l^-k 



cuneiform, f-o.n 4 to 5 inches Ion,, th.ck, gloss,, c.enated, of a da.U green a o e, and pale below^ 

 The petiole is of a dark red, and half an inch long. Its flowers are produced m umbells o 30 r 40 flowe. 

 each w.th 4 petals with the same number of stamens. The ber^ is red, very smooth, and of the s.ze of a 



^'"Xhe practice adopted generally for procuring the leaves, . for the merchant to provide himself with a 

 quantky of such goods as a.-e best suited to the natives; mules, hides, and matchetes, or hatchets, winch are 

 used to lop off the boughs, and a few axes. After obtaining the permission of the Governor, he goes to the 

 quarter where the natives understand the work, and there he gives public notice of his design. The cutters 

 collect, and having received advances in goods, he provides them with mules; and then conducts them to 

 whatever yerval or grove promises the best harvest. The first object is to form small eabms for their 

 dwcllm<.s. Every morning the cutters disperse on foot in search of trees, from which each cuts as many 

 branches as he can carry; .md after scorching them over a fire, he brings them to the general deposit. 

 A hurdle of long poles is there prepared, in the shape of a cylindrical vault, which they call barbaqua; on this 

 the branches are placed, and under, a large fire is made, on which they dry the leaves. This done, they remove 

 the fire and on the hard and hot platform, after being swept clean, they throw the bmnehes, which they beat 

 to separate the leaves. In this each is assisted by a boy called a quayno, who receives the proportion of 25lbs. 



of leaves for every bundle of branches he cleans. 



The leaves being separated from the bmnehes, and prepared sufficiently, ai-e next put into a large bag made 

 of hides, which has the four upper corners fixed to four large stakes placed in the ground fitted to support a 

 considerable weight, into which they put the leaves, and beat them down with a pole, in the same way as 

 the negroes of the West Indies pack their cotton bags. AVhen the bag is filled and packed hard, the mouth 

 is sewed up, and in this state, without further preparation, the leaves are fit for use, but not considered as 

 seasoned till they are a few months old. • ^ , ■ :. - ■ 



This constitutes the dally labour of one of the workmen employed, who delivei-s in to the overseer 

 the quantity he has been able to prepare, which is noted down to his credit, and received at the price 

 agreed upon; but it often happens that a dry magazine is formed, into which the bags are emptied: when 

 the leaves are deposited in a large quantity, they are thought to improve by being left in that state six 

 months. It is then packed in bags of 7 or 8 aiTobas. The leaves are generally passed through a cribble 

 to take away the small pieces of stick, which preparation is called caamirl, the mode always adopted 

 by the Jesuits. It is then generally picked to make two qualities, caWedfuerte and electa. 



The latter, which is the best,^ is consumed In the provinces of La Plata to the amount of 50,000 arro- 

 bas 1 250 000 lbs., where it is worth half a dollar more than the other per an-oba; and the rest, which is 

 tiie second quality, goes to the provinces of Chih, Peru and Quito. 



Out of the same ma<>-azine or deposit, which is called percheJ^ the quality of the leaf is not all the 

 same which arises from the labourers working in all kinds of weather; whcu this is wetj the leaf must 



of consequence be inferior. - 



We find in the bc"innlng of the 17th century, that this plant was in common use throughout Paraguay, 

 and there can be no doubt but that the Indians of Monday taught it to the conquerors, from their being 

 the natives who lived in the vicinity of the Forests. The quantity used by a person who is fond of it is an 

 ounce and that dally gathered by a labourer is from 4 to 12, and sometimes more arrobas. There are, 

 among the Creoles or Mestizoes, many who falsely charge the Paraguayians with having exterminated the 



Indians by miking them work at this labour. 



Tbese leaves are used in Paraguay, La Plata, Chill, Peru and Quito indistinctly at all hours of the day, by 

 putting a handful into a kind of tea pot called mate, (whlcli has given its name to the herb) and from the spout 

 of this the hot Uquid is imbibed. Some mix sugar with it, and others add a few drops of lemon juice; 

 and by pouring fresh boiling water, the infusion may be renewed. 200,000 arrobas, equal to 5 millions lbs., 

 are annually obtained from Pai-aguay, 1 10 arrobas of which go to Chili, from whence Lima and Quito are 

 supphed; tlie rest is expended in the vice-royalty of Buenos Ayres^. 



