[Page 101] A TREATISE ON THE CONSTRUCTION, POWER AND MANAGEMENT OF TURKISH AND OTHER ORIENTAL BOWS OF MEDIÆVAL AND LATER TIMES CONTENTS PART PAGE I. THE TURKISH BOW. CONSTRUCTION AND DIMENSIONS 103 II. THE BOW-STRING 106 III. THE ARROW 107 IV. THE METHOD OF STRINGING A TURKISH, PERSIAN, OR INDIAN BOW 109 V. THE HORN GROOVE 111 VI. THE THUMB-RING 112 VII. THE RANGE OF THE TURKISH BOW 119 [Page 102] [Illustration: FIG. 1.--TURKISH REFLEX COMPOSITE BOW, UNSTRUNG AND STRUNG, AND ITS FLIGHT ARROW.] [Page 103] PART I _THE TURKISH BOW--CONSTRUCTION AND DIMENSIONS_ Length of bow, measured, before it is strung, from end to end along its outer curve with a tape, 3 ft. 9 in. (AAAAA fig. 1, opposite page). Span of bow, measured between its ends when strung, 3 ft. 2 in. (BB fig. 1.) Length of bow-string, 2 ft. 11 in. Greatest width of each arm of bow, 1⅛ in. Thickness of each arm, at a distance of 6 in. from the centre of the handle of the bow, ½ in.[43] [43] In the very powerful bows, such as the one shown in Fig. 15, p. 121, the thickness at these parts is from ⅝ to ¾ in. Circumference of each arm, at a distance of 6 in. from the centre of the handle of the bow, 3 in. (The arms of the Persian, Indian, and Chinese composite bows have a width of from 1½ to 2 in.; and though the span of these bows, when strung, is from 4 to 5 ft. and more, they do not shoot a light arrow nearly so far as the shorter, narrower, and in proportion far stronger and more elastic Turkish ones.) The strength of the bow, or the weight that would be required on the centre of the bow-string to pull it down from the bow to the full length of the arrow, is 118 lbs. (This is without taking into account the additional two or three inches the point of the arrow should be drawn within the bow along the horn groove.) Weight of bow, avoirdupois, 12½ oz.