PART II
THE BOW-STRING
The main part of the bow-string was composed of a skein of about sixty lengths of strong silk and was ingeniously knotted at each of its ends to a separate loop, formed of hard and closely twisted sinew. A loop and its knot is shown in fig. 4, opposite page.
These loops could not fray or cut, as would occur if they were made of silk, and they fit into the nocks of the bow. The loops rest, when the bow is strung, upon small ivory bridges (fig. 1, p. 102) which are hollowed out to receive them, and which, in this way, retain the bow-string in its place. Though these little bridges are not always present on Turkish bows, they are invariably to be found on those of Persian, Indian or Chinese construction, their greater length requiring the assistance of bridges to keep their bow-strings in a correct position.
Fig. 4.—One of the Loops of hard and closely twisted Sinew which are knotted to each end of the middle part or skein of a Turkish bow-string.
Scale: Half full size.
I. A loop and its knot as first formed on one end of the skein of the bow-string.
II. The loop drawn up, but not tightened.
III. The loop drawn up tight and its loose ends secured.
As shown in III, the projecting ends of the length of sinew which forms the loop are cut off to within a third of an inch of the knot. They are singed at their extremities, so as to form small burrs which prevent the short length of strong silk, which lashes them together, from slipping off.
The ends of this last small lashing are placed beneath the wrapping of silk to be seen on the skein near the knot in III.
In this way the knot of the loop is rigidly secured against any chance of drawing when the bow is in use.
(The bow-strings of all Oriental bows, with the exception of the Tartar and Chinese, were made as above described.)