Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-06-13
THE BOOMERANG.
WHAT THIS CRUDE WEAPON CAN
ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.

More has been written and less is un-
derstood of the boomerang than of almost
any other weapon. 1t is generally known
to be a fat stick of wood bent into
shape which suggests the combination
of a v and q, although with the ex-
tremities spread apart until they are at
right angles with each other. In point
of fact, boomerangs are Of almost every
shane. from semi-circular to nearly
straight, and seem to depend for their
efficiency not so much upon the evident
form as upon the curves which are
shown upon their fiat sides. II one takes
a boomerang and looks along its sharp |
outer edge it is seen that this edge pre-
sents a wavy appearance-a delicately
adjusted sinuosity like the line of long
screw. This curve is not elaborately
fashioned or smoothed into evenness;
the hard wood of which the boomerang
is usually made, being picked out with
short blows from sharpened flint held
in the hand, almost always shows, in
deed, infinite Irregularities.
NO UNIFORM PLAN.
WlaC rule OI COilnLt uCGiOh buS c"'"6N
artificer follows even he himself would
probably be unable to say. Yet he has
some definite plan in mind, no doubt, for
while lie chips and pecks away at the
wood he takes frequent squints along its
edge to sec how his curves are progress
ing. have never seen two boomerangs
that were just alike, but all are similar
in their relations of curves along the flat
side. The boomerang maker knows in
stinctively Just where his boomerang
will 90 when he throws it, although he
never seems to aim any two in the same
way.
More lies have been told about the
boomerang than can be well enumerated,
and nearly every Australian traveller
comes back with a fresh assortment.
One hears of men who can SO throw
boomerang that it kills All enemy behind
a tree and then comes cheerfully tiutter-
ing back to its owner, who thereupon
hurls it on fresh mission of carnage.
A flock of frightened cockatoos, speed
ing in intricate gyrations through air to
escape the attack of natives who want
bird for dinner, are pursued at every
turn by these erratic weapons, which
strike them down dozen each, and so
return to the hand that cast them. Old
wives fables these, at which Australians
laugh, knowing in the nature of things
their falsity.
In the first place the war boomerang
is not made for return, and is only
slightly bent, so that it may go hopping
and bounding along the earth like hoop,
and make capacious holes in the bodies
of the adversary. These are of hard,
heavy wood, and ugly things to be hit
withal; but the return boomerang is
simply a pIaything, or to be used in
light hunting, and although it might give
man painful rap, could not seriously
iniure him. AS for the cockatoo story,
it has this much of truth, that native
boomerang hurler, if he saw flock fly
ing BY him in straight course, could SC
cast his weapon as to come upon them
unawares at given point in their fight
and, perhaps, knock one down-but his
boomerang would drop, too. having nc
power of eight after it has struck any
thing. -.--r.---..-
WHAT 1T WILL REALLY DO.
The boomerang is sufficiently remark
able without being regarded in the ligh
of a long bow, and drawn by every tour
list in the colonies 1t is held perpen
dicularly and taken firmly in the han'
bv one of its extremities, with the othe
pointed forward, and is hurled with
full arm and assisted by a run and swim
of the whole body. A slight turn of tn
wrist at the moment of discharge cause
it to assume various erratic courses
Sometimes it will fly straight forwar
for 100 or even 200 yards, then ris
sharply to great height, lose its forc'
and flutter down to the feet of til
thrower. Again, it will rise in the al
swoop down with immense rapidity, an
skim around in great semi-circle a fe
inches from the ground, rise once mo-
and return to the spot whence it starte
It will also start off in u great swot
to the right, reverse it and turn to Il
left, skim around the thrower in seri
of ever narrowing circles, and, findir
their center, fall into it like an exhaust'
bird. There is something uncanny abo
the thing; its movements are SO une
pected and out of reason that it seems
be alive and to take q, savage delight
strange shoots and dashes, which ma
the "new chum" australian equiyale
for "tenderfoot') dodge every. time
turns lest 1t should knock him on t
head. ss~
The yarn about the Australian blac
always throwing the boomerang wi
their backs to the object they desire
hit is piece of the same "wholc clot
as the cockatoo fabl5 and the lie abe
the missile returning to its owner at
killing the gentleman behind the tr
An expert thrower can cause his boom
ang to shoot behind him after sh
preliminary excursion in front, and CO..
very near q given object; but if he rea
wants to hit anything, either in hunt
or war, he doesn't fool away his til
with the return boomerang, but thro
the heavy, nearly straight one, VIII
goes direct to the mark without q
fiourishes Such Is the boomerang
two-formed utensil, with one shape u
for business, tile other for sport.-C
Springfield Mass. Republican.
lemon PARTIES are a late Washing