The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-11-04
WONDERFUL DEXTERITY.


WONDERFUL DEXTERITY.
The Boomerang and its Mysterious Pc.
| culiarities. 1-.-
From the Chicago Tribune,
A traveller tells us something of the
singular weapon used by the natives
of Australia, the boomerang. He
saw them used by the natives. They
ranged from two feet to thirty eight
inches in length, and were of various
shapes, all curved little, and looking
as he describes them, like q wooden
new moon. They were made of a
dark, heavy wood, and weighed from
one to three pounds. In thickness
they vary from half an inch, and taper
to point at each end.
One Of the natives picked up the
piece of wood, and, posing it an in
stant, threw it, giving it rotary mo-
tion. For the first one hundred feet
or more it went straight ahead; then
it tackled to the left and rose slightly,
still rotating rapidly. 1t kept this
latter course for a hundred feet more,
perhaps, but soon veered to the left
again, describing a broader curve, and
a moment later, fell to the ground six
or eight feet in front of the thrower,
having described nearly a circle in The
air.
Another native then took the same
boomerang, and cast it, holding it with
the same grip. 1t took the same
course, but made broader curves, and
as it came round the black caught i;
handsomely in his right hand.
Another native next threw it and
lodged it on the ground about twenty
feet behind him, after it had described
circle of two hundred yards or up
wards. After him they all tried 1t,
and but one of them failed to bring
the weapon back to the spot where
they stood.
Carnboo, a native, then selected
from the heap of boomerangs another
one, and cast it with q sort Of jerk. 1t
few very quickly for forty or fifty
yards, whirling like a top. Then it
darted into the air, mounting fully
one hundred feet, and came over our
heads, where it seemed to hang sta
tionary for moment, then settled
slowly, still whirling, till he caught it.
Two others of the blacks then did the
same thing.
Meanwhile, 1 had with my knife,
shaved eta small portion of the wood
from the convex side of one of the
This is now offered to
one of them to throw. He took it
without noticing what 1 had done,
poised it, but stopped short, and with
q acontemptuous glance at my improve
ment, threw it down and exclaimed ;
"Bale budgery." (no good.)
The others then looked at it eau.
tiously, but it was bale budgery to
them also. No one Could be induced
TO throw it. -.
Myers asked them why they did not
use it, but they toald not give a def
mite answer. 1t was plain they did
not like the way it poised when held
in the hand, yet could not distin-
yuish any difference whatever between
his and the other weapons.
Burleigh then walked to distance
Of two hundred feet or more from the
blacks, and bid Carnboo throw to him
The native looked at him a moment
rather curiously, then, comprehending
what was wanted, he selected one of
he heaviest of the missiles, and. turn
ng half round, threw it with great
force in a direction nearly opposite
from that where Burleigh stood.
The weapon sped smartly for sixty
DR. seventy feet, then tackled in an in
slant and few directly at Burleigh.
and had he not most expeditiously
iucked,he would have received a hard |
hump, if nothing worse. 1t struck
he ground twenty or thirty PAGES be-
yond. This feat brought out a broad
grin, and something like a chuckle
rom the whole OF them. Carnboo
,ven intimated that he would like to
ry another cast, but Burieigh express
ID himself fully satisfied.
Mr.. Smith, however, offered to ia Q
shot, but at too short range. We
we're standing in front of one of the
Carnboo placed Smith
n front of the door and stood with
his back to him, with Smiths hand on
his shoulder. None Of us knew what
,ort Of maneuver he had in his mind,
not even Myers. Standing in this Pc
,ition, the black threw the boomerang
straight ahead. Immediately it curved
IN the air. Then it disappeared around
he corner of the building, and before
he had time to guess what was meant,
It came round the other end (having
passed completely around the store
house) and gave him q sounding clap
on the bsck, which made his eyes snap.