"! Harmer's Oriental
Customs.)

WEAPONS. THE SPEAR. WOOMERA.

The weapons used by the natives are not more remarkable and peculiar in
their construction than general in their use on every shore of New
Holland. The spear is thrown by means of a woomera which is a slight rod
about three feet long having at one end a niche to receive the end of the
spear. The missile is shot forward by this means with great force and
accuracy of direction; for by the peculiar method of throwing the spear
the woomera affords a great additional impetus from this most ingenious
lengthening of the arm to that extent.*

(*Footnote. For the shape of the woomera see Moyengully Plate 49 above;
and the manner of throwing the spear may be seen in Plate 8 Volume 1.)

THE BOOMERANG. ITS PROBABLE ORIGIN.

The boomerang, a thin curved missile, can be thrown by a skilful hand so
as to rise upon the air and thus to deviate from the ordinary path of
projectiles, its crooked course being nevertheless equally under control.
It is of the form here represented, being about two feet four inches
long. These weapons are cut according to the grain from the curved parts
of acacia or other standing trees of compact hard wood. They usually
weigh about 9 1/2 ounces. One side, which is the uppermost in throwing,
is slightly convex, and is sometimes elaborately carved. The lower side
is flat and plain. The boomerang is held, not as a sabre, but
sickle-wise, or concave towards the thrower and, as a rotatory motion is
imparted to it when sent off, the air presents so much resistance to the
flat side and so little to the sharp edge as it cuts forward, that the
long-sustained flight of the whirling missile seems independent of the
common effect of gravitation.

The native, from long practice, can do astonishing things with this
weapon. He seems to determine with great certainty what its crooked and
distant flight shall be, and how and where it is to end. Thus he
frequently amuses himself in hurling the formidable weapon to astonishing
heights and distances from one spot to which the missile returns to fall
beside him. Sometimes the earth is made a fulcrum to which the boomerang
descends only to resume a longer and more sustained flight, or to leap,
perhaps, over a tree and strike an object behind it.

The contrivance probably originated in the utility of such a missile for
the purpose of killing ducks where they are very numerous, as on the
interior rivers and lagoo