The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-25
TIE BOOMERANG.
WHAT THIS CRUDE WEAPON CAN
ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.

Many Of the Fables Told About II Ts-
/ pi"dcd The toci.atoo Story Made ont of
Whole Cloih"-Ibcic l. No Occasion To
Invent stories About the Jncanny Thing.
More ha. been written and less is un.
derstood of the boomerang than Of almost
any other weapon. 1t is generally known
70 be- dat stick Of wood bent into a
shape which suggests the combination
ut Y and L although with the OK
rcmitics spread apart until they are at
rrht ANGLES with each other Ia point
of fact. boomerang are Of almost every
shape. from scmtcircular TO nearly
a. straight. and seem 10 depend for their
efficiency not so much upon the evident
form as upon the curves which arc
shown upon their fiat sides If one takes
"a boomerang and looks along ia sharp
outer edge 1t IS seen that this edge pre-.
SCENTS a wavy appearance dclicately
adjusted sinuosity like the limo Of a long
screw. This curve IS not elaboratcly
fashioned or smoothod into cvcnncss.
the hard wood Of which the boomerang
is usually made, being picked out with
short blows from a sharpcned flint held
in the hand, almost always shows, in
deed. infinite irregularities.
so UNIFORM PLAN.
What rule Of construction the savage
aruGcor follows even he himself would
probably bcunabN 10 say. Yet he has
some definite plan in mind, no doubt, tor
while bee clips and pccks away at the
wood hc takes frequent squints along as
c,lcc to Sec how his curves are progres,
ing have never seen two boomerang
that were just alike bat all are similar
boz their relations of curves along the flat
side The boomerang maker knows in
-inctigely mst where his boomerang
will goo when ho throws il, although ho
never seems 90 aim any two in the same
way
More lies have been told about the
boomerang than can beweli enumerated
and nearly every Australian traveller
comes mck with "a fresh assortment
ono hears of men who can SO throw
boomerang Chat DO Kills an enemy behind
"a tree and then comes chccriully ilutter
nc back 90 its owner. who thereupon
hurls il on fresh mission of carnage
A nock of frightened cockatoos. speed
ne m intricate gyratious through air 60
escape The attack of natives who want a
bird for dinner, are pursued at every
turn bv these cuatic weapons, which
strike them down q dozen each. and so
return to tine hand that cast thcm. Old
wives. fables these. 40 which Australians
LAUGH. knowing ia the nature of thing-
th,ii ial-iiy
In nlc lrst place the war boomerang
is not made for return, and is onl,
slightly bent. SO chat It may'go hopping
and bounding along the earth Ikea hoop
and make capacious holes In the bodies
ct thc adversary These are Of hard
heavy wood. and ugly things TO be hit
withai. hut tine return boomerang l.
simply plaything, or TO be used in
heht hunting. and although it might give
man "a painful rap. could not seriously
mmrc him. As for the cockatoo story.
10 has this much OF truth, that native
boomerang hwlor. if lac saw a flock fly
ing hy him in q straight course, could so
cast hi, weapon as 10 come upon them
maVares at a given point in their flight,
and. perhaps. knock one down-but his
boomerang would drop. too, having no
power of flight after it has struck any
thing
WHAT ST. WILL REALLY DO.
The boomerang is sufficiently remark
able without being regarded in the light
of Is long bow. and drawn 10y every tour
ist i'm the colonies. IL is held pepcn-
dicuarly and taken firmly in the hand
bv one of its cxtremities, with the other
pointed forward. and is hurled with a
um arm and assisted by a run and swing
of the whole body. A slight turn of the
wrist at the moment of discharge cause
if to as.ume various crratic courses
Sometimes 10 Will ily straight forward
for 700 on even 200 yards, then rise
sharply toa great height, lose its force
and hutter down % the feet of lhe
throwor Again. 10 will rise in the air
sVoop down with immense rapidity, and
skim around in great semi-circie "a few
inches from the ground, rise once more
and return 90 the spot whence 1t started
10 viii also start of i'm great swoop
io ihe right. reverse it. and turn to the
fen. skim around the thrOwer in a series
of ever narrowing circles, and finding
theirccutcr. fall into it like an exhausted
bird There is something uncauny about
thc thing It's movements are SO uncN
ncctel and out of reason that it seems o.
be- alive and % take savage delight %
strange shoot5 and dashes, which max,
the new chum" australian equivalent
for "tenierlootD dodge every time IL
turns lest II should knock him on tho
head
The warm about the Australian black
always throwing tho boomerang with
their backs 20 the object they desire t.
hit is piece of the same "whole cloth
as tAc cockatoO fablo and the lie about
tho missile returning 10 its owner after
killing the gentleman behind the tree
Ana expert throwcr can cause bis boomer
an. to shoot behind him after a short
preliminary excursion I'm front. and come
very near given object, but If he really
wants to has anything. either IN hunting
or war. he doesn't fool away hls tIme
with the return boomerang. but throws
the heavy nearly straight one, which
goes direct 90 the mark without any
hourishes. Such is the boomerang
two-tormed 1iensil, with one shape used
for business. the other for sport
Springfield (Slass.) Republican.