Omai

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Omai was a young Tahitian man who in August 1773 embarked on the British ship HMS Adventure, commanded by Tobias Furneaux, which had touched at Tahiti as part of Captain James Cook's second voyage of discovery in the Pacific. Omai travelled to Europe on Adventure, arriving at London in July 1774 where he was introduced into society by the naturalist Sir Joseph Banks.

His portrait was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds among others, and his journey to England and subsequent return to Tahiti with Cook in 1776 became the subject of a theatrical production, written and directed by the dramatist John O'Keefe, entitled Omai – A Voyage ‘round the World that was performed during the 1785 Christmas season at London’s Theatre Royal in Covent Garden.