714 The Naturalist Brazilian Expedition. | July, 
the famancos, or wooden-soled shoes, about their houses, and the 
long boots and spurs, slouch felt hat and woolen poncho, or shawl 
when riding. The poncho varies with the season; for cold or — 
rainy weather it is a great circular cloak, generally of some dark — 
cloth lined with bright red; the head is passed through a hole in 
the middle and the cloak falls around the body. When riding 
this covers the haunches of the horse, and the heat of the ani- 
mal’s body serves to keep the rider warm. Cloaks of similar 
form but of thin black cloth embroidered over the shoulders, are 
often seen in mild weather; the ordinary poncho, however, isa — 
brown striped shawl, of woolen or cotton, according to the 
wealth of the owner; like the others it has a hole for the head. 
This form is used during the summer, and it frequently takes the — 
place of a coat. 3 
The true herdman’s costume consists of a high-collared calico 
shirt, very wide, baggy calico trousers, or rather drawers, often 
some bright color, and a wide sash at the waist ; to these are gur 
erally added an old slouch hat and a pair of wooden-soled slippers 
which, when riding, may be carried in the hand. These men 
carry long sword-knives, and often a large, old-fashioned, double- | 
barreled pistol, giving them a sufficiently warlike appearance 3 
Rarely the cherepd, a cloth tied around the waist, is used in liew : 
of trousers. The saddle, at first sight, seems very an 4 
great pieces of leather and a woolen cloth being generally carnet 
under the saddle proper, which is only slightly curved; anot n s 
cloth, or the skin of some animal, is fastened over the whole, 
that the affair weighs two or three times as much as an m 2 
English saddle. But the Rio Grande saddle, besides gi es 
during the day, serves as a bed at night ; the two pieces of pee 
are then spread on the ground with the cloth over them, . a 
herdsman, wrapped in his woolen poncho, sleeps at = ene a 
The poorer class of houses are coarsely built of clay SU standard oO 
in a framework of poles and thatched with rushes. a Poel 7 
articles of food are jerked beef and beans, but ma% ad ai 
tea, is found in every house. This beverage is entent ~ 
throughout the southern part of South Amen a length 
portant that I will describe its preparation somew. high forest _ 4 
The matte plant! (Mex paraguaiensis) grows 1m the ie oe 
i : d yerba in the spit 
1 Called herva congonha, or simply Aerva in Brazil, and 7 eee 
republics, ‘3 
