PART VITHE THUMB-RING.

TheTurk pulled his bow-string with a ring of ivory, or of other hard material, fitted on his right thumb. (Fig 9, p. 113.) Its manipulation is shown onp. 114.

It might be supposed that the strain of the bow-string on the ivory ring would cause the edges of the latter to injure the flesh and sinews of the thumb; this is not, however, the case in the least.

I find I can bend a strong bow much easier and draw it a great deal farther with the Turkish thumb-ring than I can with the ordinary European finger-grip.

The release to the bow-string which is bestowed by the small and smooth point [in Turkish “lip”] of the thumb-ring, is as quick and clean as the snap of a gunlock when a trigger is pulled, and very different in feeling and effect from the comparatively slow and dragging action that occurs when the release takes place in the modern way from the leather-covered tips of three fingers.

The range of a flight arrow when shot from a bow by means of a thumb-ring is always much beyond that of an arrow shot with the three fingers in the usual manner.

With the thumb-ring the feathers of an arrow can be placed close to its nock, as the usual space of about 1½ in. need not be left on the shaft at the butt-end lest the fingers holding the bow-string should crush the feathers of the arrow—a precaution that is necessary in all European archery.

There is no doubt that the closer to the nock the feathers of an arrow can be fixed, the farther and steadier it will travel.

The handle of an English bow, or of any other bow that is loosed with the fingers, is placed below its centre so that the arrow can be fitted to the middle of the bow-string, a point which is just above the hand of the archer as he grasps the bow.

A bow held below its centre can never be pulled really true, the limb below the handle being shorter than the one above it.

Fig. 9.—The Turkish Thumb-ring.(Scale, half full size.)

Fig. 9.—

The Turkish Thumb-ring.(Scale, half full size.)

In a Turkish bow the handle is in its exact centre of length, and the projecting point, or lip, of the thumb-ring engages the bow-string close to its centre.

For these reasons the bow is equally strained, each of its limbs doing its proper share of work in driving the arrow, an advantage that is very noticeable in flight-shooting, and would probably also be at the target. In the method of loosing used in modern times the bow-string lies across the three middle fingers, its outline, where the arrow is nocked on the string, taking the form of two angles connected by a straight line 2½ to 3 in. in length.

With the thumb-ring the bow-string is drawn back to one sharp angle close to the apex of which the nock of the arrow is fitted, so that every part of the string is utilised in driving the arrow. (Fig. 12, p. 114.)

The ease with which a strong bow can be drawn with the thumb-ring, and the entire absence of any unpleasant strain on the thumb, is remarkable. This proves how effective the Oriental style of loosing a bow-string was, compared with the one now practised by European archers.

The ring was usually of ivory, its edges being round and smooth where they came in contact with the skin of the thumb.

A covering of soft leather was sometimes glued all over the sloping outer surface of the projecting lip of the ring.

The leather assisted the archer to hold the ring firmly with his forefinger, so that it could not slip under the strain of pulling back the bow-string. Theprojecting lip of the ring bestowed the leverage which enabled the archer to draw the bow-string of a powerful bow.

Thumb-rings of silver or of agate were often permanently worn by Turkish archers of position, both for ornament and for use.

These rings were finely polished and frequently inlaid with gold.

Fig. 10.

Fig. 11.

Fig. 12.The Turkish Thumb-ring and its Manipulation.

Fig. 12.

The Turkish Thumb-ring and its Manipulation.

Fig. 10. The position of the hand when the arrow is first fitted to the bow-string, the latter being hitched behind the lip of the thumb-ring. The nock of the arrow should be close against the lip of the ring, and hence within about an eighth of an inch of the angle formed in the bow-string when it is fully drawn, as shown infig. 12.

Fig. 11. View of the thumb, with the ring, A, in position preparatory to closing the forefinger and thumb.

[B. Section of the bow-string as hitched behind the projecting lip of the ring.C. The base of the forefinger, or the part of it which presses tightly over the sloping surface of the lip of the ring, in front of the bow-string, when the bow is being bent.]

[B. Section of the bow-string as hitched behind the projecting lip of the ring.

C. The base of the forefinger, or the part of it which presses tightly over the sloping surface of the lip of the ring, in front of the bow-string, when the bow is being bent.]

Fig. 12. The base of the forefinger pressed against the ring, the hand closed, and the bow-string and arrow being drawn back by the thumb-ring.

