
610 RECORDS OF THE S.A. MUSEUM 
William Powell (Wandering in a Wild Country, 1883) describing a visit to 
Heath Island says (p. 18) “*. . . we bought a good many implements of war, 
tomahawks, spears, clubs and shields.’’ (p. 15) ‘‘The shields are black with white 
markings on them. They are about three feet long and two feet broad, slightly 
curved at the sides; these are hung on the outrigger of the canoe to form a bulwark 
when fighting.’’ In Possession Bay, Hayter Island, about 300 canoes crowded 
around Powell’s vessel, while two war canoes cruised on the outer circle, These 
war canoes were ‘‘very long, holding about thirty men each, the outriggers hung 
with shields and bundles of spears.”’ (p. 17.) 
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Fig. 2. Patterns from four heavy wooden shields, 
Powell gives a figure of a shield from Hayter Island (p, 17) which, says 
Haddon (Decorative Art of British New Guinea, p. 215) ‘does not give me the 
impression of being a faithful representation."’ 
The form of shield found between Hast Cape and Astrolabe Bay is similar 
to those from Misima. Comrie (Journal of the Anthropological Institute of 
Great Britain, vi, 1877, pl. 1, fie, 9) shows an example with one lateral margin 
decorated with shell dises strung on three lines of cord. The dimensions are given 
as 33 inches by 14 inches. The carved design is entirely different, but the shape 
is close to those of Misima. 
