Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-11
BooMERANGs AND SPEARS.
Mistaken Impressions Corrected
The Native Use of Weapons.

The NatlVe use OF weapons.
More lies have been told about the
boomerang than can well be enumeraed,
and nearly every Australian traveller
comes back with fresh assortment.
One hears of men who can 50 throw a
boomerang that it kills an enemy
behind tree and then comes cheerfully
fluttering back to its owner, who there
upon hurls it on fresh mission Of
carnage. A flock enlightened cuckatoos,
speeding III intricate gyrations through
the air to escape the attack of natives
who want q bird for dinner. are pursued
ut every turn by these cratic weapons,
which strike them down dozen each,
and so return to the hand which 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 q hoop, and make capacious holes
in tho body OF the adversary. These
are Of hard heavy wood and ugly things
to be hit withal; but the return boom
erang is simply a plnything, or to be
used in light hunting, and although 1T
might give man a painful rap, could
/ not seriously injure him. As for the
cuckatoo story, it has this much of
/ truth-that n native boomerang hurler
if he saw flock flying by HIM in
straight course, could SO cast his weapon
as to como upon them unawares at a
given point, and perhaps knock one
down; but his boomerang would drop,
! too, having no power Of flight after 1t
4 has struck anything.
The boomerang is sufficiently remark
i able without being regarded III the light
of n long bow, and drawn 10y every tour
+ ist in the colonies. 1t is held perpen-
F dicularly and taken firmly in the hand
i by one Of its extremities, with the other
/ pointed forward, and is hurled with a
/ full arm and assisted by a run and swing
/ of the whole body. A slight turn of the
wrist Mt the moment of discharge causes
it to assume various cratic courses.
Sometimes it will fly straight forward
for 100 or even 200 yards, then rise
sharply to great height, lose its force,
and tlutter down to the feet of the throw
en-. Again it will rise in the air, swoop
down with immense lapidity, and skim
around in great semicircle few inches
from the ground, rise once more and re-
turn to the spot whence it started. 1t
will also start off in great swoop to the
right, reverse it and turn TO the left,
skim around the thrower III n series of
ever-naIroWing circles, and, finding their
centre, fall into ii like an exhausted
bird. There is something ncanny about
the thing; its movements are so unex-
peotcd and out of reason that it seems
to be alive, and to take a savage delight
in strange shoots and dashes, which
make the "new chum (Australian
equivalent for 'tender-foot )dolgeevery
time it turns, lest it should knock him
ON the head.
The yarn about the Australian blacks
always throwing the boomerang with
their backs to the object they desire to
hit is a piece off the same ''whole cloth"
us the cockatoo fable, and the lie about
the missile returning to its owner
after killing the gentlemen behind the
tree. An expert throWor can cause
his boomerang to shoot behind him after
short preliminary excursion in front, !
and come very near II given object, hut
if he wants to hit anything, either in
hunting OF war, he doesn't fool away his /
time with the return boomerang, but |
throws the heavy, nearly stI5light one,
which goes direct to the mark without /.
any hourishes. Such is the boomerang
"a welcomed utensil, with one shape |
for business, the other Cor sport
Another ingenious continuance used by /.
the natives is the handle and thong !
which they use in propelling their spears /
these being generally of tapering, {
sharp pointed sticks Of hard wood, I
although sometimes tipped with flint or
iron. To add to the force Of their dis /
charge some sable philosopher whose /
name is lost took bit OF thick stick 1
about n foot long, fastened to one end
strip Of leather or cord terminating IN
socket, wherein to set the bntt Of his
spear, and was ready for action. When /
the cord or strip of leather WIS laid along
the spear, the handle came in the centre .
and was held on the under side of the .
weapon when it was cast. When the .
spear left the hand, the handle and its /
appendage of leather or cord remained,
and by dcxterous movement on the (
part of the thrower acted like sling to .
accelerate the flight OF the shaft. BY
this device the sportsman gained the /
same advantage that a singer enjoys .
over person who hurls stone by lis .
unaided arm-so that eases arc known
where spears thus hurled have
flown 200 yards, and gone com
pletely through the body Of man who
unlucky enough to serve rs a target
Springfield RepvJiican.
The London and Northwestern Railroad
has put n dining car upon one of its trains,
and the whole English nation Is open