300 
THE FIELD. 
SKETCHES AND ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY.— No. 2. 
Divination dy the Arrow. — A species of divination 
amongst the ancients, and which appears to have been vory 
common, was that of putting a number of arrows, with in- 
scriptions on thorn, into a quiver, and, after they had 
been mixed together by shaking, that which was first drawn 
determined the fate of the affair in question. For this kind 
of augury the ancient Arabs sometimes made use of 6cvcn 
arrows; hut in general three were sufficient. These arrows 
were not of the common make ; they were without feathers, 
and were kept in the temple of tome idol, before whom the 
omens were usually drawn. When the arrows were used, 
there were inscriptions placed on two of them ; tho third 
was left blank. On the first was written, “ Command me, 
Lord;” on the second, “Forbid me, Lord.” These two, 
with tho blank one, were shaken together in a quiver when 
anything of importance was in question, and if tho first- 
mentioned arrow was drawn, it was esteemed a favourable 
omen ; if tho second, it was an inauspicious ono ; but if tho 
blank one, the three were again 6hakcn, and tho ceremony 
repeated, till the event was either favourably or unfavour- 
ably determined. A similar kind of divination wus practised 
by tho Clmldeaus. They inscribed tho namos of those 
countries und cities which they were about to moke war 
against, on arrows ; and offer having mixed them together, 
the name borne on tbo first drawn was tho country or town 
to bo first attuckcd. Tliero was also a very mysterious cus- 
tom in general use, which consisted of drawing omens from 
the appearonco of tho bright points of arrows, by tho inspec- 
tion of which the mogiciun or priest discovered tlio Inten- 
tions of fate. Wo find in Scripturo that this was in uso 
among the Babylonians, in the timo of Nebuchadnezzar. 
In Ezekiel, chap. xxi. v. 21, wo rend that “The King of 
Babylon stood ut the parting of the way at tho head of the 
two ways, to uso divination : he made his nrrou's bright; ho 
consulted with images.” 
'J he Persians made uso of arrows for another purpose. 
I>y •bcir assistance they numbered their troops, and dis- 
covered who had fallen in battle. When they undertook a 
campaign, (uch man placed an arrow, with Ills name in- 
scribed mi it, in a chest or box prepared to receive them ; 
if after the battle, therefore, tho king wished lo ho informed 
who wore killed, ho gave orders that cucli man should tuke 
the arrow having lhs mimo upon it from the chest or box; 
and when all wore drawn belonging to tho survivors, those 
which remained showed who were dead or missing. 
Ancient i* i BUY Arrows. — A stratagem of war very 
much in use when tho towers and wnlls of cities consisted 
chiefly of wood, was effected by means of tho arrow. Be- 
siegers, unable to forco a breach or sap a wall, had recourse 
to fire, which they directed against all those parts which 
were combustible. In order to begin a conflagration, tho 
fire was attached to the body of arrows, and this was done 
by several different ways. Sometimes cotton, tow, or the 
liko substance, previously mixed with pitch, rosin, oil, or 
naphtha, was wrappod on tho end of an urrow in tho form of 
u bull, w hich, when in utc, was fired, and the arrow directed 
towards the woodwork of tho enemy, where, slicking fiinilv, 
tlio flume wus rapidly comiuuuicutcd. This was used with 
groat success in naval expeditions. Pliny mentions a sort 
"* bituminous substunco procured from a marsh which 
was used with great advantage in tho defonco of towns; for 
when fixed to arrows and enfiamed, it stuck to the engines 
and even to tlio bodies of the enemy with great forco ; and 
it was almost as easy to destroy un army by fire as by sword • 
for t he flame raged with such violenco, that water was unable 
to effect its extinction, and, indeed, rather served to increase 
the fury of it.— Pliny, 13. ii., chap. 104. 
Whistling Arkows.— There is a kind of arrow, which, 
from the construction of its head, iscullod the whistling arrow. 
