Scarcely had he been landed upon the beach, when he found, among the crowd which had assembled there, three of his own countrymen, natives of the Society Islands.

That, at the distance of about two hundred leagues from those islands, an immense unknown ocean intervening, with the wretched boats their inhabitants are known to make use of, and fit only for a passage where sight of land is scarcely ever lost, such a meeting, at such a place, so accidentally visited, should occur, may well be regarded as one of those unexpected situations with which the writers of feigned adventures love to surprise their readers.

When events of this kind really happen in common life, they deserve to be recorded for their singularity.

It may easily be supposed with what mutual surprise and satisfaction this interview of Omai with his countrymen was attended.

Twelve years before, about twenty persons in number, of both sexes, had embarked on board a canoe at Otaheite, to cross over to the neighbouring island of Ulietea.