270 A VOYAGE TO Book V. 



their origin. But such brutality may be considered 

 as the natural consequence of the rum and chicha, 

 wl)ich on these occasions are drunk in enormous 

 quantities. It must, however, be remembered, that no 

 person of any rank or character is ever seen at these 

 m'eenngs, their festivity being conducted with the 

 strictest decency and decorum. 



Rum is com.monly drunk here by persons of all 

 ranks, though very moderately by those of fashion; 

 particularly at entertainments, when it is made into a 

 kind of cordial. They prefer it to wine, which they 

 say disagrees with tliem. The Chapitones also accus- 

 tom themselves to this liquor j wine, which is brought 

 from Lima, being very scarce and dear. Their favour- 

 ite liquor is brandy, brought also from Lima, and is 

 less inflammative than rum. The disorders arising 

 from the excessive use of spirituous liquors are chiefly 

 seen among the Mestizos, who are continually drink- 

 ing while they are masters of any money. The lower 

 class of women, among the Creoles and Mestizos, are 

 also addicted to the same species of debauchery, and 

 drink excessively. 



Another common liquor in this country is the 

 mate, which answers to tea in the East Indies, though 

 the method M' preparing and drinking it is something 

 different. It is made from an herb, which, in all these 

 parts of America is known by the name of Paraguay, 

 as being the produce of that country. . Some oí it is 

 put into a calebash tipped with silver, called here 

 mate or totumo, with a sufficient quantity of sugar, 

 and some cold water, to macerate it. Ai'ier it has 

 continued in this manner some time, the caicbash is 

 filled widi boiling water, and the herb being reduced 

 to a powder, they drink the liquor through a pipe 

 fixed in the caiebash, and having a strainer before the 

 end of it. In this manner the calcb'ash is filed seve- 

 ral times with water and fresh supplies of sugar, till 

 the herb subsides to the bottom, a sufficient indica- 

 tion 