I hero are two methods in which the heads ore made The 
ono is by leaving a ball of horn perforated with holes at the 
end, and fastened to the urrow by tho wood passing through 
it, and fitting tight. But this is not the best plan, for as 
the perforations are liublo to get choked up by tlio arrow stick- 
ing in tho ground, tho bond must bo taken off whenever the 
holes are thus filled ; and as the horn ball does not adhere 
very tirmJy, if the arrow penetrates tho earth to any depth, 
it is difficult to draw it back without losing the head. An- 
other sort, which are usually larger, and which have u deepor 
tone, are made with a screw in tlio middle of tho hall ; bv 
which means all the inconveniences attending the smaller 
kind are removed, as the ball is in the latter case fixed 
firmly to tlio body of tho arrow, and may be drawn from 
the ground without danger of separating. It is supposed 
these arrows were formerly applied to some military uses, 
and particularly giving signals in tho night. The Chinese 
are said to have used them for this purpose from time im- 
memorial. How long those arrows have been known iu 
England, is uncertain, but wo find no passage referring to 
them earlier than the time of Henry VIII. In Hollinsliond 
we read : “Iu tho year 1015, the Court lying at Greenwich, 
the King amt Queen, accompanied with many other lords 
and ladies, rode to tlio high ground at ShootorVhill to tako 
the open air; and as they passed by the way, tl.ev espied a 
company of yeomen clothed in green hoods, and 'bows and 
arrows, to the number of two hundred. Then one of them, 
which called himself Robin Hood, came to tho King de- 
Then g l « m i t0 ,t ee , hi9 „ nie n t !‘ 00 o’ and the Kin K "as content. 
Then he whistled, and all tho 2U0 shot and loosed at once • 
and then he whistled again, and they likewise shot again 
Their arrows whistled by craft of their head, so that .the 
noise was strange and great, and much pleased tho king 
and Queen and all the company. All these archers were of 
the kings guard, and has thus npparellcd themselves to 
make solace to the king.” From the maimer in which this 
story is told, wo may be led to think the whistling arrow 
' to have been a now thing in the beginning of the Sixteenth 
Century, and perhaps just introduced, otherwise the exhibi- 
tion would have scarcely been wortli performing before the 
King and bis company. 
[Saturday, 
fits sift Sjmrs. 
POEM ON TEASE. 
Phase porridgo Lot ; 
Pease porridge cold ; 
Tease porridge by Dcs-pot 
Nicely sold I Punch. 
It will have been observed that the Emperor of Russia, whilst 
negotiating with the British Government— which he oil tlio while 
endeavoured to deceive— was continually making protestations 
on his honour ns a gentleman. He cannot be said to hare Jmd 
no pretensions to that title ; only it is a pity that Ministers did 
not know that tlio gentleman they had lo deal with in Nicholas 
was the Old Gentleman.— Punch. 
Samson’s strength lay in his hair. And perhaps the some may 
he said of tho British Lion ; for it is evident to all who havo ever 
come in contact with thntanimol, that its strength lies principally 
in tlio main.— Punch. J 
Passport System. — A ludicrous result of passport strictness 
baB just occurred. A lady expecting her confinement was nt 
Capri with her husband. Wishing that the child might he horn 
on the mam lu .,d, they sailed across the hay ; but tho youthful 
nn “ I,ectcd ‘y > nad e his appearance during tho 
three houis voyage, they were not allowed to land, because the 
infant was not ... the passport.”—//,,"'. Und of the Forum 
ana r/ttt t ancon. 
The Coinage op 1858. — There was coined at tho Mint in 
I8;i3, 10,697,998 sovereigns, 2,708,760 half sovereigns, nocrowns 
or 1, nil-crowns, 3,919,950 florins, 4,266.188 shillings, 3,837.930 
sixpences, 10, 038 fourpences, 30,108 threepences, 4,752 silver 
twopences, and 7,920 silver pence (of these last two coins the 
same number is minted every year for Mnundny money, we be- 
believo), 1,021,440 pennies, 1.659,040 halfpence, 1.028*, 028 far- 
things, and 955,224 half- farthings. The total value of the coin- 
age of tho year was 12,003,0001. ; the average of tho previous 
five years was only £4,000,000. 
A PnoniBCY.— Superstitious persons in Poland, nnd in parts 
or i odolia, recall to mind nt tho present moment a curious pro- 
phecy, made os far hack ns 1656, by the martyr Andre Babilof. 
who has this year been beatified by the Pope. 'Babilof, who was 
pul to death by the Podolinn schismatics, is suid to havo declared 
that ho would in due time bo canonized, and that in the year of 
Jus beatification n great battle would ho fought between the red 
English, French, and Turks on ono side, nnd the Russians on the 
other, and this at tflaro Constontinoff, nt no great distance due 
north of tlio Bug, on tho frontiers of Podolin and Yolkynia 
VYcrnihoro, nt a later period, recurs to this prophecy. 
