ming all the domestic
duties in common with the women, among the Kodiaks; and crossing to the
American coast, found the same practised by the inhabitants of
Oonalashka (ed. 4to., pp. 160. 176.). More accurate observation might
probably detect its existence amongst intermediate tribes, but want
{102} of information obliges us here to jump at once over the whole
range of the Rocky Mountains, and then we find Enareanism (if I may so
term it) extending from Canada to Florida inclusive, and thence at
intervals to the Straits of Magellan.

Most of the earlier visitors to America have noticed the numerous
hermaphrodites everywhere met with. De Pauw (who, I believe, never was
in America) devotes a whole chapter to the subject in his _Recherches
sur les Americains_, in which he talks a great deal of nonsense. It
assisted his hypothesis, that everything American, in the animal and
vegetable kingdoms, was inferior to their synonymes in the Old World.

The calm and more philosophical observation of subsequent travellers,
however, soon discovered that the so-called hermaphrodites were men in
female attire, associating with the women, and partaking of all their
labours and occupations. Pere Hennepin had already mentioned the
circumstance (Amstel. ed. in 12mo., p. 219.), but he seems to have had
no idea of the practice being in any way connected with religion.
Charlevoix went a step farther, for speaking of those he met with among
the Illinois, he says:

"On a pretendu que cet usage venait de je ne sais quel principe
de la religion, mais cette religion avait, comme bien d'autres,
prit sa naissance dans la corruption du coeur," &c.

Here he stopped, not caring to inform himself as to the real origin of
the usage. Lafitau says these so-called hermaphrodites were numerous in
Louisiana, Florida, Yucatan, and amongst the Sioux, Illinois, &c.; and
goes on,--

"Il y a de jeunes gens qui prennent l'habit de femme qu'ils
gardent toute leur vie, et qui se croyent honorez de s'abaisser
a toutes leurs occupations; ils ne se marient jamais, ils
assistent a tous les exercises ou la religion semble avoir part,
et cette profession de vie extraordinaire les fait passer pour
des gens d'un ordre superieur et au-dessus du commun des
hommes," &c.

Are not these, he asks, the same people as those Asiatic worshippers of
Cybele? or those who, according to Julius Firmicus, consecrated
themselves, the one to the