SHOOTING GLOVE, AND GREASE POT.
_The Shooting Glove_ is made of cow-hide, or horse ball leather. It has places or stalls for three fingers only, with a wrist strap to fasten it on. Its use is to protect the fingers from the action of the string, and in selecting it the young archer should be careful that the finger stalls are neither too long nor too short for the hand.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GLOVE.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GREASE POT.]
_The Grease Box_ hangs usually by the side of the ta.s.sel, and contains a small portion of grease composed of suet and bees-wax well compounded.
This is used for rubbing on the fingers of the shooting glove, and is indispensable to the archer.
THE TARGET.
Targets are made with plaited straw bands, wound round a centre, and sewn together. Over this body is placed a facing of canva.s.s, the ground of which is painted white; upon the white are painted four circles, and a gold centre called the bull"s eye. The first circle close to the eye is red; the next white, called the inner white; the third black; and the fourth white, called the outer white; while the outside verge, called the petticoat of the target, is painted green.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
A certain value in shooting is given to each circle of the target, which is thus computed: Outer white 1; Black 3; Inner white 5; Red 7, and the Gold Eye 9.
There are usually two targets in an archery field, placed at certain distances from each other, which shortens the labour of walking; for if one target only be used, a great deal of time is lost in going from the shooting mark to the target to fetch the arrows, and in returning to the spot again.
The prizes usually shot for in archery matches are gold and silver medals, silver cups, silver arrows, silver gilt bugles, prize bows and arrows. There are generally two prizes given; the first for the shots nearest the gold centre, the second for the number of shots put into the target, according to their value.
A person is usually appointed to register the shots at the targets, who has a card similar to the form given below, by which he takes an account of the hits as they are made.
+=======+======+=====+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======++ | NAMES | GOLD | RED | INNER | BLACK | OUTER | TOTAL | VALUE || | | | | WHITE | | WHITE | | || +-------+------+-----+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------++ |_Smith_| 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 26 | 100 || |_Jones_| 1 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 107 || |_Brown_| 3 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 41 | 139 || +-------+------+-----+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------++
The markings are usually made by the marker with a pin, holes being less liable to obliteration than pencil marks.
b.u.t.tS.
Are usually made of pieces of turf piled one upon another, and laid one upon the other in the following shape. They are usually about six feet high and four feet broad at the face, upon which a circular piece of thin white pasteboard, about six inches in diameter, is affixed with pegs. b.u.t.ts are generally placed in the field in sets of four, so as not to stand in the way of each other. And when shot at, the arrows placed in the pasteboard mark are alone reckoned, and those who here place the greatest number of shots are the winners of the prize.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
HOW TO DRAW THE BOW.
The ancient directions for drawing the bow, or rather the arrow, have been already given. The archer having placed himself opposite to the target, with his face a little inclined to the right, should swing himself slightly round, so that his eye and the target are in an exact line. He should stand quite upright, his left foot slightly in advance.
Holding the bow horizontally in his left hand, he should draw an arrow from his pouch and carry it under the string and over the left side of the bow. The fore-finger of the left hand now holds the arrow secure on the wooden part of the bow at its centre, while the right hand fixes the nick of the arrow on the string, where it is held fast between the first and second fingers, the c.o.c.k feather being uppermost. The fore-finger of the left hand may now be removed from the arrow, and the centre of the bow grasped tightly. The bow is now raised gradually by the left hand, at the same time that the string is pulled by the right; and when the arrow is drawn about two-thirds of its length, the neck of it should be brought close to the right ear and the aim should be taken. The aim should be taken quickly, and the string loosened freely from the fingers with a peculiar touch, which no books can teach, and which nothing but experience and skill can give. In long shots the right hand must be lowered, and the arrow sent so as to form a greater curve in its flight.
The archer should look at his _mark_, not at his shaft, and when he has shot should retreat to the leftward, and take his position behind the person with whom he is shooting.
[Ill.u.s.tration: POSITION IN SHOOTING.]
FLIGHT SHOOTING.
This is princ.i.p.ally engaged in for the purpose of ascertaining the greatest distance to which the arrows can be sent by the respective shooters. It requires no skill in aiming, but much care in drawing the arrow, as nothing is more likely to fracture the bow than flight shooting. The archer who sends his arrows to the greatest distance is the winner.
CLOUT SHOOTING.
In clout shooting the target is only a small piece of white pasteboard attached to a stick about five feet from the ground, and placed at a distance of from 120 to 150 yards. In it seven makes the game, and all arrows that fall within two bows" length of the foot of the stick are marked in counting.
ROVING.
