Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-05-16
The Magic of the Boomerang.


the hand can be made to circle, hover,
rise, swoop, and even bound from the
ground where il strikes one hundred feet
into the air is thing which scientific men
have been unable to explain, except in
the most general and indefinite way
Yet the bushmen of Australia, a people
of very low intelligence, make their BOOM
erangs do all these things, and many
more so wonderful that they must be seen
to be appreciated.
About $50 people saw these things
done on Sunday, says the New York S~''
on Manhattan Field, New York where
four bushmen from the extreme north OF
Queensland, who form part of Barnum
& Bailey's circus, gave an exhibition of
boomerang throwing. The savages are
short, sturdy-looking men, and three of
them possess bushy black whiskers. The
fourth, young boy, is called Tom, which
isn't his name. Another is called Dilla-
roo, which is his name.
The bushmen appeared on the held
carrying six boomerangs apiece which
they themselves had made. The i'm
plements were of hard wood slightly
curved, about three feet long, and painted
pink. A careful examination of the sur
face of one of them showed that it was
planed or ground into series of very
gentle undulations. 1t was somewhat
pointed at each end, and weighed about
three ounces. After Frank Frost, the
man who brought the bushmen to this
country, had explained that they were
out of practice, not having thrown their
boomerangs for some months, and that
the spectators would do well to keep at
respectful distance at first, a warning
which was carefully needed, one of the
savages selected stick, waved it back
and forth gently, and then threw it with
and effortless swing toward the north.-
The stick went perhaps thirty yards
straight ahead, then turned over, swerved
to the right, and came sweeping back in
graceful curve to the bushman's feet
Another man followed with longer
throw. Then one of the wonderful sticks
went flying far into the air, turning and
twisting, diving forward and coming down
in spiral course like a wounded pigeon.
"Give US a ground throw, Tom," Frost
called to the youngest of the men.
Tom selected boomerang, took short
run forward, and with the impetus of the
run and a force to which he gave the
strength of his arm, back, and leg mus
cles, hurled it forward parallel to the
ground at height of yard. For twen-
ty.fye yards it sped on, with an indescri-
bable whirring and whistling; then it
struck the ground and gasp of surprise
went up from the spectators, for instead
of stopping there it rose into the air and
went whirring up, higher, higher, far up
above'the tops of the big grand stands
As hawk hovers over its prey the inan-
innate wood hovered then it started
down in a wide curve to the ground.
Tom tried again. This time the wea-
pom struck the ground, jumped as if it
we're clearing an obstruction, struck again
and forthwith set out for cloudland.-
Suddenly it changed its mind, went slop-
ing off at an angle, and presently Autter-
ed to the place where it had started, stop
ped to hover at height of few feet, as
if to pick out soft spot for alighting.-
1t was like magic. In the middle of the
exhibition a pigeon came lazily winged
over the field and tarried to watch the
strange birds that few in circles and
returned to the place whence they start
ed.
"Try one at the pigeon" called one of
the spectators TO Dillaroo.
The bushman nodded and hurled his
boomerang, not at the bird, but at the
speaker. It sc over the heads of the
crowd, circled around until it got under
the pigeon, then made bee line upward
for that astonished bird. The pigeon did
not wait to meet the strange bird. 1t
started southward, and if The manner of
its departure may be taken as an indica-
ton, it is probably flying yet. The spec
tators had walked out on the field, and
presently boomerang fell at the feet of
Tody Hamilton. Barnum q Bailey's press
agent. Tody picked it up.
UDo 1,ou Lnou.v said he "T think I