The Kingdom of Tonga (Tongan for "south") is an independent archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean. It lies south of Samoa and east of Fiji and is about a third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii. The islands are also known as the Friendly Islands because of the friendly reception Captain Cook received. He happened to arrive at the time of ʻinasi festival, the yearly donation of the first fruits to the Tuʻi Tonga and was invited to the festivities. According to the writer William Mariner, in reality the chiefs had wanted to kill Cook during the gathering, but had been unable to agree on a plan. Tonga is the only existing monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean.