friendship -- thanks to a first glass delivery! Last month, on a St. George's beach the eight-year-old found a bottle containing a message from "Ted and Janine'' from New Jersey.

She sent a letter to the address on the note, including a picture of herself and the bottle, which appeared in The Royal Gazette .

Janel also included her phone number -- and to her amazement received a reply from 35-year-old Janine Smith.

The St. George's Primary School pupil told Ms Smith she had found the champagne bottle while collecting seaweed on a secluded beach.

After the call, Ms Smith and 51-year-old Mr. Ted Lombard sent Janel a sweatshirt from Toms River.

The pair, who had cast the bottle overboard while cruising last year off the coast of Mexico, also hope to see Janel when they visit Bermuda.

Yesterday Mr. Mervyn Moorhead, principal at St. George's, said he was amazed by the saga.

"It's fascinating. Usually when you find a message in a bottle nothing comes of it,'' he exclaimed.

"This time it was different. Apparently, this couple were extremely excited about receiving the letter from Janel.'' The story was also picked up by a New Jersey newspaper, who photographed Mr.

Lombard and Ms Smith with Janel's letter.

Ms Smith was quoted as saying: "When the Federal Express package came we said, `We don't know anybody in Bermuda'.'' "It was our first time on a cruise. We didn't expect anything like this,'' he said.