PART VII

_THE RANGE OF THE TURKISH BOW_

[Illustration: THE AUTHOR SHOOTING WITH A TURKISH BOW.[48]]

In 1795 Mahmoud Effendi, Secretary to the Turkish Ambassador in London, shot a 25½-in. flight arrow 480 yards. The bow he used is similar to the one shown in fig. 11, p. 112, and is now preserved in the Hall of the Royal Toxophilite Society, Regent’s Park.

Mahmoud Effendi accomplished this feat--which was carefully verified at the time--in the presence of a number of well-known members of the Toxophilite Society of the day, including Mr. T. Waring, the author of a work on Archery.

Joseph Strutt, the historian, was also a spectator, and describes the incident in his book entitled ‘The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England.’

[48] There are many country residences in England at which the author has made very long shots with a bow and arrow, and where trees have been planted to mark the distances. Among others: Glynllivon Park, Carnarvon; Broomhead Hall, Sheffield; Onslow Hall, Shrewsbury; Norton Priory, Runcorn; and Harpton Court, New Radnor, may be named.

It is beyond question that in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with bows precisely similar to the one shown in Fig. 1, but of much greater power, flight arrows were shot from 600 to 800 yards by certain famous Turkish archers.

The achievements of these celebrated bowmen were engraved on marble columns erected at the ancient archery ground near Constantinople, and these records are still in existence (p. 125).

[Page 120]

The only trustworthy evidence of unusual ranges attained with the English longbow is as follows:

1798. Mr. Troward 340 yards. 1856. Mr. Horace Ford 308 „ 1881. Mr. C. J. Longman 286 „ 1891. Mr. L. W. Maxon 290 „ 1897. Major Joseph Straker 310 „

It is not probable that the English bowmen of mediæval days were able to shoot the arrows they used in warfare farther than from 230 to 250 yards. Nor is it likely that they could send flight arrows to longer ranges than those given above, as heavy yew bows, strong as they may have been, were unsuitable for the purpose.[49] It was from their great elasticity, as much as from their strength, that composite bows derived their wonderful power.

[49] In King Henry IV., Second Part, Act III., Scene 2, Shakespeare makes Shallow exclaim of Double that the latter could shoot a flight arrow from 280 to 290 yards. In the time of Shakespeare (1564–1616) it was, therefore, considered a notable feat to send an arrow to this distance.

When, too, the composite bow was strung, its bow-string was much more taut than was that of any European bow, as the latter was merely bent out of a straight line, whilst the former was bent from a sharp reflex curve, which it was always striving to resume when in use.

Though many nations formerly used composite bows of horn and sinew, no people attained such dexterity in their manipulation, or constructed them of such marvellous power and efficiency, and at the same time so small, elegant and light, as did the Turks.

It should not be supposed, however, that because these bows were so diminutive in size, they were mere playthings for shooting a flight arrow to an immense range. They were powerful weapons of warfare, and, as I have proved in practice, those of only moderate power are capable of sending an iron-shod arrow weighing 5s., or one ounce, to a distance of 280 yards. Bows that could shoot a flight arrow 600 yards, and more, would certainly be able to drive an ounce arrow 360 to 400 yards--or much farther than was possible with the old English longbow and its war shaft.

I have obtained with much difficulty during the last few years about a score of composite bows of Turkish manufacture from various parts of the Ottoman Empire. Not more than three or four of these have, however, proved serviceable, owing to their age, as no bows of the kind have been made for over a hundred years, the art of their construction being long since neglected and lost.

[Page 121]

With the bow depicted in Fig. 1, I shot six arrows in succession to ranges exceeding 350 yards, the longest flights being 360, 365 and 367 yards. This public record was established July 7th, 1905, at an archery meeting held at Le Touquet, near Etaples in France. The ground selected for the trial was perfectly level; there was no wind, and the distances were accurately measured by several well-known members of the Royal Toxophilite Society who were present.

With the same bow I have, in private practice, thrice exceeded 415 yards, and on one occasion reached 421 yards.

Though this bow is a powerful one for a modern archer to draw, it is a mere plaything compared with other Turkish bows of the same length, but of far greater strength, which I possess.

Some of the latter are so curved in their unstrung state that their ends nearly meet, and are so stiff, when strung, that I cannot draw them to more than half the length of a 25½-in. arrow. Fig. 15 shows a bow of this kind in my collection.

[Illustration: FIG. 15. SKETCH OF A VERY POWERFUL TURKISH BOW WITH ITS ARROW AND BOW-STRING.]

Such bows as these require a pull of 150 to 160 lbs. to bend them to their full extent, which quite accounts for the marvellous, but well authenticated, distances attained in flight-shooting by the muscular Turkish bowmen of bygone days.

Though 367 yards is a short range in comparison with that which the best Turkish archers were formerly capable of obtaining, it is, so far as known, much in excess of the distance any arrow has been shot from a bow since the oft-quoted feat of Mahmoud Effendi in 1795, p. 119.

Full corroboration of the wonderful flight-shooting of the Turks may be found in some treatises on Ottoman archery which have been translated into German by Baron Hammer-Purgstall (Vienna, 1851).

[Page 122]

In his directions concerning the selection of suitable bows and arrows for the sport, one of the Turkish authors quoted by Purgstall writes: ‘The thinnest and longest flying arrow has white swan feathers shaped like leaves,[50] and this arrow, with a good shot, carries from 1,000 to 1,200 paces.’

[50] _Anglice_, Balloon feathers.

The orthodox length of a pace is thirty inches, and thus even 1,000 paces, or the lesser range mentioned, would exceed 800 English yards.

Augier Ghislen de Busbecq (1522–1592), a Belgian author and diplomatist, describes the Turkish archery he witnessed when ambassador to the court of Solyman, and the well-nigh incredible distances to which he saw arrows propelled.

Full information to the same effect, with excellent diagrams, may be found in a Latin MS. on Turkish archery by J. Covel, D.D., Chaplain to the Embassy at Constantinople 1670–1676.[51]

[51] MSS., B.M., 22911, folio 386.

Another treatise (in Turkish) entitled ‘An Account of some famous Archery Matches at Bagdad (1638–1740),’ dedicated to the Governor of that city by the author, M. Rizai,[52] may also be consulted, as it gives the exact ranges of the longest-flying arrows.

[52] Sloane MSS., B.M., 26329, folio 59.

It should be remembered that many years ago flight-shooting was a very popular recreation of the Turks, that every able-bodied man was a practised archer, and that every male child was trained to use a bow from the earliest possible age.

The origin of Turkish and other highly finished composite bows, and the approximate date when they were first used in sport and warfare, it is now impossible to determine. Bows that are undoubtedly of this kind and which are of excellent shape and design, are depicted on some of the most ancient pottery existent, and are also referred to in some of the oldest writings we possess.

In further connection with long-distance shooting with the Turkish bow, I append a letter written by one of my ancestors to another. They were both skilled and enthusiastic archers in their day. This letter, and the notes and translations which follow it, describe the extraordinary feats said to have been achieved by the Turks with their bows when shooting to attain a long range with a flight arrow:--

[Page 123]

‘London, 1795.

‘Dear Brother,--I have just been to see the secretary of the Turkish Ambassador shooting with Waring[53] and other famous English bowmen. There was a great crowd, as you may suppose, to see them. The Turk,[54] regardless of the many persons standing round him, and to the amazement and terror of the Toxophilites, suddenly began firing his arrows up in all directions, but the astonishment of the company was increased by finding the arrows were not made to fly, but fell harmlessly within a few yards. These arrows the Turk called his “exercising arrows.” This was an idea that was quite new to the bowmen present and they began to have more respect for the Turk and his bow. The Turk’s bow is made of antelopes’ horns and is short, and purposely made short for the convenience of being used in all directions on horseback.

‘The Toxophilites wished to see the powers of the Turkish bow, and the Turk was asked to shoot one of his flight arrows. He shot four or five, and the best flight was very carefully measured at the time. It was 482 yards. The Toxophilites were astonished, I can tell you.

‘Waring said the furthest distance attained with an English flight arrow, of which he had ever heard, was 335 yards, and that Lord Aylesford had once shot one, with a slight wind in his favour, 330 yards. Waring told me that he himself, in all his life, had never been able to send a flight arrow above 283 yards.

‘The Turk was not satisfied with his performance, but declared that he and his bow were stiff and out of condition, and that with some practice he could shoot very much further than he had just done.

‘He said, however, that he never was a first-class bowman, even when in his best practice, but that the present Grand Seigneur was very fond of the exercise and a very strong man, there being only two men in the whole Turkish army who could shoot an arrow as far as he could.

‘The Turk said he had seen the Grand Seigneur send a flight arrow 800 yards.

‘I asked Waring to what he attributed the Turk’s great superiority over our English bowmen; whether to his bow or not. Waring replied he did not consider it was so much the result of the Turk’s bow, but rather of his strength and skill, combined with the short light arrows he used, and his method of shooting them along the grooved horn attached to his hand.

‘Neither Waring nor any of the Toxophilites present (and many tried) could bend the bow as the Turk did when he used it.

‘So much for the triumph of the Infidels and the humiliation of Christendom.

‘Yours aff., ‘W. FRANKLAND.

‘To Sir Thos. Frankland, Bt., M.P. ‘Thirkleby Park.’

