GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY. 



11 



on the baobab fruit in the centre of the group figured, is the strictly rectilinear plan 

 of all of the several patterns. This character prevails also, so far as the writer has 

 observed, in all the carvings on their wooden shields, woomeras, or throwing sticks, 

 and other articles in ordinary use. 



The weapons of the Australian aboriginals are but few, narrow wooden 

 shields, spears, the boomerang or kiley, a truncheon or knob kerri, a stone axe with 

 a wooden haft, and in some parts of Queensland a large roughly fashioned two- 

 handed sword, fairly complete the list. In the boomerang, however, they undoubtedly 

 possess a weapon that is almost (see Appendix A.) unique in the world's armoury. 

 The form and method of use of this instrument will be familiar to most ' readers. 



In outward 

 aspect it is 

 merely an 

 elongate 

 smoothly-flat- 

 tened piece 

 of hard dark- 

 coloured 

 wood, most 

 frequently of 

 acacia, bent 

 in the centre 

 and in the 

 same plane 

 at a some- 

 what vary- 

 ing obtuse 



W. Sacillt-Kent f Photo. 



NATIVES OF KIMBERLEY DISTRICT, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SHOWING ATTITUDE ASSUMED 

 WHEN HOLDING AND THROWING THE BOOMERANG. 



angle. Diverse 

 shapes and 

 sizes of the 

 boomerang 

 are used re- 

 spectively for 

 war, when 

 hunting Wal- 

 laby or Kan- 

 garoo, or for 

 striking fish. 

 In the hands 

 of its owner 

 this simple 

 weapon, as is 

 well known, 

 can be made 



to perform a series of most astonishing evolutions. It may be sent skimming 

 along the surface of the ground for hundreds of feet or circling in the air 

 almost out of sight, and, if thrown with skilful hands, returns as though it were 

 a trained, sentient emissary, to the feet of the thrower. The position in which 

 this very characteristic weapon is held on the point of its release from the hand, 

 as also the manner in which reserve boomerangs are stored, like holster pistols, 

 in the hair girdle, previously referred to, is aptly illustrated on this page, where two 

 warriors are ostensibly pitted against each other in an attitude of mortal combat. 



