LETTER XVIII.
ARCHERY: TARGETS; SELF BOWS AND BACKED BOWS; BOWSTRINGS; ARROWS; ARM
BRACER AND SHOOTING-GLOVE; BELT AND TASSEL; AND QUIVER.--SKETCHING IN
THE OPEN AIR: BLOCK-BOOK AND PENCILS; ARTIST'S COLOURS; TOUCH OF THE
DIFFERENT TREES.--SWINGING.--PLEASURE-BOATS.--SKATING.--THROWING OFF OF
THE HOUNDS.--SPORTING TERMS.
Now that the autumn is rapidly advancing, you should begin to think of
those amusements which more properly belong to the season; especially
as you are expecting soon to receive a visit from your sisters, and as
you will, of course, be anxious to afford them as many amusements while
they stay with you as possible.
_Archery_ is a favourite amusement with ladies in the country, as
few exercises display an elegant form to more advantage. The first
thing that is to be done is to choose a suitable piece of ground;
and, as most old houses have a piece of ground which was used as
a bowling-green, I have no doubt yours has one which will be quite
suitable for the purpose. The ground having been chosen, the next thing
is to set up a target, and the next to provide proper bows and arrows,
bracers, and shooting-gloves.
The _target_ is generally made of wisps of straw tied together at
intervals, and then wound round and round, like an old-fashioned
door-mat, only round instead of oval, till of the proper size. This
straw framework is covered with canvass or leather, painted with rings
of different colours, first green, then white, then black, then white,
and then a very broad ring of dark red, in the centre of which is a
gilt spot called the bull's eye. Other targets are made of a hoop or
circular frame of wood, with a piece of leather stretched over it,
painted in rings and with a bull's eye in the centre, like the common
kinds; and others are square, and made of iron for firing against with
bullets. In all cases the target stands on three legs, in a slanting
direction, and the merit of the shooter is estimated by the nearness
with which the arrow, or ball, approaches the centre.
Modern _bows_ are of two kinds, viz. self bows and backed bows. The
self bow is composed of only one kind of wood; but the backed bow
is composed of two kinds of wood, both the full length of the bow,
carefully joined together. Bows used formerly to be made of the yew,
and foreign yew was preferred to British, as being more elastic. Now
the yew is seldom used, and bows are made, either wholly or in part,
of ornamental woods, such as fustick, lance-wood, or partridge-wood,
backed by ash or elm. Bows are of different lengths, but those for
ladies are generally about five feet long; while men, on the contrary,
generally choose a bow of their own height. The strength of a bow
is calculated by the weight that it requires to be suspended to the
bowstring, when the bow is strung, to draw the string to the length
of an arrow from the bow, and this is called the bow's weight. Fifty
pounds is the standard weight of a man's bow, and it requires a very
strong man to draw a bow of sixty pounds' weight; but bows for ladies
and children are from two to thirty pounds' weight. The bow handle,
that is, the part which is nearly in the centre of the bow, is usually
covered with velvet, in order to give a firm hold without hurting the
hands; and this handle is placed, not exactly in the centre, but below
it, so as to shorten the lower branch, as the strain upon that part is
generally considered greater than on the other, and on this account,
also, the lower part of the bow is generally the thickest and the
strongest. The two ends of the bow are tipped with horn, and notches
are made in these tippings to receive the bowstring.
The best _bowstrings_ are made of Italian hemp, dressed with gum or
Indian glue to preserve them from the wet; and the distance of the
string from the centre of the bow, when strung, should not be more than
five inches for a bow five feet long, and in the largest bows not more
than six.
An _arrow_, in the language of the bow-maker, consists of three parts;
the shaft or stele, the head or pile, and the feather. The best wood
for the shaft of an arrow is the ash, and the next best the birch or
hornbeam. The aspen and the lime are also used; but deal or willow-wood
is too light, and the arrows made of these woods have an uncertain
wavering flight. The length of the arrow should be regulated by that
of the bow, and for bows of five feet in length arrows of two feet are
generally used, their length increasing in proportion to that of the
bow. When arrows are intended for a long flight, they are generally
thickest directly under the feathers, and taper gradually to the pile.
The nock of the arrow was formerly made of solid horn; but it is now
merely inlaid. It should be as nearly as possible the size of the
string, so that it may fit closely, and yet not require force to fix
it. The feather is a most important part of the arrow, as without that
the arrow will not fly steadily. Every arrow has three feathers, and
the colour of one of them, which is sometimes termed the cock-feather,
is generally different from that of the other two; and this feather
must always be uppermost, when the arrow is placed on the string.
Should, however, the feathers be all of the same colour, that one is
considered the cock-feather which is on the horn of the nock. After the
feathers are fixed on the arrow they are generally covered with gum
water, not made too strong, to give them firmness and to make their
flight more steady.
The _bracer_ is a piece of stout polished leather, which is buckled
round the arm which holds the bow, to prevent the string from hurting
it when it is let go. Even with that precaution, the string very often
bruises the arm, and ladies sometimes have the bracer wadded, or lined
with India rubber to make it more elastic, and thus to diminish the
force of the rebound.
