, 1889-07-11
THE BOOMERANG.
F$iIAT THIS CRUDE WEAPON CAN
ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.

Many % ti.e Fables Told About /. Tx
U."ded -I:,e Cockato, story Made Out of
''Wh"ir Gf";H''-Tiig.c j. Su Occasion to
I"v""; Stpric, Hbo"; Tie Cuc:rmy Thing
More las been written aud les is un.
dCrstosl uf thc boomerang than of almost
any other weapon Il /. generally known
to BE- f;tt stick of " GCd bent into 4
shape which suggests thc combination
of ii ' nii u. although with the ey-
trcmitics spread apart until ihoy are at
! rinht angles with each other. In point
| OF fact, bpumcrauSs are of almost every
shape, from semi-c!rcular to nearly
straight, and seem 20 depend for their
efficiency EiOt So much upon the evident
form as upon the curves which are
shown upon their fiat sides. If one takes
q boomerang and looks along its sharp
outer edge it is seen that this edge pre-
scmis . wavy appea.anoe-a dcIicately
| adjusted siEuosiJy ike the line of long
! scEew. ThiS cUrvc IS not eiahorateiy
| fashioned or smooIhcd into evenness;
the hard wood of which the boomerang
IS usually made. being picked out with
short blows from = si.arpcncd flint held
in the hand, almost always shows. IN
deed, inliaitc irregularities,
NO UNIFORM PLAN.
What rule Of construction the savage
artiiicer follows even he himself would
! probably be unable TO say. Yet he has
some definite plan III mind, no doubt, for
while he chips and pecks away at the
| wood he takes frequent squints along its
edge to see how his curves are progress
ing. l have never seen two boomerang5
that were Just alike. bat all are similar
III their relations OF curves along tho fiat
side. The boomerang maker knows in
stinctively just where his boomerang
viii so when ho throws it, although he
never seems TO aim any two in the sanc
way.
More lies have ha-E sold about the
| boomerang than c..n bc veil enumerated,
and uearly every Australian traveller
comes back with 4 fresh assortment.
One hears Of men who can SO throw a
boomerang that it Lilfs IN enemy behind
4 tree and then comes cheerfully Gutter-
| ing back to its Owner, who thereupon
| hurls it On fresh mission of carnage.
y flock Of frightened cockatoos, speed
| ing IL intricate gyratiol.s through air to
escape the attack of natives who want a
| bird for dinner, are pursued at every
turn by these Crratic weapons, which
strike them down dozen each, and so
return 10 the hand that cast them. Old
| wives fables these, at which Australians
laugh, knowing in the nature of things
their falsi!Y.
In the first place the var boomerang
- not made for return, and is only
slightly bent. so that it may so 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
Imply playthinS, or 10 be used in
| light hunting, and although it might give
u man painful rap. could not seriously
injure him. As f+r The cockatoo story,
It has this much of truth, that native
boomerang huricr, if hr saw Il flock fly
| ing 10y him in Ttrai ht course, could so
! cast Ills weapon rs II come upon them
| unawarCs at n given point in their flight
| and. perhaps, knock ono down-but his
boomerang would drop. too. having no
power OF flight after it has struck any
thing.
| WHAT IT WILL. REALLY &c
| The boomerang i efficiently remark
able without being regarded in the light
| "f Il long DOW, and G.awn by every tour
iSt in the colonies It is held perpen-
dicuiarly and taken firmly in the hand
| by ore of its cXlrcmitiC5. with the other
pointed forward, and $ hurled with a
full arm and assisted hy :. run and swing
of the whole body y slight turn of the
! wrist 1T the moment G.! discharge causes
| it to assume various Crratic courses.
| Sometimes it Will nv straight forward
| for 100 or even 200 yards, then rise
sharply TO 4 great height, lose its force,
| and iiuttGr down to the feet of the
| throwcr. Again, it vii! Iise in tho air.
swoop down with immense rapidity, and
skim around in 4 great scmi-circle 4 few
inches from the ground, rise once more
and return to the spot whence it started
1t will also start of III great swoop
TO the right, reverse IL and turn to the
left, skim around the throwcr in series
of ever narrowing circles and, finding
their center, fall into it like an exhausted
bird. There Is something unCanuy abou,
the thing; its movements are so uncx-
pected and out of reason that it seems to
be alive and 10 take = savage GeIiehs in
strange shoots and daslss, which make
the new chuf9" australian equivalent
| for 'tcnGerfoot') dodge every time it
| turns lest it should knocl; him on the
| head
The yarn about the Australian blacks
always throwing the boomerang w:;h
their backs to the object they desire 70
hit - a piece Of tho same whole cloth
as the cgr!.aioo iablJ and the lie about
tho missile returning 70 It, owner after
killing the gentleman behind the tree.
An expert throwcr Can cause his boomer
ang 10 shoot behind hIu uft-v snort
preliminary excursion o. !ruut. and come
very reaT g given obIryt. hut ii 10 really
wants 10 hit any;hiug. either in hunting
or ws;r. lac doesn't foo: away his time
with ;he return DJsu..r-ai.. but throws
the h-a'y, nearly straight one. which
goes direct To- tho ;aaEa vi.Hrc: any
tlOur-ha=. Such /, ,.- i,.a.. ...a--u
twC-!Urllgl ufeu=I! UI-4 COL. ..a.s Jraei
fcr lG-.a..a, the uta.. ..r .g.sf Cor.
/ SpT.r s.i-It Mas J.. ......au
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