The times., 1899-02-09
ABOUT BooMERANGs.
Some Popular Impressions of the
Australian Weapon Upset.

Australian Weapon Upset.
From Pearson's Masazine.)
Boomerangs are of two kinds: returning,
'Marndwullum wunkun" in the native
lingo, and non-returning. '.Tootgundy
wunkun The first is called invariably
the Australian boomerang, because it orig
mated among the natives of Australia, and
is used almost exclusively by them at the
present day.
Travellers assert that native will leave
his home in the morning, armed only with
couple of returning boomerangs, and
will come back at night carrying large
number Of birds killed with these strange
weapons. ! have no concern here with
the boomerang that comes not back. This
differs little from an ordinary club and is
of no special interest. Ii is, however, pre-
ferred to the other by the Australian
aboriginal OF today. "Marndwullun no
good for fight" he will say, IF he no hit
i'm man, might come back and hit you or
friend beside you'-truly an undesirable
quality in the weapon of offence! In FUR
ther reference, however, to the boomer
ang, it will be understood that the re-
turning kind is meant. In case some of
my readers may care TO try little boomer
ang throwing on their own account, | give
a few hints as to the manufacture OF these
implements. The tyro would do we'll TO
make them himself, as they are dear to
buy and many are broken before protci-
ency is attained. Besides, the making of
them is a valuable lesson in their pecu-
1iarities.
The boomerang is formed of a b-nt
stick one side rounded, the other fiat.
The Australians make II from boughs OF
the Acacia pendula, or from some tree OF
similar growth, giving to the green wood
the desired curvature in the fire. 1t is
necessary to choose very hard, strong
and heavy wood, and the best plan is 10
cut piece from a natural bend or root of
tree and to let the curve OF the boom
! erang follow the grain of the wood. One
| hardly ever sees two boomerangs OF the
| same shape, for they vary from slight
curve to nearly a right angle. They differ
| also III length from fifteen inches to three
| and half feet, and in breadth from two
inches to three inches. They should be
| about three-eighths of an inch thick, tap
| ering toward the ends, which may b. eth
er round or pointed, while the edge must
| be sharpened all around. One side must
be convex, the other fiat, the sharpness of
| the edge along the convexity of the curve
varying in different boomerangs.
When thrown, the boomerang travels
| forward for some distance, and then gen
| orally returns in an ellipse TO within few
| PAGES of the thrower. II the boomerang
| strikes its mark it falls TO the ground. In
| throwing il must be grasped at one end,
| stretched back behind the shoulder, and
then brought rapidly forward above the
| head, the inside of the curve facing the
direction in which it is thrown. 1t may
| either be hurled upward into the air, or
| downward, SO as to strike the ground at
| some distance from the thrower. In the
first case ii flies with a rotary motion, as
its shape would indicate. and, after as
cending to great height, it suddenly re-
| turns in in an elliptical orbit to spot
| near its starting point. When thrown
| downward to the ground 1t rebounds in d
straight line, pursuing a richochet motion
until it strikes the object at which it is
| cast.
To throw the Australian boomerang in
| such a way as to make sure of its doing
| exactly what one wants is one OF the most
difficult feats in the world. Alfred w
Hewitt, who has seen the natives of VIC
toria practicing with the boomerang, men,
toned that he questioned some blacks as
TO whether they thought it was possible tc
throw ii so as TO insure its returning TO the
hand OF the thrower. Seven said no
and characterized the statement as lie,
bollan, that is, a falsehood; the eight
said he once made a boomerang that wher
thrown on calm day with great care
would gyrate round and round until 1t de-
scended to the ground not far from him
moving as slowly as a leaf falling from
tree; and that he once ran forward anC
nearly caught it. He said also mo kurn
(black fellow can catch a wunkun wher
he fying-he would cut his hand open.
The throwing of boomerangs has away:
been carried on in the open air, and nc
Australian native has ever attempted tI
use them in 4 building.