The _shooting-glove_ consists of three finger-stalls made of very
strong, but yet pliable leather. It is worn over an ordinary glove, and
is fastened round the wrist by a button or string.
The _belt_ and _tassel_ complete the equipments. The first buckles
round the waist, and has a pouch for holding the arrows fixed to it
on the right side, while on the left is the tassel, which is used for
wiping the heads of the arrows when they have entered the ground.
Ladies very often omit the belt, as they have generally some person
in attendance on them to supply them with arrows, and to pick up and
wipe those they have the misfortune to let enter the ground. I say
misfortune, for all arrows that do not reach the target are considered
of no avail.
The distance at which the archer stands from his mark depends upon
circumstances; but the ordinary distance for ladies is a hundred yards.
A flat stone is often let into the ground to show where the archer
is to stand, and then the target is moved to the distance that may
be agreed upon. The bow is held in the left hand, and the string is
pulled by the right. Arrows were formerly reckoned by the sheaf, which
consisted of twenty-four arrows, which were carried in a quiver or
arrow-case on the back; but arrows for immediate use were always worn
in the girdle. When a portion of the English soldiers were archers,
every full-grown man was forbidden by statute to shoot at a butt which
was nearer to him than two hundred and twenty yards; and the archers
drew their bowstrings to the ear instead of to the breast, as is the
custom at the present time. Newington Butts, and several other places
round London, bear witness by their names to their having been formerly
places for the citizens to exercise their skill in archery; but even
as late as the reign of Elizabeth no person was allowed to shoot with
a yew bow, under the age of seventeen, unless he was the son of a
gentleman.
_Sketching_ in the open air is a very delightful country amusement,
particularly when it can be so managed as to be done with very little
apparatus. To go out with a table and chair and every thing prepared
is, however, enough to damp the courage of an amateur artist; and
nearly all the pleasure of sketching from nature depends upon being
able to gratify the inspiration of the moment, at the very moment when
the desire to make a sketch is felt. There are happy moments in which
the talents appear to have more brilliancy than at other times, and, as
these do not depend upon the will of the poet or the artist, they must
be taken advantage of when they arise, or they are lost.
As I know you have an admirable talent for sketching from nature, and
as I have no doubt there are some noble specimens of trees in a park so
old as yours is, I would advise you by all means to provide yourself
with what is called a block-book, that is, a drawing-book in which
the sheets of paper are fixed together by a little gum, or some other
glutinous substance, being washed over the edges, so that they are
as perfectly firm and solid as though the whole book were a block of
wood with a piece of paper pasted on it. It is obvious that a book of
this kind may be held in one hand, and a drawing made upon it with the
other, without requiring any table; and, when the drawing is finished,
it may be detached by putting the thumb-nail in the little hollow
left on one side for that purpose, and separating that one sheet of
paper from the rest. After which, the drawing may be put into a flap or
pocket provided for that purpose in the cover of the book; while the
next sheet is left ready for another drawing to be made upon it. A book
of this kind is not larger than a thin octavo, and it may be easily
carried by your maid in her reticule without any parade, as, if it
should not be wanted, it will be of very little incumbrance; whereas,
if you have a table and the apparatus for drawing carried out, and
should not happen to be visited by the pictorial muse, you will find
it very disagreeable to be joked on so formidable a preparation having
produced no result. Even under the most favourable circumstances, it
is much more agreeable to draw from nature in a block-book than in any
other way, as ordinary sheets of paper are always being curled up and
moved about by the wind. You will also find it advantageous to supply
yourself with one of those pencils with a broad lead which are sold for
sketching foliage, and you will find it save both time and trouble to
take a case of pencils out with you, with pencils of different degrees
of fineness cut for use.
Should you wish to give the effect of colour to your landscapes, you
will do well to provide yourself with an artist's colour-box made
of tin, with a place for the colours to be rubbed on inside of the
lid; and provided with a small bottle for containing water. When you
sketch, be particular in marking strongly the effects of light and
shade, and the distances; also pay particular attention to giving
the proper touch to the different trees. The foliage of the pine and
fir tribe is characterised by a few small upright strokes introduced
occasionally; the oak requires angular touches, and has a certain
degree of squareness in the outline of its twigs; the elm has a
roundness in the touch; the touch of the willow is thin and wiry; and
that of alder somewhat heart-shaped. It is difficult to explain what I
mean without the aid of drawings; but your best way will be to get some
good sketches of trees, and then to take them out with you, and compare
them with the effects you observe in nature.
