Text: Edgar Allan Poe (rejected), “A Chapter on Field Sports and Manly Pastimes [Part 07],” Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine (Philadelphia, PA), Vol. V, no. 2, August 1839, pp. 5:106-111

[page 106:]

SOME WORDS CONCERNING ITS ANTIQUITY — AN ACCOUNT OF ITS IMPORTANCE, AND HIGH ESTIMATION AMONG OUR BRITISH PROGENITORS — ITS MODERN REGULATIONS AS A PASTIME — ITS VARIOUS IMPLEMENTS AND THEIR USE.

——

IN our own country, the practice of archery as a pastime has met with every trivial encouragement. We are, beyond doubt, too much a nation of matter-of-fact to indulge very largely in amusements of any kind; and archery, and most other of the manly pastimes (with perhaps the single exception of the race) have succumbed beneath the saturnine dominion of the genius of dollars and cents. Better times, however, may supervene, and for our own parts we shall welcome them with a hearty good will. We proceed to give, briefly, some general regulations touching the practice of modem archery — with a description of the implements and the method of their use, as well as the precautions to be used in their selection.

THE BOW.

The woods of which bows are now generally made are very numerous. The chief of them are rose-wood, lance-wood, and yew, the last being by far the best of the three, but from the difficulty of obtaining a bough of sufficient trim, and possessing the necessary qualities, yew bows are by far the most expensive.

Several foreign woods, used for the purposes of dyeing and Cabinet-making are very suitable for bows, such as fustic, rose-wood, etc.; that of the cocoa tree answers very well for making strong bows.

Formerly bows were made of both steel and iron, as well as of the horns of animals so fastened together as to secure their curved form and their elasticity. The woods above noticed have now altogether superseded these plans, the last of which was chiefly adopted among the Persians and Turks.

The best bows are made of two pieces, — the flat and outward part, which is called the back, and the round and inward part, termed the belly. When these bows are manufactured they are put into a reflex frame in order to make them turn a little backward, a form which gives them a greater velocity in shooting. This circumstance has frequently occasioned some very unpleasant mistakes, for the strength of the round piece, which is the very means of giving the bow its power, naturally compels the flat piece to fall back, and thus bows have been strung the wrong way, and consequently been injured; for, when so bent, the slightest stress will break them. When being strung the bow should always be bent with the flat part outwards. Old Roger Ascharn’s advice upon the choice of a bow is not bad. He says,”If yon come into a shoppe, and find a bowe that is small, longe, heavye, and strong, lying streighte, not windinge, not marred with knotte, gaule, winde shake, wem, freat, or pinch, bye that bowe of my warrante. The best color of a Bowe that I finde, is when the back and the belleye in workinge be much after one maner, for such often times in wearing do prove like virgin wax or goldie, having fine longe graine, even from one end of the bowe to the other. The short graine, although such prove well sometimes, are for the most part very brittle.” Such was old Roger’s advice, and the counsel holds good to the present day. [page 107:]

It is especially necessary that the bow be well seasoned. Among the foreign woods this Roby, as it is called, is considered by far the beet. It is found in the East, difficult to be obtained, end highly pined by the bow makers. The tulip wood, cocoa-wood, thorn acacia, the purple wood, and the rosewood, when backed with fine white hickory, or horn-beam, make excellent bows. Next to yew, lancewood is the best, and perhaps more elegant. Foreign yew, however, incontestably forms by far the best bow, especially when backed by hickory.

Nor is the form of the bow of much less consequence. Its curve, when the arrow is paged to the had, ought to be a perfect semicircle. This has of necessity been much the same among all nations, and in all ages. The Persian bow is short., being scarcely longer than the arm of a man, and is frequently made of the horns of the antelope. The Chinese-Tartarien bows vary from three to five feet in length when bent; the largest posses, prodigious power, and are said to be capable of casting an arrow full five hundred pinto, and will allow arrows of thirty-three or thirty-four inches in length to be drawn quite up to the head.

The length of the bow should be for a gentleman five feet eight to five feet ten inches, but six fiat is even beam than either of these two sizen — lady’s bow should be from five feet, to five feet six incises; the former varying from forty-five pounds to severity pounds, and upwards, and the latter seldom exceeding thirty-four pounds. Every bow has a mark upon it to indicate the weigh, regulates to drew it home to the head; and if it be recollected that just twice as much power is requited as is marked on the bow, every one may easily ascertain his own strength.

