THROWING THE BOOMERANG 137 



doubt thinking me the simplest " crank " that ever 

 walked the earth. 



I had heard many stories of the native Australian 

 throwing the boomerang, and it occurred to me that 

 this would be a grand opportunity to see how it was 

 done. So I bargained with them, for a shilling, to give 

 a performance. They led the way through the forest 



NULLA-NULLA AND BOOMERANG. 



to a grassy opening of an acre or more in extent, where 

 they gave me a grand exhibition of their skill in 

 throwing that wonderful weapon. I noticed they 

 always threw it point first instead of elbow first, as 

 I had expected. The black would run a step or two, 

 and, standing well up on tiptoe, hurl the whistling 

 weapon into the air. It would go one hundred feet 

 almost in a straight line, then make a sudden turn ; 

 and after going nearly as far, at right angles to the 

 first direction, would turn again, arid finally come down 

 as light as a feather, almost at the feet of the thrower. 

 They could hurl it just over the grass-tops to a great 



