Year: 1875

A traveller tells us something of sin.
gular weapon used by the natives of Aus
tralia, the boomerang. He saw them
used by the natives. They range from
2 feet to SS inches in length, and were o:
various shapes, all curved a little and
looking, as he describes them, something
like wooden new moon. They were
made of dark, heavy wood, and weighed
from one to four pounds. In thickness
they are about half an inch and taper to
a point at each end.


Ore of the natives picked up the piece
of wood, and posing it an instant, threw
it, giving it rotary motion. For the
first 100 feet or more it went straight
ahead. Then it tackled to the left and rose
slightly, still rotating rapidly. 1t kept
this latter course and rose slightly, still
rotating rapidly. 1t kept this latter
course for hundred feet or more, per-
haps, but soon veered to the left again,
describing broader curve, and moment
later fell TO the earth or s feet in front
of the thrower, having described nearly n
circle in the air.


Another native then took the same
boomerang and cast it, holding it with
the same grip. 1t took the same course,
but made broader curves, and us it came
round, the black caught it handsomely
in his right hand.


Another native next threw it and it
lodged on the ground about 20 feet behind
him, after it had described Il circle of 200
yards or upwards. After him they all
tried it and but one of them failed to
bring the weapon back to whore they
stood.


Carnboo, a native, then selected from
heap of boomerangs another one, and
cast it with n sort of jerk. 1t flew very
quickly for 40 or 90 yards, whirling like
a top. Then it darted into the air, mount
ing fully one hundred feet, and came
over our heads, where it seemed to
hang stationary for moment, then set
tied slowly, still whrling. till he caught
it. Two others of the same blacks did
the same thing.


Meanwhile l had with my knife shaved
a little Of the wood from the convex side
of one of the boomerangs. This is now
offered to one OF them to throw. He took
it without noticing what | had done
poised it, but stopped short, and with Il
contemptuous glance at my improvement
threw it down and exclaimed


I" Bale Budgety !" (No good)


The others then look at it cautiously
but it was bale budgety also to them
No one could be induced to throw it.
Myers asked them why they did not use
it, but they could not give definite an
swer. 1t was plain that they did not like
the way it poised, when held in the hand,
yet could not distinguish any difference
whatever between this and the other
weapons.


Burlegh then walked to distance of
200 feet or more from the blacks and bid
Carnboo throw to him. The native looked
at him rather curiously, then, compre-
hending what was wanted, he selected
one of the heaviest of the missiles, and
turning half round, threw il with great
force in direction almost opposite from
where Burleigh stood.


The weapon sped smartly for sixty or
seventy feet, then tackled in an instant,
and flew directly at Burleigh, and had
he not most expedtiously ducked, he
would have received hard thump il
nothing worse. 1t struck the ground
twenty or thirty PAGES beyond. This feat
brought out broad grin and something
like Il chuckle from all of them. Carn-
boo even intimated that he would like to
try another cast, but Burleigh expressed
himself fully satisfied.


Mr.. -, (another of our party, how
ever, offered to to take a shot" but not
at too short range. We were standing
in front OF one Of the store houses. Carn-
boo placed - in front of the door and
stood with his back to him, with -'s
hand on his shoulder.


None of us knew what sort of ma
neuver he had in mind, not even Meyers.
Standing in his position, the black threw
ahead. Immediately it curved in the
air. Then it disappeared around the cor
ner of the building, and before he had
time to guess what it meant, it came
round the other end, (having passed com
pletely around the store-house) and gave
him a sounding slap on the back, which
made his eyes snap.