So called from the shooters roving from place to place, over field, heath, moor, common, finding their marks in trees, posts, bushes, &c.
The distances constantly varying, give to young archers a great deal of practice; besides which, the variety of the scenery, and the various incidents that occur in a day"s roving, are often highly interesting and exciting. By roving the eye gets a habit of measuring distances, and the hand and arm strength for the bow. Blunt-headed arrows are the best for roving, of which about a dozen ought to be carried by each archer. Sharp arrows would imbed themselves too deeply in trees to be easily extracted. In a roving party, arrows that reach within five bows" length of the mark tell, and those which are nearest cut the others out. Each archer measures with his own bow. The number of the game is often nine, but generally twelve.
GENERAL HINTS FOR ARCHERS.
1. In commencing archery never begin with a stiff bow, but select one adapted to your strength, and change this for a stronger from time to time.
2. Never shoot with another person"s bow.
3. Never put an arrow in the string when any one stands between you and the target, or you may shoot out an eye.
4. Never talk, jibe, or jest at the time of shooting.
5. Always study to take a graceful att.i.tude in shooting, or in moving about the field.
6. Never draw a bow near another person; as, should it snap, the danger will be greater to him than yourself.
7. Never let your bow-string get untwisted or ravelled by neglect.
8. Never exhibit impatience at the tardy efforts of your compeers, or chagrin at your own failures.
9. Never shoot alone if you can help it, as it leads to negligence and indifference.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
BOXING.
We will first give briefly some of the reasons why we have determined to mention this branch of the manly exercises. Firstly, we do so because we have a great personal esteem for the art, though none can be more sternly opposed to its abuse. Secondly, because it affords one of the finest exercises in the world, employing every limb and every muscle in the body, giving at the same time readiness of hand and quickness of eye, while it tests and improves the patience and endurance. And, thirdly, because every one likes to know how to use the weapons which Nature has given him, and will contrive to acquire the desired knowledge whenever he can find an opportunity. All Englishmen, and therefore all English boys, are proud of their natural weapon, and compare it with the knife, the loaded stick, the knuckleduster, and the pistol of other nations. The principle of fair play and justice is strongly developed in an English breast, and in nothing is the principle so thoroughly carried out as in boxing. No unfair advantage is allowed to either side, no striking upon the vital parts of the body is permitted, and the use of the foot, tooth, or nail is forbidden under the severest penalties. Even in the very prize ring, where men are trained for the express purpose of hitting each other with the utmost force of which human arms are capable, there is little harm done, and in a few days both combatants look as if nothing had happened to them. It is not so even in a wrestling county, or in some few parts of our own land where men fight like brute beasts, and use their best endeavours to maim or blind their adversaries for life. A well-known American writer has expressed, in his own humorous language, the astonishment which he felt at witnessing a short "turn up" at an English cattle-fair. The grave propriety of the affair, and the admirable order in which it was conducted, struck him with profound admiration, as contrasted with the "inglorious and inevitable Yankee _clinches_, followed by a general _melee_," which in popular language is termed a "free fight," and in which every one attacks every one else with any weapons and in any manner.
Before proceeding to our genuine English Boxing, we must just mention the French "_savate_," of which we have heard so much of late. We have seen it practised and taught in the _salles d"armes_, and for it, as a system for boxing, we have the profoundest contempt; as also for that execrable French custom of striking upwards with the knee when at close quarters--an atrocity for which we should like to see a man soundly horsewhipped on the spot.
Now, the _savate_ simply consists in this. You make a feint, as if to strike in the usual manner, and then, instead of striking with the fist, you kick with the foot. Or, when your antagonist is pressing you sharply, you send the point of your toe into his chest, and stop him.
Or, you retreat from him, suddenly turn round, and kick at him backwards--of course being quite unable to tell where the blow will alight, and possibly inflicting an injury the effects of which will be felt for life.
Those who are practised in this manuvre will employ it with wonderful skill. They will hit you on the nose or on the forehead without the least apparent effort, and with the greatest certainty; they will fling you back from your advance with stunning force, and the effect of the lash-out is terrific. Indeed, if the object of boxing be to use all means of offence and defence, the _savate_ is indispensable.
Having many opportunities of visiting several schools of arms, we carefully considered this system, which was then totally unknown to us; and after watching it well for some time, during our residence in Paris, we came to the conclusion that the _savate_ is useful enough in case you are attacked by ruffianly fellows, whom you must needs maim, lest they should maim you; and that by the combined use of the _savate_ and a stick, or even the fist, a man may knock over a couple of a.s.sailants simultaneously and effectually.