26 chapters
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26 chapters
PREFACE.
PREFACE.
No excuse need be offered to archers for presenting to them a new edition of the late Mr. Horace A. Ford's work on the Theory and Practice of Archery. It first appeared as a series of articles in the columns of the 'Field,' which were republished in book form in 1856; a second edition was published in 1859, which has been long out of print, and no book on the subject has since appeared. Except, therefore, for a few copies of this book, which from time to time may be obtained from the secondhand
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ARCHERY CHAPTER I. OF THE ENGLISH LONG-BOW
ARCHERY CHAPTER I. OF THE ENGLISH LONG-BOW
Of the various implements of archery, the bow demands the first consideration. It has at one period or another formed one of the chief weapons of war and the chase in almost every nation, and is, indeed, at the present day in use for both these purposes in various parts of the world. It has differed as much in form as in material, having been made curved, angular, and straight; of wood, metal, horn, cane, whalebone, of wood and horn, or of wood and the entrails and sinews of animals and fish com
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CHAPTER II. HOW TO CHOOSE A BOW, AND HOW TO USE AND PRESERVE IT WHEN CHOSEN
CHAPTER II. HOW TO CHOOSE A BOW, AND HOW TO USE AND PRESERVE IT WHEN CHOSEN
The next point to be considered is the strength of the bow to be chosen; and respecting this, in the first place, the bow must be completely under the shooter's command—within it, but not much below it. One of the greatest mistakes young archers (and many old ones too) commit is that they will use bows that are too strong for them. In fact, there are but few to whom, at one or other period of their archery career, this remark has not applied. The desire to be considered strong appears to be the
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CHAPTER III. OF THE ARROW
CHAPTER III. OF THE ARROW
The arrow is perhaps the most important of all the implements of the archer, and requires the greatest nicety of make and excellence of materials; for, though he may get on without absolute failure with an inferior bow or other tackle, unless the arrow be of the best Robin Hood himself would have aimed in vain. Two things are essential to a good arrow, namely, perfect straightness, and a stiffness or rigidity sufficient to stand in the bow, i.e. to receive the force of the bow as delivered by th
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The Bracer or Armguard.
The Bracer or Armguard.
The object of the armguard or bracer is to protect the left arm and wrist from the blow of the string in the event of this striking upon it when loosed. The expression 'in the event of' is especially meant to imply that in most cases no need exists for the string's striking the arm at all; but if the bow be low-strung—or follow the string, as it is called—it is impossible to avoid an occasional smart blow in the neighbourhood of the left wrist, and this must be guarded against. For this purpose
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The Shooting-Glove, and other Protections for the Fingers.
The Shooting-Glove, and other Protections for the Fingers.
The old-fashioned archer's glove—still in use in Scotland, and perhaps occasionally elsewhere—resembles a boxing-glove, being made of thick buckskin, and calculated to protect the hand from some of the accidents of war. It was provided with a pocket for extra strings, wax, and other necessaries on its back; and no doubt owned a companion glove for the bow hand, also calculated to protect it from injury. This glove has pieces of hard leather sewn on to the ends of the fingers as a further protect
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The Grease Box.
The Grease Box.
The grease-box was, no doubt, an important part of an archer's equipment when prepared for battle, as he had to be out in all weathers, and the grease it contained could alone help him to avoid the ill consequences of moisture about his shooting-glove. The modern archer is seldom called upon to shoot more than, possibly, one end in a sudden shower; and many now never carry a grease-box at all. Yet there is no objection to its use. It should contain vaseline, which may be occasionally applied to
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The Tassel.
The Tassel.
He must be a good archer indeed who can dispense with this necessary addition to his equipment. The tassel is usually made of green worsted, and its primary use is to remove any dirt that may adhere to the arrow when it is drawn from the ground, but the head of it may be used for carrying a few pins, and concealed within the outer fringe may be kept a small piece of oiled flannel, to be applied to the arrow occasionally, so as to prevent the paint from sticking on to the shaft. The tassel should
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The Belt, Quiver, etc.
The Belt, Quiver, etc.
In former days a leather belt was considered absolutely necessary, and some have been known to consider themselves more fully dressed for an archery contest with the green baize bag for the bow surrounding the waist. It was certainly useful, and kept together the various things then in use, namely, the glove, the quiver, the tassel, the grease-box, the tablets for scoring, the pricker for the same purpose, the armguard, &c. A well-appointed archer of the present day devotes a coat specia
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The Scoring Apparatus.
