The Somerset reporter., 1889-04-25
TIE BOOMERANG.
WHAT THIS CRUDE WEAPON CAN
ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.

ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.
Many Of the Fables Told About 1t Ex-
pIoded The Cockatoo story Made out of
"Whoie Cloth''-Thrre Is No Occasion to
Invent stories About the Incanuy Thing.
More has been written and less is un-
derstood of the boomerang than of almost
any other weapon. 1t is generally known
to be flat stick of wood bent into
shape which suggests the combination
of V and L, although with the cN-
tremitics spread apart until they are at
right angles with each other. In point
of fact. boomerangs are of almost every
shape. from scmi-Crclilar to nearly
straight, and seem to depend for their
efficiency not so much upon the evident
form rs upon the curves which are
shown upon their Hat sides II one takes
a boomerang and looks along its sharp
outer edge it is seen that this edge pre-
sents wavy appearances delicatcly
adjusted sinuosity like the line of II long
screw. This curve is not deliberately
fashioned or snoothed into cVcnncss.
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.
What rule of construction the savage
artificer 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 the
wood he takes frequent squints along its
edge to see 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 go 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 fresh assortment.
One hears of men who can so throw a
boomerang that it kills an enemy behind
"A tree and then comes cheerfully tluttcr
ing back to its owner, who thcrcupon
hurls it on II fresh mission of carnage
A flock of frightened cockatoos, speed
ing in intricate gyratons through air Ia
escape the attack Of natives who want
bird for dinner. are pursued at every
turn by these crratic 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 falsily.
In the first place the war boomerang
Is not made for return. and is only
slightly bent 50 that it may go hopping
and bounding along the earth Ikea 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 j.
simply IA plaything, or to be used in
light hunting, and although it might give
IL man "A painful rap, could not seriously
injure him. As for the cockatoo story
it has this much Of truth, that notive
boomerang hurlcr If he saw II flock fly
cast his weapon as to come upon them
unawares at II given point in their flight,
,,;;7!, perhaps L,uGk 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 n long bow, and drawn by every tour
list in the colonies 1t is held pcrpcn-
dicularly and taken firmly in the hand
by one of its cxtrcmties, with the other
pointed forward. and is hurled with
full arm and assisted by n run and swing
of the whole body. a slight turn of the
wrist at the moment Of discharge causes
it to assume various erratic courses.
Sometimes it will fly straight forward
for 100 or even 900 yards, then rs,
sharply to a great height. lose its force
and flutter down to the feet of the
throwcr Again. it will rise in the air,
swoop down with immense rapdity, and
skim around in great semi-crcle few
inches from the ground. rise once more
and return to the spot whence it started
1t will also start off in Il great swoop
to the right. reverse ii and turn to the
left, skim around the thrower in u series
of ever narrowing circles. and, findin.
their center, fall into it like an exhausted
bird. There is something uncanny about
the thing, its movements are so uncx
pected and out of reason that it seems to
he alive and to take II savage delight in
strange shoots and dashes, which make
the new chum" australian equivalent
for "tenderfoot") dodge every time il
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 of the same "whole cloth
as the cockatoo fable and the lie about
tho 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 n given object; but if he really
wants to hit anything, either in hunting
or war, he doesn't fool away his time \
with the return boomerang. hut throws
the heavy, nearly straight one, which, |!
tlourishes. Such is the boomerang |
two-forIned utensil. with one shape used |
for business, the other for sport.-Cor |
Springfield Mass Republican.