DRINKS.
277
which
we
see
a
lady
using
the
dombilla,
zhhou^
the
Mats
cup
has
an
apartador.
The
silver
kettle
for
supplying
hot
water
is
fed
with
charcoal
at
the
side,
and
somewhat
resembles
the
Russian
Samovar.
We
give
a
modern
Mat^
cup
and
bombilla
;
but
this,
which
is
made
wholly
of
silver,
is
only
intended
for
one
person's
use.
Sometimes
the
MaU
cups
are
made
of
the
gourds
of
the
Cuca
{Crescentia
Cujete)
or
Caba^o
{Cucurbita
lagenaria)
silver
mounted.
Indeed,
the
cup
itself
is
the
Matd,
which
gives
the
name
to
the
Herb,
meaning,
in
the
language
of
the
Incas,
a
calabash.
The
decoc-
tion
is
drank
with
a
little
brown
sugar
or
lemon
added,
never
with
milk,
and
if
not
drank
very
quickly
will
turn
quite
black.
It
loses
in
flavour
and
aroma
by
keeping,
so
that
in
England
it
cannot
possibly
be
drunk
in
perfection,
which,
of
course,
can
only
be
done on
the
spot
where
it
is
produced.
Its
virtues
are
much
vaunted.
It
is
supposed
to
give
nervous
vigour,
and
to
enable
the
system
to
resist
fatigue
;
but
this
can
scarcely
account
for
the
enormous
quantity
drunk,
although
to
persons
unused
to
it,
when
taken
in
large
doses
it
is
both
pur-
gative
and
emetic.
Like
Chinese
tea,
it
has
a
volatile
oil,
which
gives
it
its
peculiar
aroma
;
it
also
contains
nearly
2
per
cent,
of
theine,
and
about
1
6
per
cent
of
an
astringent
acid,
resembling
tannin,
which
causes
the
infusion
to
turn
black
after
a
slight
exposure
to
the
air.
There
is
another
variety
of
Matd,
called
Gongonka,
which
is
drunk
in
Brazil,
which
is
prepared
from
two