ARCHERY.

PLATE XIII.

THE BOW.

Bows are formed of one or more pieces.-Of these, that on the belly or inside is generally of elastic, often of brittle wood; and a thin strip of ash, or hickory, is fixed along the back, or outside, which not only prevents the bow splitting, but renders it easy to draw.

The back or outside of the bow, or the part rendered convex in bending, is generally made flat; and the belly, inside, or part rendered concave in bending, round; and any endeavour to bend the bow, in the opposite direction, will, probably, break it.

Nearly in the middle of the bow, in order to enable the shooter to hold it steadily, is the handle, which is covered with shag or worsted lace. The handle is a little removed from, or

lower than the middle, to permit the arrow to go from that point; and one of the ends (the lower one) being thereby shortened, is necessarily made stronger, to equalize the action of both ends of the bow.

Each end of the bow has a horn with a notch in it, termed the nock, for the purpose of stringing it. The lower end has the shorter horn; while the upper has this part not only longer, but more curved.

Five feet nine inches is deemed a proper length for a bow, when the arrows are not shorter than twenty-seven, nor longer than twenty-nine or thirty inches. It has, indeed, been said, that a bow of five feet eight inches will project an arrow of twenty-seven inches, further than a longer bow will cast either that arrow or a longer one.

The power required to draw a bow an arrow's length is thus determined: the bow when strung, is supported horizontally; a scale with weights is hooked on the string; and that weight which draws the string till it is the arrow's length from the bow, is the measure of the power required.

Thus, from the bow we are able to pull, we may determine our strength of arm. From forty-six to forty-eight pounds are said to be the

general resistance of a bow; and he is reckoned strong, who can easily draw one of sixty; though many can draw one of seventy or eighty, and some one of ninety. Ladies' bows, in regard to resistance, are of from twenty-four to thirty-four pounds.*

Hence, a bow has generally a number immediately over the handle, which indicates the weight or force required to draw it.

THE BOW-STRING, &c.

The most general material of which strings are made is hemp; and of this the Italian possesses many advantages over all other sorts. The string is made of the longest threads of the hemp, tightly twisted, and afterwards rubbed with a thin glue, to preserve it from wet.

The thickness of the string must be suited to the power of the bow. A backed bow will accordingly require a thicker string than a bow made of one kind of wood. The string must be

* Mr. Waring, in his lucid little work on this subject, observes that a man has to exercise double the strength that the bow is marked with; for if he draws a bow of fifty pounds with his right hand, he must exert the same strength in the left to resist that pull.

of sufficient strength to ensure the safety of the bow, which is apt to fly when a string breaks.

A thick string gives greater certainty: a thin one casts the arrow further.

The eye, or part of the string which is fixed to the upper horn of the bow, is first made, and is somewhat thicker than the other end. The latter is generally without an eye, and is put on the lower horn by means of the noose used in moving timber, termed a timber-hitch, which the tighter it is drawn, holds the more securely.

Bow-strings are whipped at the nocking point, as well as a little above and below it, with waxed thread or silk. This saves the string from wearing, and fills the nock, which should apply close enough to the string to prevent the arrow from moving.

Previous to whipping, the string is so stretched as not to require altering, and the precise point on which the arrow should lie, the nocking point, is then whipped with white, and a portion on each side, with coloured silk or thread, to indicate more accurately the exact point for the

arrow.

Some also whip the eye, the noose, and a little below each.

Previous to whipping, the nocking part of the