About a hundred years before, during the reign of one of the first kings, there lived a great warrior, whose name was Rono.

This chief was very popular, but he was very jealous.

In a moment of anger he killed his wife, of whom he was passionately fond.

The regret and grief that resulted from this act drove him out of his senses; he wandered disconsolately about the island, fought and quarrelled with every one that came near him.

At last, in a fit of despair, he embarked in a large canoe, and, after promising to return at the expiration of twelve hundred moons, with a white face and on a floating island, he put out to sea, and was never heard of more.
This tradition, it appears, had been piously handed down from family to family.