jubilee, “Liberty and Equality!” The Pagans and the Mahometans did the same, calling out “Liberty and Equality for us also! As we are now all free and equal,” added they, “it is very evident that we can no longer acknowledge you for our masters.” This idea they indeed actually carried into execution, and expelled all the French from the town. The Carmelites had here a church, a catechumen house, and a missionary establishment. A mile farther, towards the north, lies _Talicèri_, a city belonging to the English, where they have a considerable settlement, a council, and an arsenal. They employ this city as a military post, where they collect troops brought from Bombay, in order to keep in subjection the inhabitants of Malayala. King Samuri and the king of Travancor are at present in alliance with the English. A brisk trade is carried on at _Taliceri_, and foreign ships take on board here pepper, various cotton articles, biti and teka wood, cardamoms, rice, sandal wood, and other Malabar productions, which they transport to Bombay and thence to England. The palace in which the council sits, is one of the most beautiful buildings in India. The next place, worthy of notice, is _Baliapatnam_, or _Valiapatnam_, formerly a large and considerable mart of trade, but at present a very obscure town. The harbour here is more than half filled up with sand. Proceeding along the sea-coast you then arrive at _Cannanur_, a town with a castle, and subject to the government of queen _Còllatiri_, by the Europeans called _Collastri_. This city is of great antiquity, and the kings of _Còllatiri_ belong to the first class of the Indian princes. The mother of the present king of Travancor, _Rama Varmer_, was descended from this family. She died in the year 1780, exactly at the time when I was at _Angenga_. I was shewn a letter written by the king to the commander of the English troops there, in which he requested that he would cause every mark of respect to be paid at _Angenga_ to the memory of his deceased mother. In consequence of this request, all the shops were kept shut for three days; and no one during that time durst fish in the sea, because the Indians believe in the transmigration of souls, and are therefore afraid that the soul of a deceased person may be prevented from going into some fish or other. Niebuhr and Anquetil du Perron are, therefore, in an error when they assert that the king of Travancor is of mean extraction.