154 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



upon the face of the Globe. The more solid parts of the country yield 

 limestone, gypsum, marble, granites, and their accompanying spars. In 

 general, the soil is rich, tliough in some places sandy, in others moist and 

 clayey. It is, in many parts covered with majestic woods, affording 

 valuable timber; and produces rich gums, fruits of admirable flavour, 

 and various medicinal and officinal herbs. 



Among the latter is the Matte, an article peculiar to South America, 

 and there in such general use, and so highly esteemed, as to demand a 

 brief notice. In Brazil it is commonly called Cangunha, or Congonha ; 

 which is probably a corruption of Caancunha, the Woman's Leaf. It 

 grows, not in the province of Parana alone, but, more or less, over the 

 whole Table-land. Its qualities and consequent estimation are various ; 

 the best is said to be found in the vast Serro of Maracaju. It is the 

 produce of a low shrub, so much like the tea-plant of China, that two 

 Gentlemen, who had been in the East, first led me particularly to notice 

 it, as a species of wild tea. Being curious to discover, whether there was 

 any other similarity, besides the appearance, they gathered some of the 

 leaves, dried them on hot stones, and produced a beverage of an agreeable 

 bitter taste, not unlike Bohea, In the common preparation of Matte, 

 the collected leaves are laid in large heaps upon hides, and placed between 

 two fires, so as to be thoroughly dried. They are then broken small, and 

 though more yellow, form a substance much resembling what is called 

 the dust of tea. When ready for sale, it is packed in hides, or in sacks 

 made of a kind of reed or cane, opened and made flat. To prepare it 

 for use, it is infused in water, generally in the half of a cocoa-nut shell, 

 variously ornamented, and not poured into cups, but sucked through a 

 pipe, which has a strainer at the lower end to prevent the herb from 

 entering the tube. In taking it, the vessel is commonly passed round 

 to a whole company ; and whatever disgust may arise from the sight 

 of some of the mouths, receiving the pipe in their turn, it would 

 be deemed the height of ill-breeding to decline a share of the Matt^. 



I am not aware that the Brazilian Government has sent any Civil 



