OUTFIT FOR TRAVELLING 351 



each. No. I was cased separately ; Nos. 2 and 3, 4 and 5, 6 and 7, 

 were cased together. For canoe travel the idea was to take these 

 wooden cases off". I did not have an opportunity personally to 

 experience the management of these food cases. We had sent 

 them all ahead by pack-train for the explorers of the Diivida 

 River. The exploration of the Papagaio was decided upon during 

 the march over the plateau of Matto Grosso, and was accomplished 

 with dependence upon native food only. 



The food cases described above were 'used on Colonel Roosevelt's 

 descent of the Rio da Ddvida and also by the party who journeyed 

 down the Gy-Parand and Madeira Rivers. Leo Miller, the 

 naturalist, who was a member of the last-named party, arrived 

 in Manaos, Brazil, while I was there and, in answer to my question, 

 told me that the food served admirably and was good, but that the 

 native cooks had a habit of opening a number of cases at a time 

 to satisfy their personal desire for special delicacies. Bacon was 

 the article most sought for. Speaking critically, for a strenuous 

 piece of work like the exploration of the Diivida, the food was 

 somewhat bulky. A ration arrangement such as I used on my 

 sledge trips north would have contained more nutritious elements 

 in a smaller space. We could have done without many of the 

 luxuries. But the Duvida had not been contemplated and had no 

 place in the itinerary mapped out in New York. The change of 

 plan and the decision to explore the Duvida River came about in 

 Rio Janeiro, long after our rations had been made out and 

 shipped. 



" Matt^," the tea of Brazil and Paraguay, used in most of the 

 states of South America, should not be forgotten. It is a valuable 

 beverage. With it a native can do a wonderful amount of work on 

 little food. Upon the tired traveller it has a very refreshing 

 effect. 



Doctor Peckolt, celebrated chemist of Rio de Janeiro, has com- 

 pared the analysis of matte with those of green tea, black tea, and 

 coffee, and obtained the result as shown in table on p. 352, 



Some experiments have been made lately with the use of matte 

 in the German army, and probably it would be a valuable beverage 

 for the use of our own troops. Two plates and a cup, knife, fork, 

 and spoon should be provided for each member of the party. The 



