72 



THE HOLLY. 



pounds are often pressed into one of these leathern 

 sacks, which is then sewed up, and left to tighten 

 over the contents, and the heat of the sun will 

 in two days cause the hide to shrink into a sub- 

 stance as hard as stone. 



The mode of using the leaf thus prepared, is to 

 infuse a portion of it in a small open vessel, called 

 a Mate, and to suck it hot through a tube, called 

 a Bomhilla,^ which is perforated at the end with 

 small holes, to prevent the escape of the particles 

 of leaf which are suspended in the fluid. The 

 infusion must be made with fresh water each 

 time, and drunk off immediately, or the liquor 

 becomes as black as ink; but the powder will 

 bear to be steeped at least thrice. 



The whole party is supplied by passing the 

 Mate-cup from hand to hand, the guests using 

 their own tubes, which are made of silver, glass, 

 or reed. Another kind of Mate-cup is furnished 

 with a spout, which is used by the whole company 

 indiscriminately. The superior kinds are often 

 made of a calabash, mounted with silver, and 

 fixed on a stand; or of silver itself, elegantly 

 carved and chased. Some persons add to the 

 beverage a lump of burnt sugar, or a few drops 

 of lemon-juice. 



For nearly a century and a half, an infusion of 

 this plant has been the common and favourite 

 drink of the settlers at Paraguay, who adopted 

 the practice from the natives, and the custom 

 soon extended itself to other parts of South Ame- 

 rica ; so that in proportion to the population, in- 



* The annexed woodcut contains an accurate representation of a 

 Mate-cup, made of a hollow gourd, and a silver Bombilla, in the pos- 

 session of the Rev. W. S. Hore. 



