Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-21
HOW THEY ARE USED.
A PEW NOTES ABOUT BooMERAEesA AND
SPEARS
some Mistaken Impressions Corrected
How the Natives Use Their
Wsapona

boomerang than OF almost any other
weapon. II is generally known as fat
stick of wood bent Into a shape which
suggests a combination of "V" ana
"U," although with the extremities
spread apart until they are at right
angles with each other. In point OF fact,
boomerangs are of almost every shape
from semicircular to nearly straight
and seem to depend for their
efficiency not 10 much upon the EVIL
dent form as upon the curves which are
shown upon their fiat sides. IL one
takes a boomerang and looks along its
sharp outer edge, it is seen that this
edge presents a wavy eppearance-s
delicately adjusted sinuosity like the
line of long screw. This curve is not
deliberately fashioned OF smoothed into
evenness the hard wood of which the
boomerang is usually made, being picked
out with short blows from sharpened
flint held in tho hand, almost always
shows, indeed, infinite irregularities.
What rule of construction the savage
artifcer follows even be himself would
probably be unable TO say. Yet he hos
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 dis curves are progress
| ing. have never seen two boomerangs
/ that were Just alike, but all are similar
in their relations of curves along the fat
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 con be well enumerated
and nearly every Australian traveller
comes back with fresh assortment
One hears OF pen who can 80 throw
boomerang that it kills an enemy behind
q tree and then comes oheerfully flutter-
! ing back 10 its owner, who thereupon
! hurls it on n fresh mission Of carnage.
A flock Of frightened cockstoos, speed
ing in intricate gyrations through the air
TO escape the attack of natives who
want a 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 aud is only slightly
bent, so that it may go hopping and
bounding along tue earth like a
hoop and make capacious holes
in the body OF the adversary.
These are of hard, heavy wood, and
ugly things TO lie hit wlthal but the
return boomerang is simply playtblng,
or to be used in light hunting, and al
though it might give man painful
rap. could not seriously injure him. AS
for the cockatoo story, 1t has this much
of truth that a native boomerang hurl-
er, if he saw a flock flying by him in a
straight course, could so cast his weapon
rs TO come upon them unawares at q
given point and perhaps knock one
down but his boomerang would drop,
too, having no power OF flight after II
has struck anything.
The boomerang is sufficiently remark
able without being regarded in the light
of long bow, and drawn by every tour
ist in the colonies 1t is held perpen-
dicularly and taken firmly in the hand
by one of its extremities, with the other
pointed forward, and is hurled with n
full arm and assisted 10y a 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 200 yards, and
then rise sharply to great
height lose it's force, and futter
down to the feet of the thrower.
Again, it will rise in the air, swoop
down with immense rapiditY, and skim
around in great semiclrcle few inches
from the ground, rise once more, and re-
turn to the spot whence it started. 1t
will also start off in n great swoop to the
right, reverse it and turn to the left,
skim around the thrower in a series of
ever narrowing circles, and, finding their
centre, fall into it like an exhausted
bird. There il something uncanny
about the thing; its movements are so
unexpected and out OF reason that 1t
seems to be alive, and to take a savage
delight in strange shoots and dashes,
which make the "new chum austria
liam equivalent for "tenderfoot y dodge
every 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 piece off the same "whole cloth "
as the cockatOo fable, and that lie about
the missile returning TO its owner after
killing the gentleman behind the tree.
An expert thrower can cause his boom
erang TO shoot behind him after a short
preliminary excursion In front and come
very near a given object. but If he 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 any tlourishes- Such
is the boomenng--a two-armed uteDsil,
with one shape for business, the other
for sport.
Another ingenious continuance used
by the natives is the handle and thong
which they use in propelling their
spears-these being generally OF taper
ing, sharp pointed sticks OF hard wood,
although sometimes tipped with flint or
iron. 10 add to the force Of their dis
charge some sable philosopher whose
name is lost took q bit of thick stick
about foot long. fastened to one end
OF it strip of leather or cord termi-
mating in a socket wherein is set the
butt of his spear and was ready for
action. When the cord or strip OF
leather was laid along the spear the han
die 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 a dexterous
movement Oh the part OF the thrower
acted like a sling to accelerate the flight
of the shaft BY this device the spear
man gained the same advantage that
singer enjoys over a person who hurts
stone by his unaided arm-so that cases
are known where spears thus hurled
have flown two hundred yards and gone