Abstract
WILL you allow me to add my experience of the use of this weapon to that furnished by your other correspondents? My experience is mainly confined to the natives about the Condamine and its affluents, where I was frequently in company with natives for about a year. They had two weapons—one large, for war, the other small, for game. I should think the weapon is seldom thrown in war, since most of their contests (such as they are) take place in scrubb or forest, where it could not be used to advantage; but I have seen a native frightfully cut in the abdomen, and was told by a native that he had been struck by a boomerang thrown by the hostile party. I have seen a few of these contests, but never saw the boomerang used in any way. The “waddys” were thrown freely, the spear seldom. The game boomerang is thrown among nights of ducks, and also parrots when congregated on the trees and gathering nectar from their flowers, and with marked effect. This I have seen several times. There are two ways of throwing the weapon, which, as I could throw it well at one time, I will endeavour to describe. It is grasped quite at the end by the right hand and raised above the head, the elbow being bent, the weapon assuming a position with its convex edge downwards on a nearly horizontal line at right angles to the intended line of flight. The arm is brought swiftly round from left to right, becoming gradually extended until it reaches a line directly in front of the face, when the weapon is delivered from the now straight arm, with the concave edge towards the line of flight. This is the method of throwing into the air. No dependence can be placed on the return of the weapon within a circle of twenty yards, though it sometimes returns dangerously near the thrower. If it meets with an obstacle it is either stopped and falls dead to the earth, or its course is changed. In either case its peculiar motion is destroyed, as must be obvious. In the other method of throwing the weapon is held in the same way, but delivered nearly on line with the hip, and made to strike the earth about ten yards in front of the thrower, pitching, I believe (though it is not easy to observe), on one of its horns. Thence it ricochets and flies straight away for perhaps seventy or eighty yards, keeping a position of about four feet from the earth, and gradually rising until it is spent. It returns very little if at all. In this way only can it be used for war, since in the other it begins to mount at once, and would soon be above the enemy's head. The weapon is made of various woods, a piece with a slight elbow being selected. It is hardened by baking. The right form is arrived at by trial, as I have seen during the process of manufacture. Those sold to Europeans are the failures. I had to pay a good Price for the two I brought home, but they were excellent specimens.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
NICOLS, A. The Boomerang. Nature 15, 510 (1877). https://doi.org/10.1038/015510b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/015510b0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.