Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-28
THE BOOMERANG.
WHAT THIS CRUDE WEAPON CAN
ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.


More has been written and less Is un.
1 derstood of the boomerang than of almost
any other weapon. 1t is generally known
to be fiat stick of wood bent into a
shape which suggests the combination
of a and 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 SO much upon the evident
form as upon the curves which are
shown upon their flat sides If one takes
boomerang and looks along its sharp
outer edge it is seen that this edge pre-
sents a wavy appearance-a delicately
adjusted sinuosity like the line of long
screw This curve is not elaborately
fashioned or smoothed into evenness:
the hard wood of which the boomerang
is usually made, being picked out with
short blows from IA 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 futter-
ing back to its owner. who thereupon
hurts it on fresh mission of carnage.
A flock of frightened cockatoos, speed
ing in intricate gyrations through air to
escape the attack of natives who want
bird for dinner, are pursued at every
turn by these erratic weapons, which
strike them down a 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, and is only
slightly bent, so that it may go 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
wlthal; but the return boomerang is |
simply plaything, or to be used in |
light hunting, and although it might give
a man painful rap, could not seriously |
injure him AS for the cockatoo story, |
it has this much of truth, that a motive |
boomerang hurler, if he saw flock fly- !
ing by him in Il straight course, could so |
cast his weapon as to come upon them |
unawares at 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 1T WILL REALLY DO,
The boomerang is sufficiently remark
able without being regarded in the light
OF long bow, and drawn by every tour
list in the colonies. 1t is held perpen-
dlcularly 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 by a 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 it will fly straight forward
for 100 or even 200 yards, then rise
sharply to great height, lose it's force
ana tutter down to the feet of the
-hroWer. Again, it will rise in the air
'Woop down with immense rapiditv. and
SKIM around in great semi-circle n few
inches from the ground, rise once more
ana return to the spot whence it started
IL VIII also start off in great swoop
o the right, reverse it and turn to the
ell SKIM around the thrower in a series
u ever narrowing circles, and, findinp
heir center, fall into it like an exhausted
'lrd. There is something uncannv about
he thing; its movements are SO unex-
'ected and out of reason that it seems ia
'e alive and to take savage delight in
TRANCE shoots and dashes, which make
ne new chum (Australian equivalent
or "tenderfoot'') dodge every time it
urns lest it should knock him ON fine
ead
he yarn about the Australian blacks
ways throwing the boomerang with
helr backs to the object they desire to
II Is piece OF the same whole cloth"
the cockatoo fable and the lie about
ne missile returning to its owner after
lIlIhg the gentleman behind the tree
N expert thrower can cause his boomer.
ng to shoot behind him after short
feilminary excursion in front. and come
cry near a given object, but if he really
ants to hit anything, either in hunting
war he doesn't fool away his time s
iIil the return boomerang. but throws t
lie heavy nearly straight one. which c
pes direct to the mark without any ,
1urlShes Such is the boomerano-o +
Vo-Iormed utensil, with one shape used f
u business, the other for sport. Cor. {
(0lass.) Republican. v
Not Physical Shortness.