[53] T. Waring, author of a _Treatise on Archery_, 1st ed. 1814, last ed. 1832. Waring was an accomplished archer and a well-known manufacturer of bows and arrows.

[54] Mahmoud Effendi.

[Page 124]

I found the following records in a manuscript notebook of 1798, describing feats and incidents of archery collected by the recipient of the letter I have given.

‘_Records of Turkish archery procured in 1797 from Constantinople by Sir Robert Ainslie, at the request of Sir Joseph Banks, and translated by Sir Robert Ainslie’s interpreter._

‘The Turks still have detachments of archers in their armies so as not to deviate from ancient custom, for in Turkey archery is now merely regarded as an amusing exercise that is to this day practised by all ranks of the people.

‘The Ottoman emperors, with their court, often enjoy the diversion of archery in public, and there is an extensive piece of ground allotted to that purpose.

‘This place is upon an eminence in the suburbs of the city of Constantinople and commands an extensive view of the town and harbour. It is called Ok Meydan, or the Place of the Arrow. The ground mentioned is covered with marble pillars erected in honour of those archers who have succeeded in shooting arrows to any remarkable distance. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of the person whose dexterity it records, together with some complimentary verses to him, and the exact range which he attained with his flight arrow.

‘The Ottoman emperors, from ancient times, have always been supposed to live by their manual labour and in consequence of this supposition they have each learnt some art or profession, most of them having preferred the art of making bows and arrows.

‘The present emperor was bound apprentice to the trade of archery, and at the time he was received as a master in this trade he gave very splendid public entertainments at the Ok Meydan, where the State tents were pitched for him and his court.’

[Page 125]

_Translations of the inscriptions on some of the marble columns at the Ok Meydan (Place of the Arrow) which were erected in honour of those who excelled in archery._

1. Ak Siraly Mustapha Aga shot two arrows both of which travelled to a distance of 625 yards.

2. Omer Aga shot an arrow to a distance of 628 „

3. Seid Muhammed Effendy, son in-law of Sherbetzy Zade 630 „

4. Sultan Murad 685 „

5. Hagy Muhammed Aga shot an arrow 729 „

6. Muhammed Ashur Effendy shot an arrow which fixed in the ground at 759 „

7. Ahmed Aga, a gentleman of the Seraglio under Sultan Suleiman the Legislator, shot an arrow 760 „

8. Pashaw Oglee Medmed shot an arrow 762 „

9. The present Grand Admiral Husseir Pashaw shot an arrow which drove into the ground at 764 „

10. Pilad Aga, Treasurer to Hallib Pashaw 805 „

11. Hallib Aga 810 „

12. The reigning Emperor, Sultan Selim, shot an arrow which drove into the ground at a distance of 838 „

The Sultan shot a second arrow to near the same distance.

In the translation of the above from the Turkish language the feet and inches were also given for each shot, but these I have omitted as unnecessary.

In the manuscript, the interpreter remarks that the measurements of the distances on the marble columns at Ok Meydan are in pikes, the pike being a Turkish measure of a little over two feet, easily convertible into English yards, feet and inches.

It will be observed that the longest flight recorded on the columns selected for quotation is 838 yards, and the shortest, 625 yards. Though these distances are almost too extraordinary to be true, they corroborate the statement made in 1795 by the secretary of the Turkish ambassador, p. 123. If they are correct, they can only be accounted for by the use of a light short arrow, a very powerful bow, great strength and skill, and above all else by the horn appendage which the Turkish archer attached to his left hand, and without which he could not shoot so short an arrow from his bow.

[Page 126]

Even if we accept the shortest range recorded on the columns as correct--_i.e._ 625 yards--it is an extraordinary distance for any arrow to be propelled, and is 285 yards beyond what has ever been achieved, as far as we know, by an English bowman with a longbow, p. 120.

It is, however, beyond question that the secretary to the Turkish Ambassador did shoot an arrow 482 yards (the arrow and bow being even now preserved in the Toxophilite Society’s rooms), though he declared at the time of the occurrence that he was not proficient in the art of sending a flight arrow to what he considered a great distance. We may from this safely assume that a range of 143 yards further than the Turkish secretary attained with his bow, or a total flight of 625 yards, was quite possible in the case of a more powerful and skilled Turkish archer than he was.

[Illustration: TURKISH CAVALRY SOLDIERS WITH THEIR BOWS.

From an illuminated Turkish MS. in the Sloane Collection, B.M., dated 1621, No. 5258. These reproductions plainly show how small was the size of the bow formerly used in warfare by Turkish soldiers.]

_Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd., Printers, New-street Square, London._

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they were not changed.

Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left unbalanced.

Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs and outside quotations.