The Late Judge Talfouiid. — S ome years since I ventured to 
request information ns to tho proper way of pronouncing the 
word Elm, from the talented and kind-hearted Judge Tolfourd, 
whose days have just been brought to a closo undor such truly 
awful circumstances. Tho ready reply which he gave to an un- 
known inquirer, whilst it illustrates the courtesy nnd cordiality 
of JiiB.cliarncter, may prove interesting to your renders. “ Temple 
June 15, 1838.— Sir,— I havo tho honour to acknowledge the re- 
ceipt of your letter of tho 11th, nnd to express my pleasure nt 
finding that you sympathise with mo in genial admiration of the 
delightful person to whom it refers. All I know respecting the 
signature of * Elia,’ will bo found at p. 65 of the second volume 
I w.Bnnib s Letters. It was tbo real numo of a coxcombical clerk 
tinny years dead, whom Lamb remembered at the South Sen 
Rouse and prefixed to his first essay (which was on the ‘ Old 
ooutli Sea House ) in tho London Magazine. The editor nftcr- 
words used it to distinguish Lamb's articles, nnd he finally ndoptod 
it. The t is short ( Elm). It is an Italian nnme. — I hnvo the 
Jionour to he, sir, your obedient and faithful servant. T N Tai- 
rounD. — From “ Notes and Queries.” 
intlr, B °.;L P r e8 M t ? r ? 8pecl8 °[ r ro,rQ clcd war, the following is 
ntercsting .-Most of our readers will not require lo be told how 
he National Debt, which William III. loft at £16,000,000 sterling 
lmd, at the accession of William IV., reached the enormous 
amount of upwards of £800,000,000, the yearly charge on which 
for interest was double the amount of the original debt of the 
country. Tim fatal necessities of war had caused thisaggravation 
Srivvl n «Tr dlt ^SS U, ° of 8l00k rented by loans 
between tlio years 1/94 and 1817, nearly tho whole lmd been the 
r^r° f h V 109t,1 ° 0t,itudfl of F ™cc. I" one single 
3 ear 1814, in which our greatest efforts against Napoleon had 
l oon nmde-not Ices than £93,000,000 were thus added to the 
ISlt J— r 10 T" try ’V" tbo two following years an 
equally g^antio amount was added. During the early years of 
national loans, 0 per cent, was tho legal rate of interest af- 
n°lfi ft" f r Ct ’ muc 1 "' or £' va ? frc< l uent, y given. Wo read that 
‘.n the Government offered 8 nnd 10 per cent for a loan nf 
£1,000,000, yet could obtain but three-fourths of' the required 
amount. During the roigns of Ann nnd George I. high rates of 
rn ™ e i 8 n WC l° -S?*" for ,ho monc - vs required ; und altlfough such 
n i n ° ng bmr ° CC08ed » a practice, amounting in effect to 
the same tiling, wus very common during tho late wars. It was 
oV»0R e ^ f °f l t 0 1 Go y crnlupllt ’ wlji ch needed a loan 
nnnrnin 0 ’ “ 8U ,° 8,0ck lo lli0 Ionder8 for £12,000,000 or 
£18,000.000, ns on inducement for them to provide the mon*v • 
hence, although 4 per cent, was the nominal interest allowed 'it 
in fact amounted to 4 J and sometimes to 5 per cent, on the sum 
?7flR teooOOOO^ta v° rt y ° f r . ou,ombra "ce, that in the year 
loan in iflS° 0,00 ° r ' voa 8,,b8C ribed in London by way of 
loan in 16 hours, with tlio view of enabling the Government to 
prosecute tho war with republican France. ] 10 
Oratory in Illinois.-II was dog-days, and a great liue- 
couW ifo f'm, H Cei l‘ T 8e i J nboutluad d °g a ; olthougb^no person 
couhl be found who hod seen ono. A meeting of tho citizens was 
forMHntn Dngad , ler was appointed chairman, and he launched 
for 1, into a speech, o which the following burst of forensic splen- 
JSSCiSa : r , Follow Citizens, the time has come when the 
fcp ' " 8 . of °gg*awntcd human nature arc no longer to 
L b ° / b, ° d ’ Mad a°6V r c midst ns. Their strickin’ yelp nnd 
