English B

• Shooting contest


  1. Chief Phillip signals to the band to stop music

  2. Council-man steps forward with bow and arrow

  3. Chief announces first contest is shooting

  4. Charlie, as oldest, shoots first

  5. Charlie steps up to line, grasps bow and arrow

  6. Charlie takes aim and shoots arrow through targets in order
• The arrow passed through the first hole without touching
• Charlie shot the arrow cleanly through the second and third targets
• Only the smallest target was left
• Not a sound was heard as Charlie took aim at the smallest target
• Arrow


  • Flew through the air
  • Feathers at the end near the notch were torn off
• Only a few young warriors had been known to send the arrow squarely through all the holes
• Most had failed to do even what Charlie had done
• David and Uriah both got their arrows through the first two holes
• David missed the timber altogether on the last try
• Johnny shot through the first three holes and failed only on the last
• Tommy's turn


  1. Rubbed the palms of his hands on his pantaloons

  2. Fitted the arrow to the string

  3. Raised the weapon

  4. Stretched the bow-string

  5. Relaxed his hold on the arrow
• Tommy was shooting like a marksman
• The fourth hole was only a small black spot on the timber, and it seemed impossible to send an arrow through it
• Tommy


  A Maroon who had been well trained by his father
• Tommy knew that the longer he could hold the bow-string, the more accurate his shot would be
• Preparations for the last and hardest shot

  1. Never once removed his eyes from the target

  2. Slowly raised the bow

  3. Right hand drew back the arrow until thumb touched ear

  4. Left hand held the bow firmly

  5. With left eye closed, took aim

  6. Opened fingers of right hand quickly and the arrow darted away
• A mighty roar went up from the Maroons, as the arrow disappeared through the hole
• Not many of them had ever seen a young warrior do this before
• Had it not been for the stern rules laid down by the Council, they would have rushed on to the parade-ground and lifted Tommy in the air
• On the Day of Tests, nobody was supposed to touch a Maroon boy until he had completed his tasks
• Chief Phillip held up his hands for silence
• Musket, powder-horn and golden bangle glittered in the sunlight
• Now, we will have the knife-throwing contest
• Prepare the targets
• Two tests of skill in throwing the Maroon knives

  1. Knives thrown at a wooden target

  2. A black dot, called a bull's eye, was painted at the centre of the target

  3. People watched to see who would hit the middle of the bull's eye with the point of a knife
• The five boys did well in this first test
• They all hit the black dot
• Second test

  • Harder
  • A naseberry was flung in the air
  • Boys had to throw their knives at it so the point stuck in the naseberry before it fell to the ground
• Results of the test

  • Charlie, David and Tommy managed to cut small slices from the naseberry
  • Johnny missed altogether
  • Uriah sent his knife cleanly through the fruit, bearing it to the earth on its point
• Charlie: '"The sun was in my eye, or I would have beaten you"'
• Uriah: '"A warrior should know better than to allow the sun to shine in his eyes while he is throwing his knife"'
• Tommy would have whispered a harsh word to Charlie, but Chief Phillip had turned towards them
• Next contest

  1. Boys removed their knives from the goat-skin pouches and placed them on the ground at their feet

  2. They took off their belts

  3. Each put the ends of his belt together and held them in his right hand

  4. A Council-man came up with his hands cupped and filled with stones as large as limes

  5. Each boy took two stones in his left hand
• Chief Phillip


  • Looked upward and chose a tall eucalyptus tree
  • Pointed to the top of it with his musket
  • Said "Look at that small limb at the very top. Imagine it's a bird. Now, let me see which one of you will bring it down"
• Charlie


  • Oldest
  • First to try
• Casting with the sling-shot

  1. Holding up the belt in right hand

  2. Placing the stone at the bottom of the hollow

  3. Swinging the belt round and round until it was singing in the wind

  4. Letting slip one end of the belt
• The stone sailed upward but missed the limb by inches
• Casting with the sling-shot is not very easy even on windless days
• There was a light wind blowing that caused the tops of the trees to sway ever so slightly