Sporting and Athletic Records

14 ARCHERY V.—THE TURKISH BOW The Turkish bow is made of horn and is undoubtedly more powerful than the yew bow or any bow of wood. Moreover, for long distance shooting it has a further advantage in that the arrow head can be drawn several inches within the bow in a grooved horn fitted to the hand holding the bow. Here again, some of the records—made in Turkey and by the hand of a Sultan—are not worthy of belief. In 1798 the Sultan of Turkey is said to have shot an arrow from a Turkish bow 972 yards o feet 2 8 /« inches, measured in the presence of Sir R. Ainslie the British Ambassador. But that 2 s jtin. under the circumstances is simply fatal. The following, however, done inLondon, is authentic—the bow and arrows being still preserved at the head­ quarters of the R.T.S. in Regent's Park. In 1795, MAHMOUD EFPENDI, Secretary to the Turkish Ambassador to London, shot an arrow 482 yards in the presence of three members of the Royal Toxophilite Society.