»my track um be lieerd and Been on our pernries. Death fol- 
ers m the.,- wake; shall we set hero, like cowards, while our 
lives nnd our neighbors lives are in danger from their dredful 
borobus hidrofobio caninety? No; it must’ nt bo! E'en now 
mj Buzurn is torn with the conflictin’ fcelin's of rath nnd wen- 
genneo: a funeral -pyre of wild-cats is burnin’ in me! IhaJe 
ChUdreJ ” d n? ? ^ "“I r '? 8; and 1 b «ve a wife nnd 
children and (using higher ns tho importance of the subject 
d ZJl f} 118 r-Tir) 1 ,,ave ,uone - y a * interest, all in 
Time ^ bU ” J ***** cumdmad do 0 s Spirits qf the 
In northern Illinois aro two brothers, who officiate in the 
church as exhorlers, and fiatter themselves on the peculiar spirit 
' vb,cb b °y at lu f eB enter upon their humble calling, o/ono 
twcasion, the elder brother, in descanting nt some length upon 
the characteristics of each, gave the follow ing forcible illustratioS 
of his spiritual superiority ;” “ Brother George,” said lie, 
oft ean exhort and sing, but lie can’t pray. I can fmy his shirt 
i nst cen8 - U8 l i , n developed some curious facts. It 
tiMstbe numerical law of tho sexes thus:— 1. There nro more 
males than females liorn, by about four per cent.— 2. At twenty 
years of ago this preponderance is entirely lost, and there are 
more females than m«les.-3. At forty years the balance is ngZ 
the other way, and there ore more males than females .— 4 At 
seventy the sexes arc about even, and the ultimate age of the 
sex 18 re£U ' 1Cd wRhout any decided advantage?* either 
sex. Between seventy and one hundred years of age, there arc 
fh rt an C1I n 1 n 0U8 “ nd th i ree bu ! ldrcd ond cleveu more wlnto woman 
than there arc males ; being more tl.an fifty per cent, of the 
oMlna im J ber ' . Bey °I ld tbe " ge of for, y .'ears, the probabilities 
WA8niNOTON’a Tbacherp.— Washington bod but two 
one an old fellow named Hobby, one of Sis father’s tenmtTiw™' 
os well os schoolmaster of the neighbourhood, who used to 
after he was superannuated nnd somewhat addicted to 7tr««» 
tations, especially on the General's birthdays, that it wmX!X°" 
between his knees, had laid the foundation of George Washing •’ 
greatness, by teaching him his letters ; and thf other th^M® 
Williams already mentioned, who was, according to Mr. W eP nL 
“a capita hand” at reading, spelling, English grammar, S' 
rnetie, surveying, book-keeping, and geography and Tr 
boasted that Jio had made George WnshingtonLgreot a a-h ft , cn 
as himself. We cannot doubt that to his thoroughness in teneV 81, 
know, hi. gm.l pnpil owod .JS'S 
power; for a good foundation in a few important thin™ if 
best possible beginning for a boy of ability and enterprise. *° 
CHESS. 
PROBLEM No. 51. 
Black. 
White. 
White mates in three moves. 
SOLUTION OF THE LAST TROBLEM. 
o' l I K fnkcs I£ 
o' n,°r n 2 * ci, l takes Kt 
3. Q to K 2 (mate) 
Reading and Berkshire Chess Club. The 
annnai meeting of this flourishing society took place on 
Wednesday, the 29lh of March, in the Great Assembly 
I all, Reading, and was attended by such an assemblage of 
chess-players, not only belonging to the town itself, but 
a so from London, Southampton, Oxford, Bath, and other 
places, as it has seldom been our privilege to witness A 
more decisive indication of the growing popularity of this 
the king of games could hardly have been shown. Among 
the gentlemen present we observed the following : — S. A 
Dickson, Esq., Honorary President, Dr. Cowan, J. Piercv 
Esq. Sandhurst Wm. Blandy, Esq., Chas. Blnndy, Esq , 
Rev. Mr. Field, Rev. Mr. Yatc, Rev. Mr. Young, R. b. 
Wormald, Esq., Oxford, and three members of the Hermes 
Club, C. Rumboll, Esq,, Ramsbury, Chas. Stephen, Esn 
J ' N - Smith, Esq., G. W. F. Hoyle, Esc,., E. 
