LOUISIANA. 143 



Illinois y who had made the fame voyage, told 

 his countrymen, that, in the nuilkries^ and 

 other public walks, he had feen men who 

 were half women, having their hair drefled like 

 women, wearing the fame ear-rings, and great 

 nofe-gays on their bread ; that he fufpedted they 

 put rouge on their faces, and that he found they 

 finelled like crocodiles *. 



. This Indian fpoke with the greatefl contempt 

 of that race of mortals, whom we know under 

 the name of petits-maitres^ or beaus, who are 

 born with the weaknefs and the delicacy peculiar 

 to women ; nature feeming to have begun mak- 

 ing them fuch, and afterwards to make a mif- 

 take in the formation of their fex. 



The Indian had likewife remarked the enor- 

 mous height of the head-drefles of our women 

 in that time -f , and of the heels of their fhoes. 

 But what v/ould he have faid, if he had feen the 

 extravagant width of their hoops, and their fine 



ihapc 



* The crocodile in the Mijftjippi has follicles with mulk, 

 which fmelh ftronger than the Eaft Indian mulk ; its e^uvia 

 are fo ftrong, that you can often fmdl the ajiixnal before roa* 

 ff e it. 



^ During the regency. 



