MATE, an officer in the mercantile marine who acts as the assistant of the captain or master. There are four grades — first, second, third and fourth mate. The junior mate has usually the superintendence of the stowing of the vessel. The law recognizes only two classes of persons in charge of a trading vessel —the master and the mariners, the mates being in cluded in the latter. In the navy, the term mate is now limited to the assistants of certain. warrant officers, as boatswain's mate, gunner's mate, etc. See PErry OFFICER.
MATE (Port., herva matte; Sp., yerba mate), or PAFtAGUAY TEA, a beverage in general use in Brazil and also in general favor throughout South America, prepared from the leaves and shoots of Ilex Paraguayensis. The chief mate-producing state is that of Parana, from which are exported many million pounds of this Brazilian '
packed in sacks which are sent to the mills at Curitiba which reduce the leaves to powder and separate the various qualities. Aromatic properties retained in the dried and powdered leaves are extracted by means of infusion. As a stimulating and wholesome beverage habitu ally used throughout a large part — especially the southern part of the continent, mate might well be called, not by the competing names Brazilian or Paraguayan, but more simply the South American tea. The exportation of mate is to Parana what the exportation of coffee is to the neighbor state of Sao Paulo: the basis, practically, of economic achievement. In a re cent year mate was exported to the extent of 75,885 metric tons.