Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-12-23
WONDERFUL DEXTERITY.

A traveller tells US something of the singu-
lar weapon used by the natives of Australia,
the boomerang. He saw them used by the
natives. They ranged from two feet to thir"
ty-eight inches in length, and we're of various
shapes, all curved little, and looking as he
describes them, like wooden new moon.
They we're made of dark, heavy wood, and
weighed from one to three pounds. In thick
ness they vary from half 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, CIV
ing it rotary motion. For the first one hun
dred 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 hundred feet more, perhaps, but
soon veered to the left again, describing a
broader curve, and 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 boomer.
sng and cast it, holding it with the same grip
It 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 a circle of two hundred
yards or upward. After him they all tried it,
and but one of them failed to bring the weap-
on back to the spot where they stood.
Carnboo, 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 top. Then
it darted into the air, mounting fully one hun
dred feet, and came over our heads, where it
seemed to hang stationary for moment, then
settle slowly, still whirling, till he caught it.
Two others of the blacks did the same thing.
Meanwhile I 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 I had done, poised it, but stop
ped short, and with contemptuous glance at
my improvement, threw it down and exclaim-
ed:
"Bale budgery!" (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 it,
but they could not give definite answer. 1t
was plain they did not like the way it poised
when in the hand, yet could not distinguish
any difference whatever, between this and the
other weapons. .a
Burleigh then walked to distance Of two
hundred feet or more from the blacks and bid
Carnboo throw to him. The native looked at
him moment rather curiously, then compre.
hending what was wanted, be selected one of
the heaviest of the missiles, and, turning half
around, threw it with great force in 8 direc.
tion almost opposite from that where Burleigh
stood.
The weapon sped smartly for sixty or seven
ty feet, then tackled in an instant, and flew d.
rectly at Burleigh, and, had he not most expe-
ditiously ducked, be would have received a
hard thump, if nothing worse. 1t struck the
ground twenty or thirty PAGES beyond. This
feat brought out a broad grin and something
like chuckle from the whole of them. Carn.