THE ROOSEVELT EXPEDITION 203 



refill the container with water many times before recharg- 

 ing it with leaves, and to pass it around among all the mem- 

 bers of a family and any guests who chance to be present. 

 Even-body drinks in turn from the same mat6 and tube. 

 A kettle of boiling water is kept on a charcoal brazier near 

 at hand. Some of the containers or mat£s are very elabo- 

 rate affairs, made of pure silver and elegantly carved or 

 chased. 



The amount of ycrba mate consumed annually is enor- 

 mous. It is estimated that no less than ten millions of 

 persons in South America indulge in the habit. In Chile 

 the annual consumption per capita is about one hundred 

 and twelve pounds; in Paraguay thirty-four pounds, and 

 in the Argentine twenty pounds. Quantities of it are also 

 exported, principally to Holland. Some years the supply 

 falls short of the demand, but plantations have added very 

 materially to the available wild growth. 



Yerba mate has much in common with both tea and 

 coffee, but does not contain as much tannin as either; of 

 caffein it contains about as much as coffee, and this imparts 

 to it the sustaining virtues. In many parts of the mat£- 

 drinking belt the beverage only is taken for breakfast, and 

 I have seen a man in western Argentina take thirty-two 

 matefuls in rapid succession. The flavor is very agreeable 

 and not unlike that of rather strong tea. 



After spending a few days at Trinidad we returned to 

 Asuncion. A launch was placed at our disposal, through 

 the courtesy of the President of the republic, and on No- 

 vember 11 we started on a short voyage up the Rio Pil- 

 comayo, into the Gran Chaco of Paraguay. Several men 

 had been sent with us to look after the luggage, which was 

 carried in a separate boat towed behind the launch, and 

 three local naturalists, representing the museum of Asun- 

 cion, went along to collect specimens for their institution. 



The Pilcomayo is a river of great size, coming from the 

 northeast and emptying into the Paraguay a short distance 

 above Asuncion. The greater part of its course is in the 



