Tonga
The
Kingdom of Tonga (Tongan for "south") is an independent archipelago in
the southern Pacific Ocean. It lies about a third of the way between
New Zealand and Hawaii, south of Samoa and east of Fiji. The islands
are also known as the Friendly Islands, the name given by Captain Cook
because of the friendly reception he 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.
