Evening star., 1894-04-12
GREAT SKILL ATTAINED.
Interesting Exhibitions Given bI
Australian Bushmcn.

Native Australians, bushmen or track
trailers. from Barnum & Bailey's circus,
gave a unique exhibition on the Manhattan
field, l55th street and sth avenue yesterday
afternoon, says the New York Herald.
Perhaps exhibition is not the best word
to use. They give that every day in the
circus, but owing to the circumscribed
space in the garden they cannot make any
display OF the national weapon, the booup
erang.
Webster describes a boomerang as:
"A very singular missile weapon used BIZ
the natives of Australia. 1t is made OF
hard wood. usually from twenty 20 thirty
inches in length, from two 10 three inches
In width, and one-half or three-ouarters
inch thick. 1t is bent or curved in the mid
die from 100 to 40 degrees. When thrown
from the hand with a quick rotary motion
IL describes very remarkable curves ac-
cording TO the shape Of the instrument ana
the manner OF throwing IL. often moving
horizontally a long distance, then curving
upward to a considerable height. and final
ly taking retrograde direction, so as to
fall near the place from which Il was
thrown, or even very far in the rear of it,
One reads this and yet remains without
any conception Of the possibilities of the
weapon which is the chief dependence OF
the bushmen both in hunting and warfare.
The exhibition yesterday was furnished by
four natives. accompanied by a woman OF
their race.
They evidently suffered from the cold
They were dressed in black cotton suits
on which was a liberal sprinkling of feath-
ers and fur. They took their positions on
the gridiron, where last fall Yale and
Princeton struggled for the supremacy ana
where the marks Of the fve-yard lines still
remain.
Delaru, one Of the men. rejoiced In a
beard. His companions had like hirsuts
appendaees but they could not touch De-
laru In the matter OF luxuriance. TaRara,
the woman with them, could hurl q BOOM
erang better than any taxpaying resident
of Manhattan Island.
The aborigines shot these curves OF
wood through the air In q most astonishing
toward the club house. and drawing back
his arm, hurl q boomerang with half the
force necessary to throw the ball from
the catcher's position to second base in
the national game of base ball. and II would
soar through the air over the grand stand
and return with q sweeping ricochet move
ment back to the feet Of the man who
hurled it
Some Of the flights Of these aerial
weapons LASTED several moments, and their
turnings and twistings and their final re-
turn caused the widest applause among
the little party who witnessed the per
Mr.. Frank Frost, who is the manager
and Interpreter Of the Australians. says
that scientists In various countries have
studied the action OF the boomerang with
out being able to comprehend It The ma
ttyes admit that they do not understand
the principle, but are perfectly confident
as to its application. Mr.. Frost declares
that the bushmen under his care are not
adopts In the use of the boomerang. but
that when thrown by the hand Of an ex-
pert its zigzag motion will kill one aft0
another of flock OF birds flying In . a.
rect line.
In fact. Mr.. Frost is responsible for the
statement that the boomerang IS not only
the chief food producer Of the native Aus
tralian, but is also his best defense In war
1t is capable OF most disastrous work when
sharpened at both ends and on the edges.
In this way the Australian has the advant-
age over a man who hides behind a tree
He can hurl his boomerang at the man be-
hind the tree and by it's return bound reach
his opponent
After the boomerang throwing was over
the Australians gave a dance. which the
truthful Mr. Frost insisted always pre-
faced q feast upon Q roast missionary.