Archery.ARCHERY was formerly one of the chief pastimes of England, and at different periods in modern days it has been a fashionable amusement; and in this country it has been practiced in some few localities. Archery is a healthful and agreeable pastime, and ought to be revived and in general use all over this country; it is scarcely excelled by any recreation in which propriety permits young ladies to indulge.The attitude of anaccomplishedfemale archer (for archery is not to be acquired without much practice) at the moment of bending the bow is particularly graceful; all the actions and positions tend at once to produce a proper degree of strength in the limbs and to impart a general elegance of bearing.Ladies usually shoot at a distance of about fifty yards. Two targets are placed opposite each other, and the archers shoot from one to the other; that is, when all the party have shot at one target, they walk up to it, gather their arrows, and shoot back to the one they came from, to which they again return when their arrows are expended; and so on,shooting from one to the other in rotation. In that way not merely the arm, but the whole frame, enjoys the benefit of salutary exercise in the open air, while the mind is interested and the spirits elevated by the sport.The attitude in shooting is a matter of much importance; the feet should be a few inches apart, the neck slightly curved, so as to bring the head a little downward; the face, but no part of the front of the body, is to be turned towards the mark. The left arm must be held out quite straight to the wrist, which should be bent inwards; the bow is to be held easy in the hand; and the arrow, when drawn, should be brought, not towards the eye, but the ear. The right hand should begin to draw the string as the left raises the bow; when the arrow is three parts drawn, the aim is to be taken. In doing this the head of the arrow should appear to the right of the mark; the arrow is then drawn to its head, and immediately loosened.To draw the arrow from the mark or ground it should be taken by the hand, as near the head of the arrow as possible, and extracted in the same direction as it entered. If these instructions be not attended to, the young archer will break many arrows in drawing them from the ground, or the mark, when she is so successful as to hit it.In selecting a bow the chief point to be attended to is the adaptation of the bow to the strength of the person who is to use it. Bows, arrows, and accoutrements can easily be obtained in any city. Any boy can find good material for bows in almost any piece of woods, and easily make a bow for himself or his lady friends.Targets are made of wood and generally painted in circles. The central point is the one to be aimed at by the archers.The same dresses used at Croquet parties are desirable for Archery, and add much to the graceful appearance of the Archer.Let us become skillful Archers and have Archery meetings as of old, and let ladies and gentlemen, or boys and girls, contend for the prizes.It is useless here to give an elaborate essay on the history of Archery; any person sufficiently enthusiastic to desire it, can easily obtain English books containing detailed directions on Archery, and its history from ancient to modern times.
Archery.ARCHERY was formerly one of the chief pastimes of England, and at different periods in modern days it has been a fashionable amusement; and in this country it has been practiced in some few localities. Archery is a healthful and agreeable pastime, and ought to be revived and in general use all over this country; it is scarcely excelled by any recreation in which propriety permits young ladies to indulge.The attitude of anaccomplishedfemale archer (for archery is not to be acquired without much practice) at the moment of bending the bow is particularly graceful; all the actions and positions tend at once to produce a proper degree of strength in the limbs and to impart a general elegance of bearing.Ladies usually shoot at a distance of about fifty yards. Two targets are placed opposite each other, and the archers shoot from one to the other; that is, when all the party have shot at one target, they walk up to it, gather their arrows, and shoot back to the one they came from, to which they again return when their arrows are expended; and so on,shooting from one to the other in rotation. In that way not merely the arm, but the whole frame, enjoys the benefit of salutary exercise in the open air, while the mind is interested and the spirits elevated by the sport.The attitude in shooting is a matter of much importance; the feet should be a few inches apart, the neck slightly curved, so as to bring the head a little downward; the face, but no part of the front of the body, is to be turned towards the mark. The left arm must be held out quite straight to the wrist, which should be bent inwards; the bow is to be held easy in the hand; and the arrow, when drawn, should be brought, not towards the eye, but the ear. The right hand should begin to draw the string as the left raises the bow; when the arrow is three parts drawn, the aim is to be taken. In doing this the head of the arrow should appear to the right of the mark; the arrow is then drawn to its head, and immediately loosened.To draw the arrow from the mark or ground it should be taken by the hand, as near the head of the arrow as possible, and extracted in the same direction as it entered. If these instructions be not attended to, the young archer will break many arrows in drawing them from the ground, or the mark, when she is so successful as to hit it.In selecting a bow the chief point to be attended to is the adaptation of the bow to the strength of the person who is to use it. Bows, arrows, and accoutrements can easily be obtained in any city. Any boy can find good material for bows in almost any piece of woods, and easily make a bow for himself or his lady friends.Targets are made of wood and generally painted in circles. The central point is the one to be aimed at by the archers.The same dresses used at Croquet parties are desirable for Archery, and add much to the graceful appearance of the Archer.Let us become skillful Archers and have Archery meetings as of old, and let ladies and gentlemen, or boys and girls, contend for the prizes.It is useless here to give an elaborate essay on the history of Archery; any person sufficiently enthusiastic to desire it, can easily obtain English books containing detailed directions on Archery, and its history from ancient to modern times.
ARCHERY was formerly one of the chief pastimes of England, and at different periods in modern days it has been a fashionable amusement; and in this country it has been practiced in some few localities. Archery is a healthful and agreeable pastime, and ought to be revived and in general use all over this country; it is scarcely excelled by any recreation in which propriety permits young ladies to indulge.
The attitude of anaccomplishedfemale archer (for archery is not to be acquired without much practice) at the moment of bending the bow is particularly graceful; all the actions and positions tend at once to produce a proper degree of strength in the limbs and to impart a general elegance of bearing.
Ladies usually shoot at a distance of about fifty yards. Two targets are placed opposite each other, and the archers shoot from one to the other; that is, when all the party have shot at one target, they walk up to it, gather their arrows, and shoot back to the one they came from, to which they again return when their arrows are expended; and so on,shooting from one to the other in rotation. In that way not merely the arm, but the whole frame, enjoys the benefit of salutary exercise in the open air, while the mind is interested and the spirits elevated by the sport.
The attitude in shooting is a matter of much importance; the feet should be a few inches apart, the neck slightly curved, so as to bring the head a little downward; the face, but no part of the front of the body, is to be turned towards the mark. The left arm must be held out quite straight to the wrist, which should be bent inwards; the bow is to be held easy in the hand; and the arrow, when drawn, should be brought, not towards the eye, but the ear. The right hand should begin to draw the string as the left raises the bow; when the arrow is three parts drawn, the aim is to be taken. In doing this the head of the arrow should appear to the right of the mark; the arrow is then drawn to its head, and immediately loosened.
To draw the arrow from the mark or ground it should be taken by the hand, as near the head of the arrow as possible, and extracted in the same direction as it entered. If these instructions be not attended to, the young archer will break many arrows in drawing them from the ground, or the mark, when she is so successful as to hit it.
In selecting a bow the chief point to be attended to is the adaptation of the bow to the strength of the person who is to use it. Bows, arrows, and accoutrements can easily be obtained in any city. Any boy can find good material for bows in almost any piece of woods, and easily make a bow for himself or his lady friends.
Targets are made of wood and generally painted in circles. The central point is the one to be aimed at by the archers.
The same dresses used at Croquet parties are desirable for Archery, and add much to the graceful appearance of the Archer.
Let us become skillful Archers and have Archery meetings as of old, and let ladies and gentlemen, or boys and girls, contend for the prizes.
It is useless here to give an elaborate essay on the history of Archery; any person sufficiently enthusiastic to desire it, can easily obtain English books containing detailed directions on Archery, and its history from ancient to modern times.