Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-11-04
Wonderful Dex terity.
The Boomerang and its Mysteri-
GUS Peculiarities.
From the Chicago Tribune.

natives of Australia, the boone.
rang He saw them used ty the
natives. They range from two
feet to thirty-eightinchesin length,
and were of various shapes, all
curved a little and looking, as be
described them, like 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 a point at each
end.
One Of the natives picked up
the piece Of wood, and, poising
it an instant, threw it, giving it
a rotary motion. 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, des-
cribing a broader curve, and a
moment later fell to the earth
six or eight feet in front of the
thrower, having described near
ly 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 il
came round the black caught it
handsomely in his right hand.
Another native next threw it,
and lodged it OH the ground a.
bout twenty feet behind him,
after it had described a 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, a native, then selec-
ted from the heap Of boone
rangs another one, and cast it
with Il sort of jerk. 1t few
very quickly for 40 or SO yards,
whirling like Il top. Then it
darted into the air, mounting
fully one hundred feet, and
came over our heads, where it
it seemed to hang stationary for
a moment, then settle slowly, |
still whirling, till he caught it.
Two others Of the blacks did |
the same thing.
Meanwhile | had with my
knife shaved a little of the wood
from the convex side of one of |
the boomerangs. This is now
offered to one Of them to throw. !
He took it without noticing
what l had done, poised it, but
stopped short, and with a con-
temptuous glance at my i'm
provement threw it down and |
exclaimed: !
BALE budgery!" (no good.) |
The others then looked at it
cautiously, but it was a bale
budgery 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 definite answer. 1t
was plain that they did not like
the way it poised, when held in
the hand, yet | could not dis
tiDguish any difference whatev-
er between this and the other
weapons.
Burleigh then walked to
distance Of 200 feet or more
from the blacks and bid Carnboo
throw to him. The native looked |
at him a moment rather curl
ously, then, comprehending
what was wanted, he selected
one Of the heaviest of the mis-
siles, and, turning half round,
threw it with great force in a
direction almost opposite from
that where Burleigh stood.
The wapon sped smartly for
go or 20 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 20 or 80 PAGES beyond.
This feat brought out a broad
grin and something like
chuckle from the whole of them.
Carnboo even intimated that he
would like to try another cast,
but Burleigh expressed himself
fully satisfied.
Mr.. Smith, however, offered
to stake a shot," but not at too
short a range. We were stand
ing in front of one of the store
houses. Carnboo placed Smith
in front of the door and stood
with his back to him, with