, 1889-05-02
THE BOOMERANG.
WHAT THIS CRUDE WEAPON CAN
ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.

AAAAg =" NV AhcAta AoAN AADouG - -
pIoded-The Cockatoo Story Made Out of
whole CIoth"-Thcro Is No occasIon to
Invent Stories About the Uncanny Thing.
More has been written and less is I'M
derstood Of the boomerang than of almost
any other weapon. 1t is generally known
to be a fiat stick of wood bent into q
shape which suggests the combination
Of a V and a U, 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
shape, from semi-circular to nearly
straight, and seem to depend for their
efficiency not 30 much upon the evident
form as pom the curves which are
shown upon their flat sides. II ono takes
a boomerang and looks along its sharp
outer edge it is seen that this edge pre-
sents q wavy app%earance-a delicately
adjusted ~sinuosity like the line of n long
screw. This curve is not deliberately
fashioned or smoothed into evenness;
the hard wood of which the boomerang
is usually made, being picked out with
short blows from n sharpened flint held
In the hand, almost always shows, in
deed, infinite Irregularities.
NO UNIFoR PLAN.
What rule of construction the savage
artifcer follows even he himself would
probably be unable to say. Yet he has
some definite plan in mind, no doubt, for
while he chips and pecks away at tho
wood he takes frequent squints along its
edge to see how his curves are progress
ing. l have never seen two boomcrangs
that wero just alike, but all are similar
In their relations of curves along the flat
side. Tho boomerang maker knows in
s~tinctively just where his boomerang
will go when he throws 1t, although he
never seems TO aim any two In the same
way.
Moro lies have been told about the
boomerang than can be well enumerated,
and nearly every Australian traveller
comes back with n fresh assortment.
One hears of men who can 30 throw a
boomerang that 1t kills nm enemy behind
a tree and then comes cheerfully hutter-
ing back TO Its owner who thereupon
hurls it on n fresh mission of carnage.
A flock of frightened cockatoos, speed
ing in intricate gyrations through air to
escape the attack of natives who want n
nv " NAAAAAcA ~ DhlbhCa W SNtll
turn by these erratio weapons, which
strike them down a dozen each, and so
return to the hand that cast them. Old
wives fables these, Mt which Australians
laugh, knowing in the nature of things
their falsity.
In the first place the war boomerang
Is not mndo for return, and is only
slightly bent, 30 that 1t may go hopping
and bounding along the earth like n 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 n plaything, or to be used In
light hunting, and although 1t might give
q man a painful rap, could not seriously
injure him AS for tho cookatoo story,
1t has this much of truth, that q notive
boomerang hurler, II he saw n flock fly
ing by him In a straight course, could 80
cast his weapon rs to como upon them
unawares 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 IT WILL REALLY DO.
The boomerang Is sufficiently remark
able without being regarded in the light
of a long bow, and drawn by every tour
list In the colonies. 1t Is held perpen-
dicularly and taken firmly in the hand
by ono of its extremities, with the other
pointed forward, and is hurled with a
full arm and assisted by q run and swing
of the whole body. A slight turn of the
wrist at the moment of discharge causes
1t to assume various cratic courses.
Sometimes 1t will fly straight forward
for 100 or even 200 yards, then rise
sharply to a great height, lose its force,
and hutter down to the feet of the
thrower. Again, 1t will rise In the air,
swoop down with immense rapidity, and
skim around in n great semi-c1role a few
inches from the ground, rise once moro
and return to the spot whence 1t started.
1t will also start off in q great swoop
10 the right, reverse 1t and turn to tho
left, skim around the thrower In q series
Of ever narrowing circles, and, finding
their center, fall into 1t like an exhausted
bird There Is something uncanny about
the thing; Its movements are 80 unex-
pected and out of reason that 1t seems to
be alive and to take a savage delight In
strange shoots and dashes, which mako
the new chum" australian equivalent
for 'tenderfoot") dodge every time it
turns lest 1t should knock him on the
head.
Tho yarn about the Australian blacks
always throwing tho boomerang with
their backs to the object they desire to
hit Is a piece of the same whole cloth"
as the cookatoo fable and the lie about
the missile returning to Its owner after
killing the gentleman behind the tree.
An expert thrower can cause his boomer
ang to shoot behind him after a short
preliminary excursion In front, and come
very near a given object; but II he really
wants to hit anything, either In hunting
or war, he doesn't fool away his time
with the return boomerang, but throws
the heavy, nearly straight one, which
goes direct to the mark without n
fourishes. Such is the boomerang-a
two-formed u~tensil, with one shape used
for business, the other for sport.-Cor.
Springfield Nfass.) Republican.