Charles F. A. Hinrichs

“ Having got it thus far a slight pause maybe made before drawing the arrow to its full length (although we think it better to make it all one motion) , which done, the archer must take his aim before loosing. By the old fashion of drawing the bow to the ear, aiming was rendered impossible; in fact, there seemed to be a sort of idea that no aim whatever was required for archery. This, however, is far from being the case; it is most essential to take an aim, aye, and a good one too, if you wish to meet with success. ”

“ By drawing the arrow below the level of the eye, the archer is enabled to look along it as he would along the barrel of a rifle. As regards the direction, the archer will find that it is but seldom he will be able to aim directly at the gold. He will almost always have to aim to one side or the other, to make, allowance for wind, &c. This cannot be taught. The archer will soon learn by experience whereabouts on the target his proper point of sight lies, and will aim accordingly. ”

“ The great object to be attained in loosing is to remove the obstruction of the fingers from the string suddenly, and yet in such a manner that no jerk is given to the string (which would be fatal to the aim) , and that the fingers do not at all follow the string, which would weaken the force of the shot. The string should lie across the fingers at an equal distance from the tip of each—not too near the joint nor too near the tip; about midway between the tip and joint of the first finger, and on the others in proportion, will be found about the most convenient position for a good loose. ”

“ It will be useless for him to overburden himself with accessories more than are absolutely necessary—they will only be in the way; an archer who wishes to shoot well will find that the less he has about him the better. Besides his bow, he will take four arrows (three for use and one spare one in case of accident) , which he will put into his pouch or pocket, arm-guard, glove or tips, tassel, and scoring-card. A spare string also it will be prudent to have in the pocket. ”

“ A chrysal should at once be tightly lapped with fine string saturated with glue; this, if neatly done and then varnished, will interfere but little with the appearance of the bow. Care should be taken not to scratch or bruise the bow. When shooting in damp weather, the bow, especially if a backed one, should be kept well wiped, and perfectly dried with a waxed cloth before putting away. A backed bow is always the better for a little lapping round each end just by the horn, which prevents the bow from breaking if by any chance the glue is softened by damp. ”

“ The stands for the targets are usually made of iron and wood, and somewhat resemble in shape an artist's easel. The legs should be padded or wrapped round with straw, otherwise arrows striking them will be apt to break. There has been, however, invented an iron stand for targets, so constructed that the legs present a very thin edge to the shooter, thus reducing the chance of their being struck by an arrow to the minimum. In some places butts are erected, instead of stands, for the targets: they are built of sods piled together, the Target being hung to a peg in the front of them. ”

“ This kind of shooting is only useful as a lesson in judging distance, and was very necessary when the bow was used in warfare, but has never been much in repute since archery has been merely practiced as a pastime. It is rather an expensive amusement, as the arrows are so liable to be broken or lost. ”

“ The handle should not be quite in the middle of the bow, but the upper edge of it should be about an inch above the centre. See that there are no sharp edges to the nocks on the horns of the bow, for if they are not properly rounded off they will be continually cutting your string. Lastly, make sure that your bow is not beyond your strength—in other words, that you are not overbowed. It is a very common thing for persons to choose very strong bows under the idea that it gives them the appearance of being perfect Samsons ”

“ When the bow is braced, the string should be exactly six inches from the centre of the bow in a gentleman's, and five inches and a half in a lady's bow. Care must be taken that the string lies evenly along the exact centre of the bow, that it is not turned on one side at either horn. If this be the case, it will, by pulling the bow unevenly, in all probability break it.
Position.—It is difficult to determine exactly what is the best position for the archer. Every one naturally subsides into that which is most easy to him ”

“ Hat of white straw, bound with black velvet and trimmed with green and white feathers. This is a very pretty costume, and is worn, with modifications, by a great many societies.
We hope that the foregoing hints may prove of service to our readers. If, in any part, we have not succeeded in making ourselves as intelligible as we wish, we must plead in extenuation the difficulty of explaining by mere precept that which is not easily learned even by example. ”

“ The left foot should point rather to the right of the mark, the right foot being nearly at right angles to it, the heels six or eight inches apart, in a straight line from target to target, both feet flat on the ground, knees straight, body erect but not too stiff, face turned towards the mark. ”

“ Extend the left arm downwards until it is perfectly straight, the hand grasping the handle of the bow, the arrow being held by the nocking end by the two first fingers of the right hand passed over the string and on each side of the arrow, as in the cut, care being taken not to pass the fingers too far over the string, or the sharpness of the loose will be interfered with. ”