A carved club from the Massim District, Papua New Guinea with an eliptical blade decorated on both sides with an incised scroll design. It has a decorated scroll handle. Collected by Commander Frederick Willoughby Shortland (1853-1931). He served as a midshipman on HMS 'Basilisk' Captain John Moresby, during hydrographic surveys of New Guinea in 1872. 'Basilisk' was at the Entrecasteaux Islands in March 1874 and the crew landed to take on water and wood. The ship was also near the Louisiade Archipelago in April 1873. Both these island groups are in the Milne Bay (Massim) region. Captain Moresby also noted that at Yule Island (north of present day Port Moresby) ‘We made a collection of wooden swords and clubs’. A partly illegible label attached: 'War paddle picked up on Solomon [?] island. Frederick Willoughby Shortland Midshipman RN 1872.'