ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 45I 



Rum is commonly drunk here by pcrfons of all ranks, though very moderately by 

 thofe of fafhion ; particularly at entertainments, when it is made into a kind of cordial. 

 They prefer it to wine, which they fay difagrees with them. The Chapitones alfo 

 accuflom themfelves to this liquor ; wine, which is brought from Lima, being very 

 fcarce and dear. Their favourite Hquor is brandy, brought alfo from Lima, and is lefs 

 inflammative than rum. The diforders arifing from the exceffive ufe of fpirituous liquors 

 are chiefly feen among the Meftizos, who are continually drinking while they are mailers 

 of any money. The lower clafs of women, among the Creoles and Meftizos, are 

 alfo addicted to the fame fpecies of debauchery, and drink exceflively. 



Another coir mon liquor in this country is the mate, which anfwers to tea in the 

 Eaft Indies, though the method of preparing and drinking it is fomething different. It 

 is made from an herb, which, in all thefe parts of America is known by the name of 

 Paraguay, as being the produce of that country. Some of it is put into a calabafh 

 tipped with filver, called here Mate or Totumo, with a fufficient quantity of fugar, and 

 feme cold water, to macerate it. After it has continued in this manner fome time, the 

 calabafh is filled with boiling water, and the herb being reduced to a powder, they drink 

 the liquor through a pipe fixed in the calabafh, and having a flrainer before the end 

 of it. In this manner the calabafh is filled feveral times with water and frefh fupplies 

 of fugar, till the herb fubfides to the bottom, a fufficient indication that a frefh quantity 

 is wanting. It is alio ufual to fqueeze into the liquor a few drops of the juice of lemons 

 or Seville oranges, mixed with forae perfumes from odoriferous flowers. This is their 

 ufual drink in the mornhig falling, and many ufe it alfo as their evening regale. I have 

 nothing to objedl againft the falubrity and ufe of this liquor ; but the manner of drink- 

 ing it is certainly very indelicate, the whole company drinking fuccefHvely through the 

 fame pipe. Thus the mate is carried feveral times round the company, till all are fatif- 

 fied. The Chapitones make very little ufe of it ; but among the Creoles it is the 

 higheft enjoyment ; fo that even when they travel, they never fail to carry with them a 

 fufficient quantity of it. Thfis may indeed be owing in fome meafure to the difpatch 

 and facihty with which it is prepared ; but till they have taken their dofe of mate, they 

 never eat. 



There is no vice to which idlenefs is not a preliminary ; nor is floth ever unaccom- 

 panied with fome vice or other. What muft then be the ftate of morality in a country 

 where the greateft part of the people have no work, employment, or calling, to occupy 

 their thoughts ; nor any idea of intelle£lual entertainment ? The prevalence of drunk- 

 ennefs has been already mentioned, and the deftruftive vice of gaming is equally com- 

 mon. But in the latter, perfons of rank and opulence, whofe example is always 

 followed, have led the way ; and their inferiors have univerfally followed in their de- 

 ftruclive paths, to the ruin of families, and the breach of conjugal affedlion; fome 

 lofmg their ftocks in trade, others the very clothes from their backs, and afterwards 

 thofe belonging to their wives, rifking the latter to recover their own. This propenfity 

 in the Indians for gaming has by fome been imputed to caufes, in which I can perceive 

 no manner of relation. To me it plainly appears owing to the leifure of fome, who 

 know not how to fpend their time, and to the natural floth and idlenefs of others. 



The common people and Indians are greatly addicted to theft, in which it muft be 

 owned they are very artful and dextrous. The domeftics alfo, cannot be fafd to be 

 entirely free from this fault, which is attended with the inconvenience of referye and 

 fufpicion on the part of tneir mafter. The Meftizos do not want for audacity in any 

 kind of theft or robbery, though in themfelves arrant cowards. Thus, even at an 

 unfeafonable hour, they will not venture to attack any one in the ftreet j but their 



^ ji 2 common 