PROVING THE BOW.

Having selected your bow, the next object is to ascertain that your judgment of it is correct. This is done by what is termed proving. Every bow, as we have stated, is of some particular strength; what that is, is learned by attaching weights to the string, when the bow is strung, until the bow is brought to such a curve as would draw the arrow to its head. Having done this, shoot for a little time with arrows in it twice the weight of those usually required, and then observe if it gives at all, and if it does, have that part strengthened, or change the bow.

THE STRING.

This is a very material part of the bowman’s apparatus, as the safety of the bow in great pert de. Fends on its firmness. The concussion which the fracture of the string causes in the bow never fella either at the moment to shatter it in pieces, or to raise splinters, which, becoming deeper as the bow is used, speedily destroy the instrument

The strings used by the ancients seem to have been made of thongs of leather, cut chiefly from the fresh hides of bulls and other animals, as also from the intestines. Many strings now used are made of the latter, and are composed of numerous small cords extending the whole length, end bound ban and there with silk to keep them together, and these have been found by practical archers to peeress more strength than a single string of the same external dimensions.

The material, however, of which the string is now usually made in England is hemp; and the Italian species is best for the purpose. Catgut is considered too much under the influence of heat and moisture to retain at all times a proper tension; while the former has not this disadvantageous quality in so great a degree.

Care should be taken in selecting strings, to observe that the substance of the string diminishes gradually from the thick part to the ordinary line, and that there are no knobs or unevenness in that part need for shooting. The choice of the string will depend upon the strength of the bow. A thick string will shoot with most certainty, but a thin string will cast farther. The choice, however, ill a matter of indifference, provided the string selected be not decidedly too thin for the strength of the bow, particularly if the bow be a backed one, and much reflexed, for many a good bow has been broken in consequence of the sudden jerk occasioned by the breaking of the string.

The string should always be whipped with silk or fine twine at the nocking point, and also about the breadth of three fingers both above and below that point. The whipping as well as the string should be well waxed with bees’-wax; and that will not only secure the string from being filleted but will tend to fill the nock of the arrow, which ought always to sit rather tightly on the string. It would be also advisable to whip the eye, and if after trial the string be found worthy, it would be all the better for doing so, but attention to this particular is not so necessary as at the nocking point, where there is more wear. But to the noose it is a matter of far greater importance, for that is most more likely to fret than the eye. As soon as the silk or twine wears off, the string should be rewhipped.

STRINGING.

The next thing is to acquire a proper mode of bending the bow, for otherwise in the very filet attempt it will probably be strained if not broken. We should again observe that the round part of the how it is which should be bent inwards; that is called the belly of the bow; the flat part, or back [page 108:] should be bent upwinds. Having particularly observed this, take the bow by the handle into the right hand; let the lower end of the bow be placed against the inside of the right foot, (the lower end of the bow has always the shortest horn,) the foot being turned to prevent the bow from slipping. Keep the wrist firmly pressed to your side, so that the strength required in the left wrist to pros down the upper limb cannot’ force the right wrist from its incumbent position; place the centre of the left wrist upon the upper limb of the bow close under the eye of the Wing, keeping the arm quite straight — the tip of the thumb should be on one edge of the bow, and the knuckle of the forefinger on the other. Pull the bow briskly with the right hand, and press the upper limb down with the left, sliding the wrist upwards towards the horn, while the tip of the thumb and the knuckle of the finger drive the eye of the string into the neck; the string must be fairly in the neck before the left hand is removed. The three last fingers may be stretched out, as they are not wanted, for if they get between the string and the bow they may receive a severe pinch. To preserve a steadiness of position, have the right foot placed spinet a wall or some other amble support, the left foot being brought about a yard forward, the right knee may be bent, but the left meet be kept as straight as possible; a supposition may perhaps arise, in consequence of a failure to string in the first two or three attempts of the learner, that the bow is too strong for him; but this will in all probability be a mistake, for it is not strength that is so much required es a knack — a right knowledge of performing the operation, and facility in its execution. Before attempting to wing the bow be careful that the string is not twisted round it, and that the noose is in the centre of the horn.

Should the string not be quite straight the defect may be remedied by first slackening it as in the act of unstringing, by pulling the bow up a little with the right hand, and pressing down the upper limb with the left, and then by twisting the novae to the right or left as may be required.