The Scoring Apparatus.
Any ordinary note-book fitted with a pencil is by far the best thing for keeping the correct record of an archer's score. Very convenient scoring-books are to be bought at the archery shops, and these contain usually the forms for York Rounds for gentlemen, and National Rounds for ladies, to be filled up with plain figures entered in the right places as the scores are made. The objection to these books is that the rounds shot are not invariably York and National rounds. That the ingenious may be
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The Register.
The Register.
Every archer is most strongly recommended to keep a careful and accurate record of all the shooting he does, not only by entering in a scoring-book every arrow shot during the day (which will act as a check to irregular and careless practice), but also by keeping a register, or book of record, in which the results of each day's shooting should be entered. Those who have not been in the habit of booking all their successes and shortcomings have no idea of the great interest with which this record
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The 'Ascham.'
The 'Ascham.'
This term is applied to an upright narrow cupboard, contrived for the purpose of holding all the implements of archery. It is constructed so that the bows may stand or hang upright in the back part, and in the front each individual arrow may stand, also upright, and sufficiently apart from its neighbour to avoid the possibility of any injury to the feathers. In height this Ascham should be upwards of six feet, so that there may be sufficient room for the longest bows, and the bows should all, if
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The Targets.
The Targets.
The backing of the target is made of thrashed or unthrashed straw (rye-straw is the best) firmly bound together whilst wet with strong tarred string, and in construction is somewhat similar to the make of beehive, only it is made flat. It is circular, and the front of this straw boss (as it is called), intended for the canvas facing, is worked up with a flat surface, so that the facing may lie upon it more evenly than it could upon the other side. The canvas facing must also be circular, and exa
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The Target-Stands.
The Target-Stands.
The most usual target-stands are of iron, in three pieces, each of about six feet in length, hinged together at the top, and painted green, forming a tripod for the support of the target, which is caught on to it by a hooked spike at the top of the stand, and kept from shifting its position thereon by a spike about half way up each of the front legs. These stands are so destructive to any arrows that hit them, even through the targets, that, for home use, they should be padded in front with a st
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The Quiver.
The Quiver.
The tin quiver , made in different sizes to contain six, a dozen, or more arrows, with sometimes a receptacle at the top for spare strings, wax, thread, silk, file, &c., is too handy an article to be ever altogether discarded, though the arrows in it do occasionally suffer by being indiscriminately jumbled together. The arrow-boxes of wood now made to hold different quantities of arrows are, of course, to be preferred. But the best receptacle for arrows on a journey is a properly fitted
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CHAPTER VI. OF BRACING, OR STRINGING, AND NOCKING
CHAPTER VI. OF BRACING, OR STRINGING, AND NOCKING
In the previous chapters such plain directions have been given concerning the various implements of archery as will enable each archer to provide himself with the best of the kind that his inclinations or means may lead him to adopt, and to enable him to avoid such as are in themselves radically bad, or likely to add to the difficulties he is sure to meet with before arriving at any great or satisfactory proficiency in the art. Having been thus enabled to form a choice as to his weapons, he must
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CHAPTER VII. OF ASCHAM'S FIVE POINTS, POSITION STANDING, ETC.
CHAPTER VII. OF ASCHAM'S FIVE POINTS, POSITION STANDING, ETC.
The various implements of archery having been now described, the proper use of these by the archer claims attention. Roger Ascham stated in 1545 that 'fayre shootynge came of these thynges: of standynge, nockynge, drawynge, howldynge, and lowsynge'; and these his well-known five points of archery have been followed by most other writers on the subject in this same order. He has set out so well 'all the discommodities whiche ill custome hath grafted in archers' that 'can neyther be quycklye poull
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CHAPTER VIII. DRAWING
CHAPTER VIII. DRAWING
Ascham seems to be right in declaring that 'Drawyne well is the best parte of shootyng'; and, as it is in the course of this part of the act of shooting that all the ridiculous antics already quoted may be exhibited, and without drawing well it is almost impossible to take aim or loose with any chance of success, every archer must pay the utmost attention to the acquisition of the best and easiest method of drawing. Yet it is not pretended that there is but one best method of drawing. Here two t
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CHAPTER IX. AIMING
CHAPTER IX. AIMING
The aim is undoubtedly the most abstruse and scientific point connected with the practice of archery. It is at the same time the most difficult to teach and the most difficult to learn; and yet, of all points, it is the most necessary to be taught. Upon the acquisition of a correct method of aiming depends all permanently successful practice; yet respecting this important point the most sublime ignorance prevails amongst the uninitiated. Unless the archer acquires a perfect understanding of the
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Holding.
