38 ON THE PARAGUAY TEA, 
America, which pass under the names of caa-cuys, caa-miri, — 
and caa-guazu : the prefix caa, signifying the leaf itself. The 
former consists of the half-expanded buds; it will not keep, 
and is entirely consumed in Paraguay: the caa-miri is the 
leaf, as prepared by the Jesuits, carefully picked and stripped 
from the nerves before roasting, while the third* is made 
by roasting the foliage without any preparation; the two 
latter kinds are exported as far as Lima and Quito, the aro- 
matic bitterness which resides in the freshly gathered leaf 
being much dissipated by carriage. About 50,000 quintals ` 
of Paraguay Tea, equivalent to 5,600,000 of pounds weight, ` 
are annually exported from Paraguay. : 
Wilcocke, in his “ History of the Republic of Buenos 
Ayres,” informs us that * the principal harvest of the herb 1s 
made in the eastern part of Paraguay, and about the moun- 
tains of Maracaya, where it is cultivated in the marshy val- ` 
leys which intervene between the hills, and never on the ` 
eminences themselves." 1 | 
Many and highly various, nay contradictory, are the vit- 
tues which the South Americans fondly attribute to the use 
of this their favourite drink. It is certainly aperient and 
diuretic ; but its other qualities are more problematical ; 
though to individuals who accustom themselves to it, the 
habit becomes second nature; and to break it off, or eve? 
diminish the customary quantity, is almost impossible. Like 
opium, it certainly appears to rouse the torpid and calm the 
restless; but, as in the case of that noxious drug, the immo- - 
derate use is apt to occasion diseases, similar to those conse- 
quent on the practice of drinking strong liquors. Persons 
who are fond of it, consume about an ounce per day. In the 
mining countries, the maté is most universally taken, from the 
opinion which prevails among the Spaniards that the wines 
there are prejudicial to health; but the Creoles throughout 
South America are passionately addicted to this beverag® 
and never travel without a supply of the leaf, which they 
* The caa-guazu, also called by the Spaniards Yerba de Palos. 
