The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-19
THROWN BOOMERANG
HAS BECOME A SLANG PHRASE IN
THIS COUNTRY.


Tricks With It at the Worlds Fair.
Some Particulars of Their Osnnibal-
istic Practices When They Are at
Home.
Correspondence Of the Neto York Advertiser
Los ANGELES. Feb. ar. A. Cunning
ham, formerly connected with the great
est show on earth" recently arrived from
Australia with small troop of aborigines
which he proposes to take to the Chicago
fair as soon as warm weather sets 10, for
these cannipals cannot thrive in GOLD
weather, even with any quantity Of cloth
ing. which they sbhor.
These tattooed cannibals are the lowest
specimens of humanity on earth, not ex-
cepting the California Digger Indian. In
ar interview the manager stated that these
cannibals are from North Queensland, near
the Gulf Of Carpenteria,s country of jungles
and teeming with wild beasts. reptiles and
numerous bands Of aborigines of from fifty
TO one hundred in each tribe or band. There
is law against she aborigines leaving
their country, but the English authorities
like those in this country do not care to see
great many things.
A large number of Chinese we're recently
imported Into that section as railroad labor
ers, but the railroad scheme was abandoned,
and so were the Chinese.
The bushwhacking war between the Chi
nese invaders and the bushmen is decimat-
ing the ranks OF both. The bushmen fight
for double purpose-to drive away the IN
vaders and 20 get food. The cannibals rel
ish the dead body of a Chinaman much bet
ter than that Of a Caucasian, because the
celestial has not so much salt in his compo-
sitiOn. They can stomach opium laden
meat, but abhor salt
The civilized English and Americans who
live along the seacoast have introduced to-
bac o, whisky and other vices of civiliza-
tion, and the cannItals wearing only
small cloth around their loins, come in
from the Jungles TO the ranches and beg to-
bacco and whisky. They sell their boone
rangs and spears and purchase these civIliz-
ing influences. They have little idea OF the
value Of money, estimating it according to
the size Of the coin, and will give one coin,
big or little, for piece OF tobacco.
Their only baggage and property are the
boomerang, spear aDd shield, and they go
from place to place as the spirit of hunger
Toves them. They generally flock in tribes
of 80 or l0O electing a king. 1hey remain
in a section OF country SO long as the game
lasts, unless q rival tribe drives them away.
1t il is q section Astounding in game and
bNA Ghuio WuSA6 luCHS Is kOOu uSDtuR GlGY
must fight TO maintain il. When food is
scan5 they kill and eat eacn other But
this practice Is not so common Of late,
since American and English "s0uattersn
have been hocking into that section and
jumping the best lands. However, after a
battle the victors eat the deed; in their
economy Of nature nothing goes TO waste.
In battle they fight With the spear, which
Is about eight feet in length, pointed with
sharp bone in the shape Of a hshhuok.
When the point enters the body it cannot
be drawn out without tearing the flesh aud
increasing the wound. They stand at the
distance Of 80 or 100 feet and throw the
spear. Each warrior has bundle of spears
on the ground at his right AS he throws
one he hands himself another by picking
it up with his right foot between the toes
and doubling his leg backward. With bis
righk baud he reaches around, takes the
spear and throws 1t. This is necessary, be-
cause he Is busy watching the movements Of
his enemy and looking o0t for coming
spears, which he lodges or turns aside with
his shield, an oval-shaped instrument,
which he holds in his left hand, fitting over
the thumb as an artists palette.
Their small black eyes are quick to see.
and nothing seems to escape their observa-
ton. Their method of surprising an
enemy is to wade into small stream and
ambush themselves in the shallow bed
among the water lilies. Sometimes they lie
down in che stream, breaking off the water
lily at the roots and using the stem as
a breathing tube. A rival tribe, on ap>
preaching the stream for the purpose of
fishing, would suddenly be surprised by
seeing these floating water lilies rise up out
of the water, and with them they would
also see spears hurled ct them
They can remain under water two or
three hours at time. according to the
breathing capacity of the stem. They also
use this strategy for the abduction Of women
from another tribe, but the more common
practice is for the man who wants a wife to
go and steal her while her master sleeps,
The Australian aborigine slee as a stone
The abductor will take a rope made of
native grass, creep stealthly to where she
lies sleeping by the side OF her master, and
cowboy-like. throw the loop of his rope
around her foot or head.
Usually she does not make an outcry or
resistance, knowing, doubtless, that
cha ge in ownership cannot be for the worse
Should the husband overtake the fleeing
couple q fight 10 the death takes place, and
the survivor has the woman. This perhaps
leads to q pitched battle between the tribes,
for il a woman is stolen or a man killed the
tribe to which he or she belonged must re-
venge that wrong.
A man has as many wives as he can get
and keep and is continually lighting to hold
them. While the wives are not ornamental
they are made TO be useful in doing what
little work is necessary in preparing the
game. reptiles, digging roots, killing snakes
beetles, ETC.. for their daily spread. Snakes
are deemed a rare DISH but they eschew
poisonous snakes. The kangaroo and the
emu are their most favored articles of diet.
The kangaroo is hunted with the boom
eraug, and when he thinks he is safe in a
jungle and pokes his long head behind a
tree In fancIcd security the boomerang
throWer hurls his sharp-pointed missile
almost through its head. The emu has a
very long neck, end when he lengthens it
out taking observations the busbman from
behind a tree twirls the curved instrument,
the sharp edge cutting off ths head of the
bird.
or late the bushmen have been ''spear-
ing" the cattle of the "squatteers :" and the
"squatters" took the war-path with Win
chester rifles, which will shoot farther than
a boomerang can be thrown, and as a res
suit the population of the cannibals has
been somewhat diminished.
The boomerang ordinarily is thrown 600
or 800 feet. It is convex on the upper side
and fat below and made of Australian
wood. It has bent or angle Of about 45o.
All Australian wood is hard, almost as
solid as iTou. Their ends are as pointed as
a dagger, and the Tuner side is as sharp as a
razor blade.
These savages cannot explain how they
came into possession of an art which ciyili-
p a ha uO avtNlafuad Tbax har