THE ARROW.

The use of the long bow has now so entirely superseded that of its complex rival that it appears almost unnecessary to speak of any arrow. but such as are fitted to use with it, yet it may not be improper to notice briefly, en passant, the several kinds of instruments used in this very ancient mode of offence and defence. It is a singular fact, that the bow, as a weapon of war, appears to have been almost altogether confined to the Teutonic races. It is true that among some of the nations of Northern Africa, it has occasionally been used, and that among both the Greeks and Romans it was sometimes employed, but wax never so efficient an arm to them as it was among the Paribians and the other tribal of North Western Asia, and the districts of Europe adjoining them, the inhabitants of which were in alliance with them. Through the connection between that people end the several races which occupied the northern countries of Europe be very obscuredly traced in history, we cannot but think that the evidence of it is sufficiently clear as to establish their identity. Among them, the short arrow and bow, the former from eighteen inches to two fact long, and the latter measuring about a yard, were the common weapons, and were thus used among them, until their individual existence as a people wee lost in the great stream of modern population. In Britain it was the first form of the bow and arrow introduced, and continued in use here certainly till within a little time prior to the Norman conquest, and there is little doubt was chiefly and certainly used in England for a century, and perhaps for a century and a halt; after that epoch. In Scotland, indeed, it appears never to have been changed for any other. But the use of tho long bow in the hands of the English archers at Cressy, Poictiers, and Agincourt, besides several other great engagements, so completely established its superiority that it quickly and almost entirely superseded any other form.. The cloth yard shafts of Britain darkened many a sky, and seldom failed to carry death upon their wings; and though the use of them as weapons of war has long been discontinued, they are too closely connected with the glorious associations of the national annals to be forgotten and disregarded, and will long continue, as they now are, a favorite means of noble sport and recreation.

Arrows are made of weight and length proportionate to the size and strength of bows. Arrows for bows of five feet long are twenty-four inches in length. Bows under five feet nine inches have arrows twenty-seven inches in length; and above five feet nine inches, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, and sometimes thirty inches long. But the last is an extreme length, seldom necessary end seldom used; beyond the power of most men to draw them up to the head, said, to say the lead of them. dangerous to the bow. Even arrows of twenty-nine inches long are inconvenient if not hazardous. Bows of five feet ten inches in length should never have an arrow longer than twenty-eight inches used with them.

Different nation, have used different substances in the fabrication of their arrows, though reeds have been moat common. Dogwood, or the cornelian cherry, were formerly much used in their manufacture, as well as for javelins; but the calamus was much prized for the purpose, cm account of its weight, which enabled it to resist the air, and consequently rendered it more obedient to the impetus given by the bow.

Sheaf, or war arrows were, it seems, generally made of ash; for Ascham observes that it were better to make them of good ash, and not of the aspen, as of all woods he ever proved, ash he found the beat and swiftest, as well as the most effective, from the weight of the wood, ‘ripen being much [page 109:] inferior. “The stele,” (the arrow without feather or head,) he says, “should be made as the grain lies, or it will never fly straight; and knots ought to be carefully avoided, as a knotty stele is more liable to break, and does not fly so far, because the strength of the shoot is hindered and stopped by the knot. It is Later to have the shaft a little too short than over long, somewhat too light than over lumpish, a little too small than a great deal too large.” The shaft must be perfectly round, as it a the best shape both for swiftness and for most easily piercing any thing. Arrows are now usually made of red deal, ash, and a light white wood, very much like that of the lime and abele trees. Fletchers hold the first in high estimation; it wears quickly and is apt to splinter, and should therefore for protection be varnished two or three times over. Mr. Hastings says that lime is an excellent wood for arrows, and that those arrows fly farthest and cleanest through the air which are perfectly round, rather high chested, or tapering in a very small degree from the shoulder or close of the pile to the nock, taking care that the pile be not heavier than will cause the arrow, when completed, to balance on the finger about one third or a little more of the way from the pile to the nock, or rather more than half way from the nock to the pile.

