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The Crossbow
The upright butt of earth prevented the bolt being lost in this way.
The usual plan in target-shooting with the crossbow, was to have two butts
connected by a path excavated to a depth of about 2 ft.
The crossbowman passed to and fro along this path, as he shot his bolts
first at one butt and then at the other.
On each side of the path, the ground was smoothly sloped and turfed
to accommodate competitors and spectators.
The reason of this path, was to enable the crossbowman to hold his weapon
in a level position as he took aim. To achieve this attitude, the sunk
pathway was adopted, as without it a very high and large butt would have
been necessary to bring the eye of the marksman and the centre of the butt
in a line parallel with the ground.
Fig. 14, p. 32, shows crossbow-shooting at the butt, together with a
covered gallery for service in wet weather. The crossbowmen depicted are
using cranequin crossbows.
Dimensions of the Small Sporting Crossbow, Fig. 105, Opposite Page
The steel bow is 2 ft. long. At its centre, it is 1 1/8 in. wide
and 3/8 in. thick.
The stock is 2 ft. 3 in. long, and 1 1/4 in. wide across its top surface
where the bolt is laid.
From the fore-end of the stock to the back of the centre of the bow,
the space is 2 5/8 in.
From the inside of the centre of the bow to the catch for the bow-string,
8 in.
The draw of the bow-string, from a state of rest to the catch of the
lock, 5 in.
From the extremity of the fore-end of the stock to the catch which secures
the stretched bow-string, 11 in.
The Wooden Lever
As the steel bow of a serviceable target - or light sporting crossbow
could not be bent by hand alone, a clever and simple contrivance - an adaptation
of the goat's-foot lever previously described, was employed to do this,
fig. 105, opposite page.
This apparatus was small and light, weighing only 1 1/2 lb., and was
able to bend easily and quickly a steel bow of moderate size ; one, for
instance, that was not so strong as to require a windlass or a cranequin
to stretch its bow-string. |
