1875.] Major G. E. Fryer— Pali Studies. 137 



did that the shape was a handy one to shy, and only found out by accident 

 afterwards that by some dodge in shaping they could be made to return." 



Until yesterday I supposed that the use of such a weapon had not 

 hitherto been recorded from any part of India, but on reading a paper on 

 the Australian aborigines, in the Journal of the Anthropological Institute,* 

 I found that several of the members, including Sir John Lubbock and CoL 

 Lane Fox, who took part in the discussion which followed the reading of 

 the paper, were aware of a weapon similar in shape being used by some of 

 the Hill-tribes of India who, however, used it to throw directly at an object, 

 its principle being, therefore, different from that of the true Australian 

 Boomerangs.f 



The fact of the possession of such a weapon by certain Indian tribes 

 was noted by the speakers as being interesting in connection with the view 

 held by Professor Huxley on physical grounds as to a relation existing be- 

 tween Australians, Dravidians and Ancient Egyptians. J This view it 

 would seem is also in some degree supported by philological considerations. 



The best formed of these throwing sticks now in my possession is 

 about 3 inches deep at the curve. One of the arms, is 15 inches long and 

 the other 14| inches. The angle included between the two arms is about 

 110.° The material is Babul (Acacia arabica). The other specimens are 

 of different woods and of somewhat different shape, but are less highly 

 finished and moreover cannot be thrown with the same degree of accuracy. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Pali Studies. — By Major G. E. Fryer, Deputy Commissioner, 

 British Burma. No. I. On the Ceylon Grammarian Sanyharaklchita Thera 

 and his Treatise on Rhetoric. 



(Abstract.) 

 It was the practice amongst members of the early Buddhist church 

 when entering the priesthood to discard their patronymic, and to adopt a 

 priestly title, under which it was not always easy to recognize their identi- 

 ty. Thus it was with Sarigharakkhita Thera, of whom nothing was known, 

 except that he wrote the ' Vuttodaya' a brief treatise on Pali prosody. 



* Vol. I, No. 1, 1871, p. 104. 



t The use of these implements is thus alluded to by Lt.-Col. Gordon-Camming. 

 Many of these men (G-uzerat Kolis) carried boomerangs, a weapon I have never 

 seen used in any other part of India. It was made of a dark heavy wood two inches 

 broad three quarters of an inch thick and about two and a half feet long sharpened at 

 the edges. These they threw with great force and would not unfrequenlly knock over 

 hares and partridges as they rose during the beat." Wild Men and Wild Beasts, />. 96. 



X A similar weapon is said to be figured on some ancient Egyptian monuments. 



