190<^] on Ancient and Medmval Weapons. 327 



Constantinople, that the Turks formerly shot arrows from 600 to 

 700 yards and more ! 



These feats were performed with light flighting arrows, it is true, 

 but archers and bows that could send these Hght shafts, even from 

 500 to 600 yards, would be able to shoot the heavier arrow of 

 warfare much farther than could any long-bowman with his war 

 arrow and bow of yew. 



It is recorded by Strutt, the historian, in his " Spoi'ts and 

 Pastimes of the People of England," that in 1795, near London, 

 Mahmoud Effendi, Secretary to the Turkish Ambassador, shot a 

 flight arrow from his Oriental bow to a range of 480 yards. There 

 can be no doubt about this incident, as it was witnessed by many 

 well-known archers of the day, who have independently recorded the 

 range, which was carefully measured at the time owing to the interest 

 it aroused. 



On this occasion the Turkish Secretary declared that he was not 

 an expert archer, and could not shoot nearly so far as could many of 

 his friends in Turkey ! 



Personally I have shot an arrow from one of these bows to a 

 distance of 445 yards, or slightly over a quarter of a mile, and 

 frequently from 420 to 430 yards. 



Though very strong in the arm and wrist, from constant practice 

 in drawing powerful bows and casting projectiles — I can even now 

 throw a cricket-ball over 80 yards — I cannot, of course, at all 

 compare in strength and skill with the Turkish archer of former 

 days. 



Still, what I am able to accomplish plainly shows what far more 

 wonderful feats the trained Turkish bowmen must have been capable 

 of in past times. 



I have already referred to the great elasticity of the Oriental 

 bow, and in which lies the secret of its marvellous power. As an 

 example of this elasticity you may unstring one of these bows, even 

 after it has l^een kept strung for three days, and its ends may be 

 seen to slowly move back into their proper reflex position, the bow 

 finally regaining the exact shape it was in before it was strung several 

 days previously, its future strength being unimpared. A bow of 

 yew treated in similar fashion would, however, be damaged beyond 

 repair. 



It is said that no man can now string one of these short Oriental 

 bows, if it is a very strong one and much reflexed, without the aid of 

 an assistant to place the bow-string in position for him as he bends 

 the bow. This I quite believe. The act is, however, as much a 

 question of knack as of strength, as it is even difficult to string a weak 

 reflex bow unless it is treated very carefully, and the strength of the 

 manipulator is applied in precisely the right direction. How these 

 bows were strung I learnt from a figure sculptured on an ancient 

 Greek vase, on which an archer is shown stringing his reflex bow. 