” llliam8 > P-sq., of London, and several ladies. Want of 
space forbids our giving a detailed account of the dinner 
wj.ich took plaee on the following day in connection 
with the club, but wo hope to furnish our readers with 
some of the best of the games played on this most interest- 
ing occasion. 
m . . r American woman tliau for 
S'lilfcf C f U, / n8 ' 8 8,n ^ ulurl . y "“ b the fact, that tl.o physique 
mi -n y) f f A “ encan ' vouia »» > 8 inferior to that of American 
men. That fact, as is shown, however, tells tremendously on 
SvL, r 0 a tWee “ tL f °f tweul y ai,d forty, when their mor- 
traoidinnrv’ 9 ? T? Ut ‘ Tbe , of 8 o m e Women is very ex- 
traoidinary. There nre four hundred and thirty American 
women above one hundred vein* of age. y A,nencan 
? Rifleman — Intelligence reached Southampton 
by the last overland mail that her Majesty’s sloop Comus, Captain 
Fellows, arrived ot Hong Kong on the 29th of December last, 
CP 0 P a88a f e of . 87 d ?J: 8 from thc Cn Pe of Good Hope. On tbo 
5th of December she fell in with the Barque Rifleman, of London, 
a whMer, which had been out 12 months. All was well on board. 
She bod 280 barrels of sperm oil. The Comus also spoke tlio 
American barque Ellen, a whaler, out 38 months, all well on 
The Gallery.— Thc Speaker’s gallery is ns good n place for 
studying •human nature ns on omnibus. You hove all nations 
represented there. French and Germnns eagerly looking out for 
Lord 1 almerston, comparatively indifferent about everybody else • 
Americans trying to affect contempt of the whole affair, but 
failing; two or three Scotchmen sitting in a row, with tl.cir 
n^n B ^ Cd ii Ur K n ! ie . Lo l rd - | Advoca te : Irish constituents visited 
w y t W b0ir Il ', lsl1 , fr,0I,d8 nild representatives from 
below , Enst Indians, with tlicir dark skins and Oriental dre«c- 
wondering at the spcctncle, and doubting whether, in the con- 
f'rievnnp** 88 of ,V U8I " C8S fl , oalin ? bfif oro their eyes, their peculiar 
grievance in the Nizam’s territory, which they hove come to 
‘ ny be „ f ; ,re Parliament, is likely to attract any very 
great attention. There is your habit ui of the gullery, sitting 
^lno^lmnrH P laC€ ’ re8l P npd ,0 ,,en '' the bores, and rousing him? 
noi ,e e ' r0at F " ns ' know,n 8r " hen to listen and vfben to 
sleep, asking no impertinent questions, and volunteering no 
Sr S 10 "' There is your political bore, wlmwill 
pnindc h s knowledge, nudging you to tell you that the Speaker 
is Mr. Shaw Lefcvrc, or that those arc thc Ministers silting on 
innSSl 4 ’ - nd ° f j 10 Chnlr ’ givin ^ - V0U in a l0ud wllispe/his 
unasked opinion of men nnd measures, inflicting his stupid 
remarks upon you just ns you ore trying to catcli some important 
of , J j0rd . Jobn Rueaell’s. Then your inquisitive bore is 
always asking who is so and so? or, what was just said that 
made the people laugh ? or, which of the reporters in the "-nllerv 
E| 8 pd 0 m, e t 7'? 8 t0 tL f Times? who > bay ing liad Lord° John 
pointed out to him a dozen tunes, presently turns round to his 
wl'li h«f r o?A d m P art8 . tbe information that the man with tho 
,n “ y ’ ord J" 1 -", and the other man sitting 
n the middle of tho same bench, leaning hack with his hat over 
", 9 arm8 l c 1 ro8ecd \ i8 Sir William Molesworth.-a 
pirrpXl L t‘ P rc f. en ‘b' involves you in fresh explanations anil 
corrections. Then there is the victim of the messengers-the 
part played on the occasion of our present visit by my friend 
T n WL ° l S Qlwn - V8 doin e "h»t he shouldn’t do, 
coughing at the wrong time, and driven to the verge of suffoca- 
tion by bis efforts to keep it in under the impatient look of bis 
companions nnd tbe wrathful scowl of the officials: standing up 
to SCO who is speaking just beneath the gallery, nnd being told 
in an angry toue to “sit down immediately and, perhaps as n 
en ° ri "' t - v ’ bo , in E 80 carried aw ay by Lis feelings in tbo 
middle ot a greut speech as to give utterance to some demonstra- 
tion of applause, on w hich be is only saved from an ignominious 
cxpulsiou by the Loppy fact that the doorkeeper's indignation is 
paralyzed bv sheer astonishment nt such unparalleled ondocity.— 
iiousenoia It ords. 
