_THE ARROW_
Length of arrow, 25½ in. to 25¾ in.
Weight of arrow, avoirdupois, 7 drs., or equal to the weight of two
shillings and a sixpence.
The balance of the arrow is at 12 in. from the end of its nock.
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Shape of arrow, ‘barrelled,’ and much tapered from its balancing-point
to its ends: its sharp ivory point being only ⅛ in. in diameter (where
it is fitted to the shaft) and ¼ in. in length. The part of the shaft
to which the feathers are attached is 3/16 in. in diameter, and the
centre of the shaft 5/16 in.
Though I have carefully measured and weighed about two hundred
eighteenth-century Turkish flight arrows, I have scarce found a
half-dozen that were ⅛ in. more or less than from 25½ in. to 25¾ in. in
length, or that varied by even as little as ½ dr. from 7 dr. in weight.
In regard to their balancing-point these arrows are equally exact, as
this part is invariably from 11½ in. to 12½ in. from the nock.
It is evident that the old Turkish flight arrow was accurately made to
a standard pattern that experience showed was the most successful one
for long-distance shooting.
The light and elegantly shaped wooden nock of an old Turkish arrow
(fig. 5) is quite unlike the clumsy horn nock of the modern European
one.
The latter cannot withstand the recoil of the Turkish bow and soon
splits apart, though in the thousands of times I have discharged
Turkish arrows I have never known one to split at the nock.
It will be noticed that the shape of the Turkish nock--with its narrow
entrance that springs apart to admit the bow-string and then closes
again--enabled an archer, even on horseback, to carry an arrow ready
for use on the string of his bow.
[Illustration: FIG. 5.--THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NOCK OF A TURKISH ARROW.
Scale: Half full size.]
A. The butt end of the arrow, with the projecting wooden halves of the
nock shaped and ready to be glued to the shaft.
B. The halves of the nock glued to the shaft.
C, D. The feathers glued to the shaft.
The feathers (3) of a Turkish flight arrow, though stiff, are as thin
as paper, and are 2½ in. long and ¼ in. high near the nock. They were
often made of parchment.
The dark band of shading to be seen round the nock in C and D is a
wrapping of fine thread-like sinew. This sinew, after being soaked in
hot glue, was wound to a thickness of about 1/32 in. all over the nock
and it thus held the halves of the latter securely to the shaft.
When dry, the wrapping of sinew was cut out where it crossed the
opening for the bow-string. It nevertheless gave a great increase of
strength to the thin projecting halves of the nock, as it covered them
on their outer surfaces with a sheathing that was very tough and
elastic, and as smooth as glass to the touch. This wrapping was, of
course, applied before the feathers were glued on.
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So careful were the Turks in the construction of these arrows, that
even the halves of their nocks were made from wood with a natural curve
to suit the finished outline. It is possible, of course, they would not
otherwise have withstood the violent shock of the released bow-string.
It may be said that every inch in length of a Turkish bow or arrow was
named in a manner that could be recognised or referred to. In a general
way the parts of an arrow were known as follows:--
The enlarged centre the stomach.
From the centre to the point the trowser.
From the centre to the nock the neck.