There is a Fijian legend of how life on the island came to be in 1500BC. The great chief Lutunasobasoba led his people across seas to new land. It is said that they made their way through southeast Asia via the Malay peninsula. This is where the Melanesians and Polynesians came together to create a highly developed society. This prompts the accidental discoveries of the island by the Europeans. The discovery of the Fiji islands was an accident by the explorers and missionaries who actually ended up shipwrecked on one of the main islands. These men ended up living among the island natives. Cannibalism was practiced by the Fijian people but was quickly stopped by influence of the missionaries.
The original group that inhabited the island were called "Lapita people". The name comes from pottery they produced on the island. Evidence of the pottery practice was found all over islands in the pacific. Over time, tension between the two races boiled over and a large number of the Lapita people were forced out or just chose to leave. The Melanesians remained in Fiji and became the dominant race of the islands. This seems to be where the history takes a turn and the great chief Cakobau ceded the island to the British, which is why their flag displays the British flag on it.
