The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-21
woNDEBFUL DExTERIrY.
r.. Boomeraps and Its Mystsrious Pecu-
Haritiea.
from n, th'ea1' Ti0r"e'

F,ou, ne CA,caJ, tbpne.
traveller tells us something OF the SIN
rular weapon used by the natives OF Australia,
n nst ThcyT necd from two feet to thirty
eight inches In length. and were ui various
scribes them. Ike a wooden new moon. Ihey
we're made Of dark. heavy wood. A'd weighed
from ono to three pounds. In thickness they
vary from hall All linen, ana taper 10 / ONT at
One Of the natives picked up the liece "
wood. aud. posing 1t an instant, threw H. giving
Il a rotary motion. For the first one hundred
feet or more II went straight ahc1d; Ihen II
tackled to the left and ruse slightly stu rotating
RAPIDLY. 1t kept this latter course for hundred
feet more, perhaps, but soon vcered to the leIt
latet fell to the earth six or eight feet IN front
OF the thrower. having described ne ry clr'le
ia the air.
Another native then took the same boomerang
and cast It. holding II with the same grip. II
took the same course out made broader curve
and "a 1t came round the back caught u manu-
somelv I'm his right hand $50,
Another native next throw II. aud lodged u ON
the ernund about twenty feet behind him, after
n had desrriL,d IL circle 81 two hundred Yards
or inward After him thrN all tried it, and but
one III thpu, failed 10 bring the weapon back to
the stot where they TODD.
CarnhoO. a native. then selected from the neap
Of boomcranes Gnother orc and cas- u WIN t !, "a
yards, whirling like top, Then II ddtted INTO
the air, mounting fully one hundred Zee and
came over our heads. where II seemed to hang
stationary for moment, then settle slowly. stu
whirling. till he caught il; Two others VI the
Meanwhile had with my knife Shaved little
Of the wood from the convex side Of one Of the
boomerangs. This is nos offered 10 one OF
them to throw lie took II without noticing
what had done poised i. tut stopped short,
ana with acontemptucus glance ri my improve
ment threw II down ana cN liimed;
" Bale budgeryl' mo good
The Others then looked at e cautiously, but II
was a bale budcery also to them. No one could
be Induced to throw IL.
Myers asked them why they did not use u. but
they could not give definite answer. IL was
plain that they did not like the way u poised.
when held In the hand. vet | could not dis
tingush any difference whatever between this
and the other weapons.
Bnrleigh then W liked 10 distance Of 900 feet
or more from the BIZ cks and bid tarnboo throw
To him. The native looked al him moment
rather curiousy, then, cOmprehending what
was wanted, he selected one Of the heaviest ~
with great force In direction almost opposite
from that where Burleich stood.
The weapon sped smartly Tor 90 or ,Ofeet, then
tackled in an instant and new directly at Bur
leigh, and. had he not most eNpeditiousN
ducked, he would have received hard thumu,
" nothing worse. Ii struck the ground ~ or 80
PAGES beyond his feat brought out broad
grin ana something like a chuckle from the
whole of them. Carnboo even intimated that
he would like to try another cast, but Burlegh
expressed himself fully satisfied.
Mr.. Smith, however, offered to take a shot
but not at too short range. We were standing
IN front Of one Of the stoTehouses. Cariboo
placed Smith In front Of the door and stood
With his back to HIM, with Smiths hand on his
shoulder.
None Of us knew what sort Of . manpuvre he
had in mind, not even Myers. Standing IN his
position, the black threw the boomer ny straight
ahead. Immediately II curved in the IT, Then
II disappeared around the corner Of the build
Ing and, before he had time TO guess what was
meant, it came round the other end thdving
passed completely around the stOrenousel md
gave him sounding slap on the back, which
made his eyes snap.