OF ARROW-KELEASE. 165 



to represent either of two or three kinds. That many re- 

 leases are represented incorrectly there can be no doubt. 

 In figures of Egyptian archers, the hand is depicted as 

 daintily pulling the arrow in a way that could not possibly 

 accomplish the drawing of a stiff bow ; and that the 

 Egyptian archer used a stiff bow is seen in the vigorous 

 manner in which he is represented as bracing it with knee 

 pressed against its middle, while tying the cord above. 



It will be best, however, to give a description of those 

 releases that can be clearly interpreted, beginning with the 

 Assyrian. I had a brief opportunity of studying the won- 

 derful collection of Assyrian slabs at the British Museum, 

 and also the Assyrian collections at the Louvre. In the 

 various scenes of war and hunting so graphically depicted, 

 the most perfect representations of archers in the act of 

 drawing the bow are given. 



At the outset I met with a very curious and unaccount- 

 able discrepancy in the form of release employed, and that 

 was when the archer was represented with his right side, 

 or shaft hand, toward the observer, the hand was with few 

 exceptions in the attitude of the primary or secondary 

 release ; whereas if the archer was represented with his 

 left side, or bow hand, toward the observer, the release 

 with few exceptions represented the Mediterranean re- 

 lease. Or, in other words, as one faces the sculptured 

 slab the archers, who are represented as shooting towards 

 the right, show with few exceptions either the primary 

 or secondary release, while those shooting towards the 

 left are with few exceptions practicing the Mediterranean 

 release ! 



If in every case the Assyrians were represented on the 

 left, as one faces the tablet, fighting the enemy on the 

 right, then one might assume that the enemy was prac- 

 ticing a different release. In an Egyptian fresco, for ex- 



