Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-24

Chicago Tribune.l
A traveller tells US something of the
singular wesppn used by the natives OF
Australia, the boomerang He saw them
used by the natives. They ragged from
two feet t. thirty eight inches in length,
and were Of various shapes, all curved 8
little, aud IooRing, as he describes them,
Ike a wooden new moon. They were
made of q darn, heavy wood, ana
weighed from one to three pounds. In
thickness they very from hsl'an inch,
and taper TO point at each END one
% the natives picked up the piece OF
woad, and, posing 1t an instant threw
it, giving il 3 rotary motion. For the
6rst one hundred feet or more II went
straight ahtad Then it tackled to the
left and rose slightly, still rot9ting rap
idIy, 1t kept this latter course for hum
dred feet or more, perhaps, but soOn
veersd 70 the left again, describing a
broader curve. and a moment later fell
10 the earth six or eight feet in front Of
The tbrnwer. having deserted 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, hut made broader
ouryes and as it came round the black
caught il handsomely in his right hand.
Another native next threw it, and
LODGED ii on the ground about twenty
| Aaaf sehiud him, after 1t had described
circle of two hundred yards or upward.
After him they all tried 1t, and but
one of them failed to bring the wespon
back to the spot where they stood. Carn-
mo. a native, then selected from the
heap of bOOmerangs another one, and
cast it with q sort of jerk. l flew very
Quickly for forty or fifty yards, whirling
like q TOP. The ii dsItet into the air,
mouuting fully one hundred feet, and
came over cur heads, where 1t seemed to
aug stationary for 3 moment, then
-ettls slowly, eth whirling, till he
cssRht il. Two others of tHe blacks
then did the same thing. Meanwhile |
I'D with my knife shaved little of the
WO ID nom the convex side Of one OF the
q ,omeIaUgs. This is now offered II one
Of them To throw. He took it without
noticing what had done, poised it, but
stopped short, and with cOntemptuOu>
lance at my Improvement, threw II
down and exclaimed: 'Bsle budgeIyw
loo good. The others then looked il
cautiously, but it was tale budgery
also TO them. No one could be induced
20 throw it Myers asked them why
fhey did not use 1T; but they could not
give a definite answer. II was plain
mat they did not like the way il poised,
when held in the hand, yet l could not
define uish any difference whatever be-
fgeen this and the other weapons. Bur.
leiph then walked II a distance OF tW"
nu1dred feet or more from the blac6s
ana bid Carnboo throw TO him
Che native looked at him a mo-
ment rather curiously, then, com
p,,ebendiug what was wanted,
ne selected one OF the heaviest Of
he missiles, and turning half round,
threw it with great force ina direction
almost opposite that where Burleizh
stood. The weapon sp+d smarty for
5ixsy or seventy feet, then tackled III an
instant and few directly at Burlelgn,
and. had be not most eXpedltIousiy
ducked, he would have received hard
thump, if nothing worse. ltstruck the
grcu d twenty or thirty PAGES bsyend
This feat brought out broad grin aud
something Ike q chuckIing from the
whole Of them CerDboO even iptimated
that he would like 70 try another cast,
out Burleigh expressed himself fully
sa'ikfi,d. Mr. Smitlt, however, otfeI ed
10 aiake q shot but not at too short
range. We were standing IN front OF
ore of the storehouses. Carnb0o placed
smith in front of the door and Stood
gith his back to him, with Smiths
nand on his shout Ter. NoLe of us
kusW what sOrt Of q msneuver be had
no mind, not even Myers. Standing in
his position. the black threw the boom-
ersIg straight ahead. Immediately it
cu,ved IN The air Then it disappeared
around the corner OF the building, and,
hef ire he had time to guess what was
meant, it came round the other e I'd
7haying passed completely round the
stoTehouse) and gave him sounding
slap on the back, which made bis eyes
| snap.