[[Image here]]

The weight of an arrow is the next consideration. It is the usual practice in England, to weigh arrows against silver money at the mint standard weight; thus it has been ascertained that the weight of an arrow is from three to twenty shillings, though they are seldom used heavier than five. Roberts, in his “English Bowman,” gives the following directions for arrows to shoot with at a particular distance; 30 yards, from 4s. to 6s., 60, 3s. 6d. to 5s. 6d., 90, to 120, 3s. to 4s. 6d. Thus it would appear that an arrow of the weight of 5.t. would be about right fur the generality of distances, but this of course depends much both upon the bow and the shooter, and much acute attention is required to ascertain the precise weight fitted for every occasion. We arc induced to notice this matter particularly, because the success of archery mainly depends upon it, and a perfect knowledge of it is only to be acquired by practice and close attention. One thing should be observed, that arrows for particular distances should be selected and set apart.

THE FEATHER.

It has been well observed that nothing is of so much consequence as the feather of the arrow, and [page 110:] the teeth of the observation will at once be perceived, when it is recollected that this is the wing by which the arrow flies, and that upon this the steadiness and velocity of its flight depends. The best feather is from the wing of the gray goose, and it has been celebrated by both historians and poets, though we believe it to be equalled by that of the turkey, and surpassed by that of the eagle. This is natural, for strength and elasticity are the prime requisites in the feather of an arrow; and these qualities are found in a very superior degree in the feathers of the eagle. Of the goose’s wing, the second, third, and fourth feathers are those most esteemed. The feathers should not be drawn, but pared with a fine sharp knife, and afterwards cut into proper length and shape. The length of the feather for arrows of twenty-seven inches long, exclusive of the pile, and of 4s. or 4s. 6d. weight, should be four and a half inches, or four and five-eighths, and set on the shaft about one and a quarter inches, or one and three-eighths from the extreme end of the nock, the feather being there three-eighths of an inch, and finely trimmed to the end. Should the shaft be a very heavy one, the feather must be made proportionably strong. A lady’s arrow, which is lighter, should of course have a feather proportionably small. It should be particularly observed, to select the feathers from the right or the left wing, that is, the smooth side should always be kept the same way. The archer will find it necessary to have both sorts with him, as the arrow in its rotatory motion through the air is much influenced by a side wind. The resistance of the feather is on its convex side, and therefore those arrows should be used which are flotched with feathers having the convex towards that aide whence the wind comes.

THE PILE OF THE ARROW.

The pile is the hard part, composed of whatever it may be, placed at the end of the arrow, and intended to pierce any substance against which it may be shot. The term is derived from the Latin word pila, a ball, and came to be used from the practice of those people, who, in the time of Henry VII, lived within the range of the royal forests, end were compelled to use round-headed arrows on account of the deer. ft is in general made of some metal. Among some of the ancients brass was in much request The Flemish arrows are at this day tipt with horn, as their laws prohibit the use of iron or steel for that purpose. The latter substances are those which have been, and are still most commonly used, tempered to the degree requisite to pierce the texture against which it is intended to be med. The piles of arrows for the pastime of archery should be made round, of thin steel, or very hard iron, about three-quarters of an inch in length, with the barbs just wide enough apart to admit the shaft, after having been filed sufficiently down to go up to the extremity of the pile.

When the wind is against him, or boisterous, the archer will find the blunt-headed arrows the best; but. with a wind, and favorable for the flight, a sharp pile will be found preferable.

THE NOCK OF THE ARROW.

The neck is that part of the arrow fitted for the string. This is generally inlaid with horn, and should have the nick wide enough to fit on the string easily, but not loosely. Arrows should be chosen with the neck too narrow rather than otherwise, as that is a defect which can soon be remedied by the use of a file, while too wide a nock is both inconvenient and disagreeable, and most probably uncertain, and farther, is a fault which cannot be amended. The nark should also be as smooth as possible.

THE QUIVER

Is generally made of leather or tin, and should be deep enough to take in the arrows nearly up to the feather. Wood or leather were the substances used for making it in former times, but they have now been superseded by tin, which is both lighter and more impermeable to wet. It should be large enough to carry from eight to a dozen arrows. The quiver is never worn, except in roving. In shooting at targets, or butts, it is placed a few yards beside them, three arrows being all that are required for present use. The rent are kept in reserve, to supply the place of those which may meet with accidents. The quiver should be carried on the right side behind.

THE BRACER.

This article is made of leather, and buckles round the arm of the archer, answering two purposes; viz., preserving the arm from the violent stroke of the string in loosing, and from its smooth surface allowing the suing to glide freely, and without the hindrances that an ordinary cloth sleeve presents. The pain inflicted by the string, upon an arm unprotected by the bracer, is sufficient to disable the bowman from the farther immediate use of his bow.

