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Plate 12
Various arrows

Property of S. T. Pope

Fig. 1.—Chinese or Tartar war arrow. The shaft is apparently of poplar or beech wood, 38 inches long by ½ inch in diameter. It has a wide oval nock cut in the expanded end of the arrow, and the whole reinforced by a binding of shagreen, or shark skin. The shaftment is stained red, the feathers are goose, 10 inches long, 1 inch high, cut and glued on without binding. The head is of forged iron, 4 inches long, set in the shaft with a shank. The joint is bound with sinew, covered with lacquer. The weight of this missile is 4 ounces. It is the heaviest arrow I have ever seen. Shot from our strongest bow, 85-pound Turkish, its flight is only 115 yards. The arrow really possesses more the qualities and characteristics of a javelin than of an arrow.

Fig. 2.—Chinese arrow, lighter, for hunting or targets. Shaft of wood, similar to above, probably beech, 38 inches long by % of an inch in diam­eter, having a simple round nock bound with shagreen. The feather seems to be heron or goose, 13 inches long, cut or scraped very thin on the rib, and glued to the shaft without binding. The point is iron, 2 inches long by ¾ inch wide, set in with a long slender shank. The joint is bound with lacquered sinew. Its weight is 1½ ounces. It can be shot 138 yards.

Fig. 3.—Replica of old English war arrow from painting of St. Sebas­tian in plate 1. Length 38½ inches, weight 3 ounces. It can be shot 112 yards.

Fig. 4.—Japanese target arrow, a bamboo shaft 35 inches in length by 11/32 inch in diameter. It has a wide hardwood nock about ½ inch long, set on the end, probably with a pin. The joint here is bound with red silk and varnished. The feathers are fish hawk or eagle, the rib cut very thin. They are 6 inches long by ¾ inch high, glued to the shaft, and bound at the extremities with a ribbon of silk floss or paper which is covered with lacquer. Two rings of gold leaf decorate the shaftment. The pile is a short, conical brazed iron cap, set on the end with a pin shank. There is no evidence of shellac or varnish on the shaft. The weight is 432 grains. A very fine arrow. It can be shot 185 yards.

Fig. 5.—Ishi hunting arrow, birch shaft, 30 inches long by 5/16 inch thick, turkey feathers 8 inches long, bound with sinew but not glued to shaft. The head is obsidian set in a notch with resin and bound with sinew. The weight is 485 grains. It can be shot 205 yards.

Fig. 6.—Replica of old English bodkin point, made for piercing armor. The shaft is birch, 28 inches long by ⅜ inch in diameter. The feathers are turkey, 5 inches long by ¾ inch high, cut and glued to shaft; the ends bound with green silk floss. The point is quadrihedral, tapered tool steel, having a hollow shank or haft into which the shaft is set with a cement made of pitch and caoutchouc. The weight is 2½ ounces. With this arrow we were able to shoot through chain mail and steel plate. It can be shot 150 yards.

Fig. 7.—Hunting arrow made by W. H. Thompson, the archer. The shaft is of red split hickory, 28 inches long by inch in diameter. It has a simple nock, red dyed turkey feathers, cut in balloon shape 2¾ inches long by ¾ inch high, glued to the shaft; the cock feather is white. The head is made of a lanceolate steel blade, 2 inches long by ¾ inch wide, brazed in a thin tubular socket or haft 1 inch long. It weighs 560 grains. This is a beautifully made arrow proportioned most skilfully. It is the result of 30 years' experience in hunting with the longbow. It can be shot 200 yards.

Fig. 8.—Small bodkin point, fitted to an Ishi arrow, used in the tests. It can be shot 215 yards.

Fig. 9.—Broadhead hunting arrow of old English type, made of a birch dowel ⅜ inch in diameter, 28 inches long, having a tempered steel head 2½ inches long by 1⅛ inches wide, set in steel tubing shaft by rivet and solder. Used for killing big game. Weight, 1½ ounces. It can be shot 190 yards.

Fig. 10.—Blunt arrow for small game, so-called "fluflu," birch shaft, full width cut feathers, screw head bound with wire, weight, 1¼ ounces. It can be shot only 139 yards.

Fig. 11.—Typical English target arrow, length 28 inches, weight, 5 shillings or about 436 grains. It can be shot 235 yards.

VARIOUS ARROWS, Property of S. T. Pope