HINTS TO AECHERS. 369 



observe that my lively friend was equally good with the pistol as with 

 the bow. He was very jealous of the honour of his province, which 

 he never allowed could be exceeded in any thing. Some discourse 

 once took place concerning the height of Monsieur Louis, the French 

 giant, who measured six feet ten inches, <e Tonnere!" cried he, what 

 a shrimp ! Why, in my country, I knew a man so tall that he was 

 positively obliged to get up a ladder every morning to shave himself; 

 he was a tall man, if you like." He admitted that he never knew 

 but one man of that stature, and that he was a very long nay off. My 

 friend was elected, some years since, a member of the " Royal Edin- 

 burgh Society" of Archers, and is an ornament to that distinguished 

 corps. After all, I must in justice say, that the Americans beat us 

 all out of the field. Neither French, English, nor Irish, can compare 

 with them in the use and practice of the long-bow, although I am 

 aware that I risk giving offence to many meritorious and skilful in- 

 dividuals. How does the incredulous cockney stare when he hears 

 of the great SEA SERPENT ! He does not believe it, not he he little 

 knows it was an archer to whom the glory of the discovery is due. 

 What can he know of monsters of the deep, except cod-fish and 

 oysters in sauce ! What can he know of the howling wilderness, un- 

 less it be Wilderness- row ! What of roaring cataracts, save that of 

 low water at London bridge ! He can form no idea of the trackless 

 waste by that of Walworth and Newington Butts ; or of interminable 

 forests, by that of Epping. His scepticism, therefore, is no scandal ; 

 it requires an enlarged mind to comprehend the wonders of America, 

 and to judge of the enterprise of archers by whom it has been ex- 

 plored. A very ingenious friend of mine, and, curious enough, of the 

 same name as myself, a native of Boston, and a splendid shot, has fre- 

 quently astonished me with the exploits of American archers. He 

 said, that once, when he went into Kentucky to witness a trial of 

 skill, he stayed by the way at a public-house, and observing in the 

 room such an amount of broken ware, and equivocal marks, he was 

 quite convinced, knowing the savage nature of Kentuckian fighting, 

 that a desperate and murderous affray had taken place there. ,He 

 remarked the servant sweeping the floor, and putting the contents 

 carefully into a basket. Rather surprised, he asked her what she 

 was preserving with such care. " Oh !'' said the girl, " nothing very 

 particular, only a few eyes" " Eyes !" inquired my friend. " You 

 ' see," she said, " about fourteen gentlemen went home blind last night, 

 so I was just picking up their eyes, 'cause the gentlemen, when they 

 get sober, may becalling for 'em, I guess !" 



There is little doubt that the Kentuckians of the back woods are 

 descendants of Ishmael, the son of Hagar, who was driven from the 

 house of Abraham to wander in the forests of Beersheba. Of Ishmael 

 it is said in Genesis, " and God was with the lad, and he grew, and 

 dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer." Some have been 

 sceptical on the point, seeing, that however the latter part of the verse 

 might argue them descendants of Ishmael, the former portion clearly 

 had no reference to them. This point I leave to the curious. 



My friend Cram I have a great respect for, both as an accomplished 

 archer and an excellent man. He has witnessed some wonderful 

 MM NX 9 4. 3 B 