A _swing_ is a very useful adjunct to the amusements of the country,
as many grown-up people are as fond of swinging as children. The most
simple kind of swing is formed by tying the two ends of a strong rope
to the branches of two trees which may chance to be conveniently placed
for the purpose, the rope having been previously passed through two
holes in a piece of flat board, which serves for the seat. A swing of
this kind requires no attention but turning the seat the wrong way
upwards in wet weather, and taking the rope down in autumn, as it will
become rotten from exposure to the wet during winter. The seat should
also have two strips of wood nailed on its under side, across the grain
of the wood, in order to prevent it from splitting open, which it would
otherwise be very likely to do, from being exposed to the alternations
of wet and dry weather. Where there are no trees conveniently situated
for a swing, two upright pieces of wood may be driven into the ground,
with hooks or rings affixed to the upper part, to which other hooks are
attached that have been previously fastened to the ends of a strong
piece of rope. A swing of this kind is generally furnished with a chair
or boat, and it is more fitted for a court or some piece of enclosed
ground than for the open pleasure-ground. At the Duke of Devonshire's,
at Chiswick, a hammock is hung between two trees for the purpose of a
swing.
If you have a _boat_ on your water, take care, when it is chained
up in the boat-house, that it floats in water, and does not lie in
mud. Pleasure-boats should be painted every year, and always be kept
perfectly clean and dry in the inside. They should never be exposed for
any length of time to the heat of the sun, and if the smallest opening
is perceived it should be mended immediately. Great care should be
taken, in a small pleasure-boat, to stand up as seldom as possible;
and never to be tempted by the wish of seeing any particular object, to
rush suddenly from one side of the boat to the other.
_Skating_ is a winter amusement, but it is a very healthy one, and one
in which a lady can, without any impropriety, indulge. The principal
thing to be attended to, after having provided yourself with a pair
of good skates, is to learn to balance yourself properly first on one
foot, and then on the other. When you first begin to move, you will
find it very difficult to avoid falling the moment you attempt to move
one foot without the other; and it will probably be all you can do
to keep yourself erect, even if you slide awkwardly along with both
heels close together. When you do venture to separate your feet, you
must contrive to balance your body so as to keep your ankles directly
over your skates, and not to suffer the skates to bend under them in
a slanting direction. When you see experienced skaters with the steel
part of their skates cutting the ice in a slanting direction, you will
observe that their skates only follow the same inclination as their
bodies, and that the steel of the skate is still exactly under the
ankle of the foot. When you begin to skate properly, the leg that is
upon the ice should be kept quite straight and the weight of the body
thrown upon it, while the other leg should be kept straight also, but
in a slanting direction, and with the toe pointing downwards. It is
well not to look at either the ice or the feet, but to keep the face
erect and looking forwards. When persons first begin to skate they
balance themselves with their arms almost involuntarily, and, when
one foot is off the ice, they raise up the arm on the opposite side
to prevent themselves from falling. This is excusable in a beginner;
but, as it has an inelegant appearance, the habit of doing so should
be shaken off as soon as possible. The best way is to fold the arms
across the breast, or to carry the hands in a muff. The greatest care
ought to be paid to carrying the body gracefully and elegantly, and
avoiding all sudden jerks. Skilful skaters make the figure of eight
or the cross-roll, as it is called, with the greatest facility; but
figure-skating is rather the accomplishment of a gentleman than a lady,
who should be contented to glide gracefully and easily along.
I believe I have now mentioned most of the ordinary kinds of country
amusements in which a lady can properly indulge; as I must confess I
should not like to see you hunting or coursing, though I have heard of
some ladies doing so. It is quite natural that a lady should like to
see the hounds throw off, as nothing can be more animating than such
a scene; but that is, I think, all that can be allowed. As, however,
your husband is most probably fond of sporting, it may be as well
to mention a few of the terms used by sportsmen when speaking of the
chase, that you may understand what is meant, if your husband should
give you any account of the day's sport, without troubling him by
asking continual explanations. When sportsmen are speaking of dogs,
they say a brace of greyhounds if they mean two, or a leash if they
mean three; but they say a couple of hounds, or a couple and a half
if they mean three. In speaking of a fox-chase, they say they have
unkenneled a fox when they have merely found a wild one. A sharp burst
is when the hounds go off very fast at first; but a check is when they
lose the scent. If the fox is by any accident turned back, he is said
to be headed. The place where the fox is likely to be found is called
the cover, and when the hounds are taken into it to try if they can
find the fox, they are said to be drawing the cover. The scent left
by the fox is called the drag. When the hounds find the scent they
generally utter a cry, which is called giving tongue; and when the
whole pack go off after the fox, uttering this sound, they are said to
be in full cry. The foot of the fox is called the pad, and his tail
the brush. Some sportsmen, instead of saying a pack of fox-hounds, say
a kennel, and only say a pack of harriers, or a pack of beagles; the
latter being a very small kind of harrier. In hare-hunting, sportsmen
say they have started the hare from her form, when they have found one.
When a hare returns to the place from which she started, it is said
she doubles. The tail of the hare is called the scut, and that of the
dog is sometimes called the stern; but this last term, I believe, only
relates to dogs used in hunting.
You will observe, my dear Annie, that though I have mentioned a few
sporting terms, with the meanings that are, I believe, generally
assigned to them, I would advise you never to make use of them in
conversation; as nothing can be more unfeminine than for a woman to
use terms only adapted to manly amusements. I am sure your husband
would dislike to hear you ape the sportsman; as men, with very few
exceptions, always feel disgust at a masculine woman.