The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-20

90 SEs ssszz..;s described it as
a terrible war weapon, aud have given
the natives credit for well-nigh mi
raouloRs skill m using 1t. In both
cases the facts are-vell, exaggerated.
/ do not assert that the boomerang
5s iucapab Of infictiHE serious injury
tf made when in full fight to strike
en opposing body, bat that the AUS
fraiicfa blacks habitually employ II "a
an sfEcttSo means of ofense I do not be-
1ieve
For several years lived IN the bush
and Oh the gold fields OF that country.
During that tiras / came into almost
daily contact with mem hers OF various
tribes, and IA no one instance did
ever see the boomerang used otherwise
than as q playthin Its form. ma
aertal, light weight and hlRntness unda
IL, think, for deadly execution, and.
however skilfsully manipulated, it is
next to impossible for its thrower to
hit with it an aimed At, even notion
less object, TnRch less an active human
enemy or moving beast or bird.
Possibly some of the far interior
blacks may use q mOrs heavily-coa-
structed boomerang IN war and for the
chase, bat hare seen q good deal of
the beiIigerent tribes OF the Murray
river and its tributaries, the Darling
and MuFrHT;a oidgce, and never noticed
any of them carrying otker than the
light weapon
H is only fair to add. however, that
almost everywhere, among the early
white scttlers-shepherds and the Ike
II was Eaet by more or less startling
stories Of the fearful execution wToUghG
by the boomerang IN battle. but tho
narrator had always heard the story
from some one else.
I profess 10 give only what my own
eyes have seen l do not pretend that
nay few gears wan1asings II Australia
have given me an extensive knowledge
Of that vast island continent and us
original inha bitants-
The blackfellow, with Infinite toll
and patience and By the aid Of fire and
such rn6e cutting tools as be possesses,
makes his s90Ia1Td, or EyEee, out OF any
suitable hard wood, usually from q
naturally bent limb of the iIarr&w'ay,
she-oa3t or box tree; and sometimes,
perhaps, from tho body Of an iToD5ar6
BSpling, If a crooked enc can DO found.
When finished the missile is any
where from two TO three feet long, is
approximately para5olic in form, has.
width Of two and oRe-quarter 70 three
inches and a thickness OF about i've
cightS of an inch It's ends are rounded;
SITS co1caEe face worked Fat and it2
convex side Is brought to dull edge.
Ia hurting It the black grssl16 Il ErInlv
5Y enc end, convex side outward and
Hat side up. and then, with a quick mo-
zion, as if bent on striking an object
some way in advance, projects 1t vlo-
sently forward, at the saIno instant
withdrawing his hand, and tho inple-
tnenf flies through the AIR with q rotary
Enotion, sscends to some height, turns
nbout. and finally falls to the ground
behind, IN front Of, or At one s3Ge of the
throwcT.
In the month of December, 1852, n
mum Der Of Us, a31 glIipraGtes, who had
Genre cut IN the sailing snip Revenue,
Capt. Seth CroTel which lett the port
OF New York July Sd of that year,
were encamped ON the river Loddeu, in
4be co}opy of Victoria. Among ua
there was a fnc, handsome fellow OF
twenty-six. a lawyer by profession,
named Richard O'Brier. lie hailed
from Brooklyn, /. l., had been only
two years married and had lott his
young wis Ia the city Of churches
while he came to seek his fortune on
thc Australian gOlA fields.
Dick as we called him. was subject
ed to a good deal Of pleasant banter
and. probably, some secret envy, be-
cause be always wore on the little fin
ger Of his right hand heavy, plain
gold yinC, his wife's parting gift On
the inside Of the hoop Of tins ring was
engraved a loving woman's prayer IN
She simple words: God keep NV hus-
band" and ] verify believe that not all
the wealth of the mines would have
tempted Dick TO part witch it.
The word was not then in use, else
O'Brien would undoubtedly have said
that the precious trinlxet was his nsGS-
COZ. for, so far, his luck had been ez-
ceptionallygood.
A dozen times n day. when he
thought himself unobserved, he would
Jake of the ring. look yearningly at
the inscription and then fan 10 work
aEusn with increased energy, rs if to
hasten tie day Of his return to its far
donor.
We were all young men under TWEEN
. weight, and. however we might af-
teet to laugh ct their display. we fully
svmpathIzed with Dicks feelings, for
every one of Us was beginning to suf-
!er frua that terrible home sickness
Inc worst form Of which Is. perhaps,
endured only by those who, ss we then
were, are separated from kindred and
country by thousands OF miles OF track
less ocean.
One norninC-it was Sunday, and we
we're not warGinE-a swarm - black
fellows came about oar tents. begging
by signs for danper (urleavened
bread. sugar and tea of which they
Ere excessively fond.
Noticing that several OF the men car
ried boomeronGS Some one proposed
that they should earn the coveted
aaluties by q competitive exhibition Of
skill
None Of the party spoke English. bat
they understood what was wanted ~
once and quickly arranged for the con-
------------------------- -----------------------