Holding.
By holding is meant keeping the arrow fully drawn before it is loosed. Ascham has made this his fourth point of archery; and but little can be added to what he has said on the subject. 'Holding,' he says, 'must not be longe, for it bothe putteth a bowe in ieopardy, and also marreth a man's shoote; it must be so lytle yat it may be perceyued better in a man's mynde when it is done, than scene with a man's eyes when it is in doyng.' This represents so exactly what holding, at its best, should be,
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Loosing.
Loosing.
After the bow has been drawn up to its proper extent, and the aim correctly taken, there still remains one more point which the archer must achieve successfully before he can ensure the correct and desired flight of his arrow to its mark; and this is the point of loosing , which term is applied to the act of quitting or freeing the string from the fingers of the right hand which retain it. It is the last of Ascham's famous 'Quintette,' wherein, though he does not say much, yet what he does say i
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CHAPTER XI. OF DISTANCE SHOOTING, AND DIFFERENT ROUNDS
CHAPTER XI. OF DISTANCE SHOOTING, AND DIFFERENT ROUNDS
The attention may now be turned to the results obtained by the use of the bow and arrow. The best notion of the old practice of archery may be gained from a review of the ancient butts or shooting-fields of our ancestors. These shooting-grounds were evidently attached to every town (if not also village) in the kingdom, as may be gathered from the universal survival of the local name of Butts. There is extant 'A plan of all the marks belonging to the Honourable Artillery Company in the fields nea
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CHAPTER XII. ARCHERY SOCIETIES, 'RECORDS,' ETC.
CHAPTER XII. ARCHERY SOCIETIES, 'RECORDS,' ETC.
Prince Arthur, the elder brother of King Henry VIII., enjoys the reputation of having been an expert archer, and it is believed that in his honour a good shot was named after him; but as he was born in 1486 and died in 1502, his skill in the craft cannot have had time to arrive at maturity, though even in modern times a stripling has occasionally snatched the palm of success from the more mature experts. That King Henry VIII. took a deep interest in archery as necessary for the safety and glory
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ROYAL TOXOPHILITE SOCIETY'S HANDICAP MEETINGS
ROYAL TOXOPHILITE SOCIETY'S HANDICAP MEETINGS
A series of meetings extending over two days, the double York Round being shot, commenced in 1881, and the Grand Centenary Archery Meeting of the Royal Toxophilite Society was held in the Society's ground in the Regent's Park, on October 12 and 13, 1881. 14 Visitors. Sixty-five gentlemen shot. A Grand Annual Handicap Meeting of the Royal Toxophilite Society was held on October 11 and 12, 1882. 15 Visitors. Thirty-three gentlemen shot. The Grand Annual Handicap Meeting of the Royal Toxophilite So
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SCOTCH PUBLIC MEETINGS
SCOTCH PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Eleventh Annual Scottish Archery Meeting was held on the Cricket-ground (Lavilands), near Stirling, on August 4 and 5, 1865. Thirteen ladies and thirty-six gentlemen shot. The Twelfth Annual Scottish National Archery Meeting was held on the County Cricket-ground in Raeburn Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh, on August 17 and 18, 1866. Nine ladies and thirty-eight gentlemen shot. It was only on these two occasions that the Double Rounds were shot at these meetings. IRISH PUBLIC MEETINGS The Second
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AMERICAN NATIONAL ARCHERY MEETINGS
AMERICAN NATIONAL ARCHERY MEETINGS
The First American National Archery Meeting was held at Chicago on August 12, 13, and 14, 1879. On this occasion the ladies shot forty-eight arrows at each of the distances of 30, 40, and 50 yards. The gentlemen shot forty-eight arrows at 60 yards, and ninety-six arrows at 80 yards, on the first day, and seventy-two arrows at 100 yards on each of the other days; thus making up the quantities of a York Round, though in unusual order. The best results were as follows:— The Second Annual American N
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