The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-02-08
THE BOOMERANG.

TIE BOOMERlNG.
We have read before Of the wonders 81
the boomerang 10 native hsnds, but the FOL.
lowing facts surpass expectation. Perhaps,
on tho con6nes Of the lsnd tho blacks are
moro skilful, and exert themselves more
freely among friends, than bcfore IN ex.
pI"ring party. The following sketch 10 Ia
ken from ''Iiaygasth's Bush Life 10 Aus.
train"
The most cnrims Missile il the boomcr-
ing. which nav unqncs,ionably be consid-
cred tho most extraordinary offsnsive
weapon ever found in the possession 81
savnces. Its a thin curved piece of wood.
VARYING from two n three feet in length,
md ainui two inches broad; one aide i,
slightly rounded. the other perfectly fN.--
When thrown. ], must I've held by TINT end
which brings the fat eide on the righ, hand
or outside.
II is only when thrown for smusemcn,
That the wonders of the boomerang are fully
developed. Whenever there was a cnmp
d blacks near our stsiion, il used to be our
great delight 10 assemble few Of its promi.
sing inmates, md offer prize, some tohnc.
c. "r flour 10 the one who acquitted himself
the best with his b~ancring: thus pi,tcd
against each other in friendly strife. they
would go TO work in earnest and fairly ne-
tonish the white men. Doubtful as il NAV
seem 10 those who have never witnessed
the teat, IN Australian black can throw this
whimsical weapon 81 rs 10 cause il 10 des-
scribe complete circle ia the air; or, 10
give the reader better idea of what is
meant, he would stand in from, Of ,olera-
bly, large house, IN the grnss-plot bcf,,rc
The door, aud send his bonncring complete.
" rn,nd tie building, from left To right -
that IL 10 say. il would, upnn leaving his
hand vanish rnnnd the right corner, aud re-
appearing nj the left, eventually fall nj his
feet The while circumference of circle
thus Described. il frequently n"t less thnn
two hundred yards and upwards, when
hurled bv strong arm; but the wonder
lies wholly in its cncircling properties, and
md not in The distance to which il may be
sent.
When forcibly thrown, lis course is verv
rapid, cqnalIing The speed Il an arrow, FIR
about fifty verde. until il arrives at the
p"ini where il fret hcgins 10 alter it's
course; thence il continues its career NJ
nbon, half speed. gradually flies with d.
mini.hing impetus, until ms usual. il returns
I" the spa whence il started. Its flight is
not unlike that Of bird; AMI, occa-
sionsll,, when great strength has been ex.
crted, il hovcrs cor few moments before
il falls 10 the ground, and continuing ns 70.
tary motion. remains in other respects
quite stationary, much in the same way as
humming-,op when il goes TO sleep on
the ground. A deep hurting sound accom-.
panies its curse; during the whole Of
which j. revolves with ruch rapidly - "a
appear like wheel in tho mir.
b. holding !. nj the opposite extremity,
80 us TO bring the fiat side OF the left hand
circle may I've described in the other d.
rection. l. e., from left to right, for tho fat
must always be the outer side. But the
prettiest evolution il can b. made 10 per-
form is the following lit 10 thrown with
a tendency downwsrds; upon which, after
having gone some twenty yards, one point
tips the ground, thrce times successfully,
at intervals Of about the eamo distance, re-
sounding With tvsng Of . hsvp-string;-
meanwhile il still continues ito circular
course, until, A. before, il returns 10 the
thsower. This feat is more difficult 10 &C.
complish than that of sending Il through
the mir, and requires oil the ihrower's skill ;
there 10 one precise distance, and no other,
at which il should first strike the ground ;
for il il does not 50 too iorcibly, its progress
10 wholly arrested; end II, on the other
hand, j. is not sufficiently depressed, and
fails to come in contact with the ground, its
course is then completely altered; for,
shortly after passing tho place where il
ought TO have rebounded, il begins TO rise.
and towers mp in the mir 10 the height Of
abou, iifiv feet, whence il falls down almost
perpendicuIarly.
DRoLL FUNERAL PROCESSION Ken
dali, writing from Hamburger. says:--Les,
some Of my readers may think tho. the term
droll. as applied 10 . funeral procession,
'nnv appear strange, let mo tell them that
in HnmbuTgh the friends end relatives al
the dead do not follow the scmsins to the
grave, but in their stead march along some
IL or 16 hired nsourners, With cusIed aud
powdered wigs upon their beads, short
cloaks upon their shoulders, ssd swords n
their costumes, and species Of mock gssv-
ity upon the countenanee Of those whose