Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-04
The Boomerang.

A traveller tells us something of the sin.
gular weapon used by the natives OF Aus
tralia, the boomerang He saw them used
by the natives. They ranged from two
feet to thirty ghf inches in length. and
were of various shapes. all curved a little
and looking, as he describes them, some.
thing like wooden new moon. They
were made of Q dark, heavy wood and
weighed from one TO three pounds. In
thickness they vary from halt an inch and
taper to point at each end.
One of the natives picked up the piece
Of wood, and, posing it an instant. threw
it, giving it q rotary motion. For the
first 100 feet or more ii went straight
ahead. Then it tackled to the left and rose
slightly, still rotating rapidly. 1t kept
this latter course for 100 feet more, per.
hans. but soon veered TO the left again
describing broader curve, and a moment
later fell to the earth six or eight feet in
front of the thrower, having described
nearly circle in the air.
Another native then took the same boom
erang and cast it, holding il 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
ii on the ground about twenty feet be-
hind him, after it had described circle
of 200 yards or upward. After him they
all tried it 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 sort of jerk 1t flew very quickly
for forty or fifty yards, whirling like a
top Then it darted into the air, mount
ing fully 100 feet, and came over our
heads, where il seemed to hang stationary
for moment, then settled slowly, stIli
whirling, till he caught it. Two others
of the blacks then did the same thing.
Meanwhile had with my knife shaved
little of the wood from the convex side
of one of the boomerangs. This was now
offered to one of them to throw. He took
it without noticing what l had done,
poised it, but stopped short and with
contemptuous glance at my improvement
threw it down and exclaimed:
"Balc budgeryw (no good).
The others then looked at it cautiously,
but it was bale budgery Also to them.
No one could be induced TO throw It.
Myers asked them why they did not use
il, but they could not give definite an
swer. 1t was plain that they did not like
the way it poised when held In the hand,
yet could not distinguish any difference
whatever between this and the other weap-
ons
Burleigh then walked to distance Of
200 feet or more from the blacks and babe
Carnboo throw to him. The native looked
at him moment, rather curiously, then,
comprehending what was wanted, he Sc
lected one of the heaviest OF the missiles
and, turning half round, threw it with
great force in direction almost opposite
from that where Burlelgh stood.
The weapon sped smartly for sixty or
seventy 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 twenty or thirty PAGES
beyond. This feat brought out broad
grin, and something like chuckle, from
the whole OF them. Carnboo even init
mated that he would like to try another
cast, but Burleigh expressed himself fully
satisfied.
Mr.. - (another of our party, how
ever, offered to take shot," but not at
too short a range. We were standing in
front of one OF the storehouses. Carnboo
placed - In front of the door and
stood with his back TO him, with IS
hand on his shoulder.
None of US knew what sort Of maneu-
yer he had in mind, not even Myers
Standing in his position, the black threw
the boomerang straight ahead. Imme-
diately ii curved in the air. Then it dis
appeared around the corner Of the build
ing and, before he had time to guess what
was meant, it came round the other end
(having passed completely around the
storchouse) and gave him a sounding slap
on the back, which made his eyes snap.