Travels into Turkey: Containing the most accurate account of the Turks, and neighbouring nations, their manners, customs, religion, superstition, policy, riches, coins, &c.Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
History
Travels into Turkey: Containing the most accurate account of the Turks, and neighbouring nations, their manners, customs, religion, superstition, policy, riches, coins, &c.
Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de
Turkey -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
They aim their Arrows so sure, that in a Fight they will hit a Man’s
very Eye, or any other Part they design to strike. In the place where
they exercise, you may see them direct by their stroke so artificially,
that 5 or 6 of their Arrows will stick round about the White in the
Butt, (which is usually less than a Dollar) and yet not hurt or touch
it. They stand not above 30 Foot from the Butt: In the Thumb of their
Right Hand, they use Rings of Bone, on which the String lies, when
they draw it; and with the Thumb of their Left Hand, they draw the
Arrow by a knot bearing outwards; far otherwise than they do with us.
Their Butt is made of a Bank of sandy, gravelly Earth, raised about
four Foot high from the Ground, and strongly surrounded with Boards.
But the _Bashaws_, and those that have great Families, train up their
Servants in this Exercise, at their own Houses, where the more skilful
teach the unexperienced. Some of these in their solemn _Bayram_, (for
they also have their _Easter_) assemble themselves together in a great
Plain about _Pera_, where sitting over-against one another cross-legg’d,
as Taylors do with us, (for that is the manner of their sitting) they
begin with Prayer (so the _Turks_ begin all their Enterprizes) and then
they strive, who shall shoot an Arrow farthest. The whole Contest is
managed with a great deal of Decency and Silence, though the number of
Spectators be very great. Their Bows are very short for this Exercise,
and the shorter the better, so that they are hardly bendable, but by
well-practised Persons: Their Arrows also are of a peculiar kind. He
that conquers hath a Linnen-Handkerchief, such as we use to wipe off our
Sweat, wrought with embroidered Needle-work, for his Reward; but his
greatest Encouragement, is the Commendation and Renown he gets. ’Tis
almost incredible how far they will shoot an Arrow; they mark the place,
with a Stone, where the farthest Arrow, for that Year, was lodg’d. There
are many such Stones in the Field, placed there Time out of Mind, which
are farther than they are able to shoot now a-days, they say. These
were the Marks of their Ancestor’s Archery, whose Skill and Strength in
Shooting, they acknowledge, they cannot reach to. In divers Streets and
Cross-ways of the City of _Constantinople_, there are also such Sports,
wherein not only Children and young Men, but even the graver sort do
exercise themselves. There is one that takes care of the Butt, who
waters it every Day, otherwise it would be so dry, that an Arrow (the
_Turkish_ Arrows being always blunt) would not stick therein. And he that
thus oversees the Mark is very diligent to draw out and to cleanse the
Arrows, and throw them back to the Archers, and he hath a Stipend from
them sufficient to maintain him. The Front of the Butt is like a little
Door, whence, perhaps, came the _Greek_ Proverb; that, when a Man miss’d
the Mark, he is said to shoot _extra januam_, besides the Door; for, I
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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