It should be noted that no part of the hand is utilised in holding the ring and in drawing the bow-string, except the thumb and the base of the forefinger.

When the pressure of the forefinger is taken off the ring (by separating this finger and the thumb) the bow-string instantly pulls the lip of the ring slightly forward, and at the same moment slips off it with a sharp ‘click.’

The archers of other Oriental nations besides the Turks employed thumb-rings of various shapes and dimensions to suit the construction of their bows, bow-strings and arrows. All thumb-rings were, however, more or less similar, and were all used in the manner I have described.

It is, indeed, impossible to shoot an arrow by means of a thumb-ring except as I have shown, and as a very short practical trial will prove.

If the ring is applied in any other way it either flies off the hand when the bow-string is released; the thumb is injured; or the bow-string escapes from its hold when only partially drawn.

* * * * *

In one of the Turkish manuals on Archery translated by Baron Purgstall, many illustrations are given of the construction of the Turkish composite bow, but, unfortunately, minor details are omitted, though doubtless they were common knowledge when the Ottoman author wrote.

Without these details the correct formation of the bow cannot be ascertained. The chief omissions are (1) the composition of the very strong and elastic glue with which the parts of the bow were so securely joined, (2) the treatment of the flexible sinew which formed the back of the bow—whether, for instance, it was glued on in short shredded lengths or was attached in one solid strip.

All we know is that the sinew was taken from theLigamentum Colliof an ox or stag, a very powerful and elastic tendon which contracts or expands as the animal raises or lowers its head to feed or drink.

When the sinew which comprises the back, or outside when it is strung, of a Turkish bow—however old it be—is dissolved in hot water, it disintegrates into hundreds of short pieces of from 2 to 3 in. long and about ⅛ in. in diameter, each as ductile as indiarubber and almost unbreakable by hand.

The component parts of a Turkish bow, consisting of a thin strip of horn, one of wood and another of sinew (fig. 3, p. 106), are so pliable when separated that they can almost be coiled round the fingers, though if the same pieces are glued together they form a bow of unrivalled strength and elasticity.

TARTAR, UNSTRUNG.CHINESE, UNSTRUNG.CHINESE, STRUNG.Scale: One inch = one foot.Fig. 13.

TARTAR, UNSTRUNG.CHINESE, UNSTRUNG.CHINESE, STRUNG.

Scale: One inch = one foot.

Fig. 13.

Figs. 13,14. The Comparative Dimensions of the Reflex Composite Bows of various Nations.—The structure of all these bows is similar in that they are composed of sinew, wood and horn,i.e.sinew on the back of the bow,naturally curved horn on its inner face, and a thin core of wood between the horn and sinew.

PERSIAN, UNSTRUNG.PERSIAN, STRUNG.INDIAN, UNSTRUNG.INDIAN, STRUNG.TURKISH, UNSTRUNG.TURKISH, STRUNG.Scale: One inch = one foot.Fig. 14.

PERSIAN, UNSTRUNG.PERSIAN, STRUNG.INDIAN, UNSTRUNG.INDIAN, STRUNG.TURKISH, UNSTRUNG.TURKISH, STRUNG.

Scale: One inch = one foot.

Fig. 14.

Though the range of the Turkish bow—whether with a flighting or with a war arrow—far exceeds that of the other bows depicted, yet the Persian and Indian weapons are capable of shooting to a long distance, certainly much farther than any European longbow.

The great Chinese or Tartar bow requires a very long arrow, which from its length is, of necessity, a heavy one with a thick shaft. It cannot be propelled, as a result, farther than from 250 to 260 yards. One distinctive feature of Chinese, Tartar, Persian or Indian bows is the formation of their bow-strings. These are invariably from ¼ to 5/16 in. in thickness, and are always closely wrapped round, from end to end, with soft cord or coloured silk of about the substance of worsted.

The Turkish bow-string is ⅛ in. thick, and is merely served round with fine silk for 3 in. at its centre of length, with three or four shorter lashings at intermediate points.

THE LENGTHS OF THE ARROWS FORMERLY USED IN WARFARE WITH THE BOWS GIVEN IN FIGS. 13 AND 14.

47The long Turkish war arrow was drawn to the head as in an ordinary bow. The grooved horn was only used with the short and light flight-arrow.

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