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 angle. Diverse 
aspect it is shapes and 
merely an sizes of the 
elongate boomerang 
smoothly-flat- are used re- 
tened piece spectively for 
of hard dark- 
coloured 
war, when 
hunting Wal- 
wood, most laby or Kan- 
frequently of garoo, or for 
acacia, bent striking fish. 
in the centre In the hands 
and in the of its owner 
same plane this simple 
eS 
at a some- a = eo aa a ee Weapon, as 1s 
IV, Saville-Kent, Photo, 
what vary- NATIVES OF KIMBERLEY DISTRICT, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SHOWING ATTITUDE ASSUMED well known, 
WHEN HOLDING AND THROWING THE BOOMERANG. 
ing obtuse can be made 
fo) 
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. 
