126 ORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 
indiscriminately with each other. One, the 
most numerous, produces the tallest men, com- 
monly six feet and upwards; and I have never 
seen better proportioned, or finer forms. A 
sculptor could not choose a more suitable mo- 
del fora Mars or a Hercules. There is no- 
thing to distinguish their features from those 
of Europeans; and if they were clothed, and 
less exposed to the air and the burning sun, 
they would be quite as fair. Their hair is 
usually black (Wallis saw fair people, and 
Banks even Albinos). The other race is of 
middle stature, with coarse curling hair, and 
resembles the Mulatto in complexion and 
features.” 
Cook and his companions considered this dif- 
ference among tne Tahaitians to arise from the 
circumstance of the tall fair race, (called Eris, 
which is pronounced Yeri,) the more distin- 
guished class, being less exposed to the sun 
and to hard labour, and their women more re- 
served and less licentious. 
We were however more inclined to agree 
with Bougainville, who supposed the dark Ta- 
haitians to be the original inhabitants, and the 
