270 MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE. 



fingers, made of stout leather, so that these delicate parst 

 should not be exposed to injury. 



858. The bow being strung, it is grasped, when about to 

 be used, by the left hand, at a little distance from the cen- 

 tre ; well-made instruments having a place or handle for 

 this purpose. 



859. The arrow is then to be taken in the right hand by 

 the middle, and carried under the Fig. 126. 

 string, to the left of the bow, until 



its head reaches the left hand, the 



forefinger of which receives it, and 



the right hand is removed from the 



middle to the nock ; the arrow is 



next to be drawn down the bow, 



and the string placed in the nock, 



with the red feather uppermost ; 



the forefinger is then withdrawn 



from the arrow, and placed round 



the bow, in its original place. The 



body now stands in the position of Fig. 126, with the 



weapon as there represented. 



860. " The attitude of shooting," says the Ladies' Book, 

 " is a matter of much importance : the heels should be a few 

 inches apart, the neck slightly curved, 



so as to bring the head a little down- Flg 1S7> 



ward ; the face, but not the front of 

 the body, is to be turned toward the 

 mark. The left arm must be held 

 out quite straight to the wrist, which 

 should be bent inward ; the bow is to 

 be held easy in the hand, and the ar- 

 row when drawn, should be brought, 

 not toward the eye, but the ear." 

 "The right hand should begin to 

 draw the string, as the left raises the 

 bow : when the arrow is three parts 

 drawn, the aim is to be taken ; in 

 doing this, the pile should appear at ~ 

 the right of the mark ; the arrow is then drawn to its 

 head, and immediately let go." The arrow passes along 

 the root of the thumb and fore-finger. Fig. 127 represents 

 a female archer, at the instant of shooting. 



