The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-11-12
4 MYSTERIOUS WEAPoN.

singular weapon used by the natives Of
Australia, the boomerang. He saw
them used bv the natives. They range
from two feet to thirty eight inches
in length, and we're of various shapes,
all carved a little, and looking, as he
described sthem, like a wooden new
moon. They were made Of dark,
heavy wood, and weighing 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 mp the
piece of wood and, poising it an in
slant, threw it, giving it a rotary mo-
ton. 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,
Derhaps. but soon yeered to the LETT
AGAIN. describing n broader curve, and
Il moment later fell to the earth six or
eight feet IN front of the thrower, hav-
inc desc1i 1ibed nearly q 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 it
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
q circle of two hundred yards or up
ward After him they all tried it, and
but one of them failed to bring the
weapon back to the spot where they
stood.
Carnboo, native, then selected
fiom the heap Of boomerangs another
one; and cast it with Il sort of jerk. 1t
flew very quickly for 40 or so yards,
whirling like top. Then it durted
into the air, mounting fully one hun-
dred feet, and came over Our heads,
where it seemed to hang sta iOnery for
q moment. then settle slowly, still
whirling, till he caught it. Two others
of the blacks then did the same thing.
Meanwhile ! had with my knife
shaved a little of the wood from the
convex side ofone of the boOmerangs.
This is now offered to one of them to
throw. lie took tt without noticing
what had done, poised it but stopped
short, and with a contemptuous glance
at my Improvement threw it down and
exclaimed:
BALE budgery ~ (no good).
The others then looked ut it eau
tiously, but it was a bale bndgery also
to them. No one could be induced to
throw it.
Myers asked them why they did not
use it, but they could not give def
mite answer 1t was plain they did
not like the wav it poised, when held
in the hand. yet could not distinguish
any difference whatever between this
and the other weapons.
Burliegh then walked distance Of
200 feet or more from the blacks and
bid CarnbOo throw to him. The ma
tive looked at him q moment rather
curiously, then, comprchending what
was wanted, lie selected one of the
heaviest of the missiles, and, turning
half round, threw it with great force
in a direction almost opposite from
where Burleigh stood.
The weapon sped smartly for 60 or
10 feet, then tackled in an instant and
flew directly at Burleigh, and, had he
not most expeditiously ducked, he
would have received hard thump, if
nothing worse 1t struck the ground
30 or 80 PAGES beyond. This feat
brought out broad grin and some
thing like chuckle from the whole of
them. Carnboo even intimated that
he would like to try another cast, but
Burleigh expressed himself fully sat
isfed
Mr.. Smith, however, offered TO "talle
a shot :" but not at too short a range.
We were standing in front of one of
the store e-hOu5cs Carnboo placed
Smith in front of the door and stood
with his back to him, with Smiths
hand on his shoulder.
None of us know what sort of q
mannuvre he had in his mind, not even
Meyers Standing N this position, the
black threw the boomerang straight
ahead. I'm mediately it curved in the
air. Then it disappeared around the
corner of the building, and before he
had time to guess what was meant, it
came around the other end (having
passed completely around the store
house) and gave him a sounding slap
on the back which made his eyes snap.
STICK TO IT-Lcarn trade or get
into business. and 70 at it with de-
a. 4