THE BELT AND TASSEL.

The belt is generally made of cow-hide leather, with a well or pouch to receive the pile heads of she arrows, through a leathern loop. It buckles round the waist, with the pouch on the right side, and a tassel made of green worsted, for wiping the dirt off the arrows, on the other. The tassel should be used as soon as the arrow is drawn from the ground. [page 111:]

THE TARGET.

The diameter of a gentleman’s target, from the extremity of the outer white circle, is four feet, and all shots beyond that are not considered as being within the target. Ladies’ targets are made on the same principle, but considerably smaller, generally about three feet in diameter. Targets are often made of millboard, which, though not nearly as durable as the others, are more convenient for carrying about, as a boy can with ease bear them for a considerable distance. There should always be a pair in the field, as it shortens the walk, and reduces the trouble to shoot backwards and forwards, instead of shooting at one target. The colors are a gold eye, surrounded by a red circle, that by a white one, that circumscribed by a black one, and that again by the white: each of these possums a retitle proportional to its nearness to the centre. The margin of the target is called the petticoat.

DISTANCE FOR TARGET SHOOTING.

The usual distance prescribed is, for gentlemen, one hundred yards, and far ladies fifty. It is better, however, for gentlemen to begin at seventy yards, or at most eighty, than with the whole distance at once.

ATTITUDE.

This is of very much more consequence than the inexperiened archer would at first suppose. In doing a thing well, especially in a pastime, it is always worth while to do it gracefully also, for that is not only pleasing, but often useful; The most graceful position is that in which the mind has most complete command over the motions of the limbs. Arscham say. the attitude should be such, u as shall be both pleasing to the eye of the beholder, and advantageous to the shooter, setting his countenance, and all parts of his body in such a manner and position, that both all his strength may be employed most to advantage, and his shot made and managed to other men’s pleasure and delight. A man must not go hastily about it, nor yet make too much ado about it; one foot must not stand too far from the other, test be stoop too much, which is unbecoming, nor yet too near the other, lest he should stand too upright, for so a man shall neither use his strength well, nor yet stand steadfastly. The mean betwixt both must be kept; a thing more pleasant to behold when it is done, than to be taught how it should be done.”

The archer should place himself in such a manner, that the side of his body should be towards the mark, so that if the target be due north, be may face directly to the cast, holding the bow horizontally, with the string upwards. Thus standing, he is prepared for

DRAWING THE BOW.

The arrow being then placed and steadily held, the archer, with his feet nearly squared, and about eight or ten inches apart, commences the operation of drawing. Gradually pressing the bow down with his left hand, he draws at the same time the string with his light, and keeping his right elbow well up, gracefully raises his arms, his loft extended with his bow, the wrist turned father inwards, and the right drawing the string till the arrow be brought up about half way. The arrow being sufficiently raised according to the distance of the mark, it should be drawn up to the pile, and then, with a moment’s aim (for that ought to be sufficient, and more would be injurious) the archer lets fly, with a steady and sharp loose.

OF TAKING AIM.

Of all exercises, coolness, attention, and confidence is most required in Archery, and few things are more affected in their success by the state of the animal spirits. Much judgment is necessary in taking aim, and it is especially requisite that a proper “length” should be taken. Many archers have a outran of looking down their arrows et the mark, but the best authority seem agreed that the right plan is to keep the eye steadily fixed on the mark, and our high authority, Aeeharn, especially. He says, u For having a man’s eye always on his mark is the only way to shoot straight, yea, and I suppose so reAlye and easy a way, if it he learned in youth and confirmed with use, that a man shall never miss therein.” The supposition that a more correct sight is obtained by looking down the shaft is erroneous; doing so only distracts the attention.

The whole of these motions are of course but parts of one continuous effort, and the more evenly it can be performed the better. Drawing is ono of the very nicest points in archery — Old Roger calk it “the best part of shootings,” and should be done as precisely as possible, with the utmost steadiness. If the fingers embrace the string too much, it will twist, and the arrow fly wide of its mark. It eight to have the string in a truly right line. In target shooting the neck of the arrow is brought a little wader the ear, but in long shots the arrow has to describe a greater curve, and the drawing hand must consequently be more depressed, so that the neck of the anew may be brought down towards the right breast.