The parents of Hono and those of Tu had died. When the time came for them to depart, Hono and Tu began to sing a song of encouragement. Each of them set out in a boat. Tu’s boat was called Tohoranui, and Hono’s was called Mani.
They sailed swiftly away, and the mountains of Tahiti were about to disappear from sight when Hono began to sing a hymn from his homeland.
Niau was about to appear on the horizon when Hono was thrown into the sea. From that moment onward, the boats ceased to move. Tu threw him a calabash, into which he took refuge. The calabash then moved of its own accord towards the vessels.
At last, they landed at Faau¹. A woman named Tekurataukia was surprised to hear Hono singing.
Hono begged Teura² to grant him her favours, but she remained deaf to his pleas. As she still would not yield, he begged her once more.
After having vainly tried every means of possessing this woman, he left Niau, leaving his brother Tu behind.
He headed towards the eastern islands, but not before leaving traces of his passage on Niau: two impressions of his feet and a hole made with his spear.
He set out, but was becalmed. At last, losing patience, he asked his brother Tu to send him the north wind.
The wind arose and carried away his boat, which was called Mani.
Hono travelled from Faau to Napuka, where he left one of his spears, called Ruapago. From there, he went to Takume, where he established the land breeze and where Taururagi circumcised him at a place called Tekotiga, on Takume itself.
From Takume, he went to Marokau, where he left a sling.
He then returned to Tahiti.
¹ The former name of the island of Niau.
² A Tahitian shortened form of Tekurataukia.
