AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



213 



eiBcient existence of our club: and we have gone on re- 

 gularly increasing in skill until the present time. 



The United Bowmen, associated for the practice of 

 Archery, was instituted on the 23d of September, 1828, 

 and consists of members proper, honorary, and associate. 

 The first are those who practice; the second those who re- 

 side at a distance, but take interest in the subject; and the 

 last those who may have been members of the club; govern- 

 ed by a constitution, administered by a President, Secre- 

 tary, and Treasurer. The initiation fee is five dollars, and 

 a monthly contribution of fifty cents is required of each 

 member, and defrays the expense of prizes, and the neces- 

 sary fixtures. The organization of the Society is nearly 

 similar to that of all others; it is not, therefore, proper to 

 occupy your useful space with details that are not peculiarly 

 applicable to our subject. 



By the regulations, practice meetings are held weekly, 

 at such time, place, and distance, as may be specified at the 

 stated monthly meetings of the club. 



The members serve in rotation as Captain of the Target 

 at each meeting of practice; their duties are to decide on all 

 hits, and to register the same, &c. : it is not necessary to 

 give you a detail, for with all forethought, something would 

 be left out, and for contingencies, there can be provision; 

 let it suffice, that his authority is absolute; from his decision 

 there is no appeal. 



The targets consist of five concentric circles, the inner 

 one eight inches in diameter, is gilded; the second eight 

 inches larger in diameter, and painted red; the third in- 

 creased eight inches, and painted white; the fourth in- 

 creased eight inches, and painted black; and the fifth eight 

 inches larger than the last, and painted light blue. 



The value of the hits in the diflereat colours is as fol- 

 lows: gold, nine; red, seven; white, five; black, three; 

 and light blue, one. 



On the second Wednesday of September of each year, 

 two prizes are shot for ; the first and most valuable is 

 awarded to the Archer whose hits value highest, according 

 to the foregoing arrangement; the secondary to him who 

 places an arrow nearest to the centre, with this proviso, 

 that he who gains the first, cannot take the second. The 

 first, it is evident, will become the property of the best 

 Archer of the day; the secondary may, of course, fall to 

 the share of some lucky wight, whose arrow may be wafted 

 out of its legitimate direction by some passing breeze, or, 

 as has been the case, may have struck the limb of an apple 

 tree, some fifteen feet out of the direction of the target, and 

 be carried by the glance direct to the centre of the gold. 

 As this prize cannot be taken by the best Archer, ten to 

 one it becomes the property of the worst. This is given 

 as a "big word" of encouragement to beginners. 

 3H 



The captain of the target carries a card with ruled lines, 

 the heads of the columns of which correspond with the 

 colours of the concentric circles, and the marginal column 

 for the names or signs of the members; the hits are pierced 

 in their proper places in these cards by a pin, the number 

 and value are summed up at the close of the shooting, and 

 from the card are transferred to the record book of the 

 club by the secretary. This book consists of engraved 

 pages of the circles of the target, and the signs of the mem- 

 bers; their presence is marked on the record of the appro- 

 priate date, each members' hits on the proper circle, their 

 number of hits and their value, the captain of the target for 

 that day, and, finally, remarks on the weather, &c. 



It is the duty of the secretarj' to keep a record of articles 

 that appear in the public prints, magazines, &c. on Arche- 

 ry; he has in charge, a collection of prints on this subject, 

 the bows and arrows of the different nations of the world. 

 To this portion of the property of the club, we have no 

 delicacy in asking donations, as we need not hesitate to 

 avow our conviction, that articles of this kind, have much 

 more interest collectively, and as the property of an asso- 

 ciation, than they can possibly have while detached, or 

 hidden in the garrets of individuals, to which place they 

 are usually consigned, after the first keen edge of curiosity 

 is worn off. 



To each member of the association is assigned a mark as 

 his descriptive badge, as follows: 



A O |§ 5 I -^ 



^ A 3 D 



It is placed on his bow and arrows, and usually on all the 

 articles of his equipment; it designates his hits on the card, 

 and in the record book, and is used whenever individuality 

 is to be expressed; its object is convenience in saving the 

 necessity of writing names, and the uncertainty of initials. 



For the sake, also, of easy distinction, especially in the 

 case of arrows, it is usual for every memlser to select a 

 colour, and to adhere to its use in painting his arrows or 

 other articles; one individual has selected red, another 

 blue, a third green, a fourth yellow, and so on. 



No uniform has been adopted by the club, nor is it essen- 

 tial; for the sake of convenience, a light jacket is worn, 

 which, for the same reason, with the addition of neatness, 

 has been made of a uniform colour and fashion. 



The object of this club being expressly that of healthful 

 exercise and manly recreation alone, one of its understood, 

 though most decided regulations is, that nothing but water 

 can be drank at its meetings, and that nothing foreign to 

 the practice of Archery can be recognised, as an object of 

 their association. 



It is no part of my intention to give instructions in 

 Archery; the space that could be allowed in a work like 



