1830.] 
Miscellaneous Notices. 
199 
I might descant more largely on the benefits to he derived from this plan, which, 
I believe, is altogether novel, but I fear I have already occupied more space than 
perhaps other people may think my suggestions are worth. 
I am, Sir, your’s, &c. A Subscriber. 
VI. — Miscellaneous Notices. 
1. Indian Archery. 
The following is an extract from a letter from a friend in the upper provinces, 
on the subject of Indian Archery, and may be interesting to some of our readers. 
“You know, I suppose, that the Indian bow being made of sinew, horn, and 
wood, put cunningly together, is, however, liable to the effects of atmosphere. In 
the rainy season the bow is always unstrung and laid by. In setting up a new 
bow and an old bow, after its repose in the damp season, the scientific way, you 
probably know, is, exposing the parts which bend t the elastic parts of the bow, 
over lighted charcoal, very gradually heating the pai’ts, and bending the bow to 
its proper form, and placing it perfectly in its proper perpendicular live , so that 
when drawn the string fly not off to either side, and always rest on and prove the 
perpendicular line of the bow. Bending a new bow is done in the same manner with 
the assistance of an iron chain to act as a bow string, the chain gradually lessened 
in length by a book or links in the centre ; which is attached, to shorten the 
chain, to links nearer the ends, as the bow is gradually heated ( senkna ) on 
its proper elastic parts, and brought into the form for being used. A. new 
bow cannot be strung but by these means. I dare say, however, there are 
plenty of kamangars in Calcutta, although the bows are not good. I have 
sent you six old Lahore bows. The older a bow is, without being over used, 
the better. 
“ The arrows of the description we call jangi , are the best for all uses. I 
have not sent any of the butt arrows used here, as we don’t at home know the 
art or try our skill in the fashion of this country. The butt here is fine clay, well 
manipulated, and mixed with oil : — then packed into a pan and pretty well rammed. 
The bow- man draws an arrow with a long heavy head, the utmost distance ge- 
nerally ten paces for the masters of the art, which art is proved by making what 
they call labimashuq (love's lips), burying the arrow to the ivory end, the red nitch 
only remaining to the sight. A young inexperienced or ignorant amateur will 
break his arrow every time. In proportion with the expertness of the experimenter 
the arrow penetrates deep or not deep. It would be a fine amusement at home, 
for bad weather especially, as the practice may be as conveniently carried on in a 
small room as in the open air, or in a long gallery. In fact, for battle purpose, 
steadiness of hand is, along with correct drawing of the bow, that alone which 
will cause the arrow to fly and penetrate as it should. A good hand will pass an 
arrow through a bullock apparently without exertion. An arrow thrown or shot 
by one of us would not go above an inch or two inches deep.” 
2. Climate of Ava. 
The following is an extract from a letter by Major Burney, our Resident in Ava, 
dated Amirapfira, 24th June, and with the appended note of the height of the 
Barometer and Thermometer, will, we doubt not, be read with great interest, being 
the first authentic notice we have of the metereology of Ava. 
“ The Thermometer in the day time was often as high as 92°, and at night we 
seldom had it more than three or four degrees lower. This slight difference of 
temperature between the night and day was felt by all of us as particularly oppres- 
sive. I enclose an account of the state of the Thermometer and Barometer. The 
barometer which I received from the Surveyor General’s department appears to 
me to be in a very good condition, and I have been careful in registering it every 
day since I put it up- 
The ministers have promised to give me a letter to the Mysoogee of Yevan-gy. 
woon (Petroleum Town), ordering him to dig and search in his neighbourhood, and 
collect a large quantity of all kinds of those fossil remains for you. The philoso- 
pliers and learned men here express much satisfaction at Mr. Crawford’s having 
discovered these mammoth or mostodon bones ; as they maintain that these re- 
mains fully establish the truth of the ancient Burman writings, in which it is said 
that in former times there were ten species of elephants, each species differing in 
size and power one-tenth from the one next to it : — that nine of the species be- 
came extinct, and that the existing species is the smallest and lowest in the scale,*' 
