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CHAPTER XIV.

ANCIENT ARCHERS- -ROUTE TO SAMARIA AND TO SYCHAR.

IN connexion with the history of this battle, an interesting notice occurs in reference to the introduction of archery into Judea, which invites us to pause for a short time. We can scarcely comprehend the nature of that defeat without a knowledge of the strength and accuracy of the bowmen. Though Saul's countrymen were the only ones who seemed to understand the use of the bow, yet Saul had neglected to cultivate an art which David, immediately after Saul's death, introduced into Israel (2 Sam. i. 18).

The first mention of archery is in Gen. xxi. 20, where it is stated, in reference to Ishmael, the ancestor of some of these bowmen in the Philistines' army, that he "grew and dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer." A "bowshot" was at an early period the measure of distance, as we see in this chapter, verse 26,-a bow-shot being good way off." An early reference is also made in Homer's Iliad to the Locrians in the Grecian army as specially skilful

"From far the flying shaft to wing,

Or whirl the sounding pebble from the sling;"

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showing a coincidence of accomplishments with the Benjamites similarly described (1 Chron. xii. 2). Cyaxares, king of the Medes, and great-grandfather to Cyrus, engaged some Scythian archers to teach his son the use of the bow. This nation had a law that their children should learn three things particularly from the age of five to twenty-six,— viz., "to ride a horse well, to shoot well, and not to tell a

ANSWER OF THE KING OF ETHIOPIA.

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lie;" and Xenophon shows that from a child Cyrus was brought up to archery. Now, we can give our readers an idea of the character of the bowmen of the past by the following incident from Herodotus, who says that when Cambyses had conquered Egypt and had thought of invading Ethiopia, he sent some spies before him, who, under pretence of carrying presents to the king, might privately inquire into the strength and condition of the kingdom. When they had arrived and had made their presents, the King of Ethiopia said to them, "It is not from any consideration of my friendship that the King of Persia sent you to me with these presents; neither have you spoken the truth, but are come into my kingdom as spies. If Cambyses were an honest man, he would desire no more than his own, and not endeavour to reduce a people under servitude who have never done him any injury. However, give him this bow from me, and let him know that the King of Ethiopia advises the King of Persia to make war against the Ethiopians when the Persians shall be able thus easily to draw so strong a bow, and in the meanwhile to thank the gods that they never inspired the Ethiopians with a desire of extending their dominions beyond their own country." Saying this, he unbent the bow and delivered it to the ambassador.

We can imagine what the range of the arrow in times past must have been from the evident strength of the bow described in this short history, and also by facts recorded of later times. The greatest range which the modern English archers can accomplish is from three to four hundred yards. The Turkish ambassador, when in England in 1795, sent an arrow upwards of four hundred and eighty yards, in the presence of several members of the Toxophilite Society. His bow was made of horn, and was in 1845 in the possession of the Society, and may be at the present day. This is considered a very long shot; yet there are two or three shots on record as occurring since archery has been merely a pastime which have exceeded it by twenty

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or thirty yards.

ANCIENT ARCHERS.

Some time after the introduction of firearms the bow was used in battle as preferable, and actually did more damage. From Henry II. to Richard 1. there are few or no notices of archery; but the latter performed great exploits in the Holy Land, particularly (as Sir John Smith observes) "by overthrowing, principally by the remarkable efforts of his archers, the brave Saladin and his whole army." Gibbon notices the singular dread with which the English archers filled their enemies in the Crusades, and informs us that at one time Richard, with seventeen knights and three hundred archers, sustained the charge of the whole Turkish and Saracen army. The monarch, however, when besieging the castle of Chaluze (France), approached too near the castle, and was killed by an arrow from a cross-bow, on the 8th of March 1199. In the time of Henry VIII. statutes were passed requiring the practice of archery; and it seems that the pulpit itself was enlisted in its behalf, as appears from the following extract from a sermon by the celebrated Bishop Latimer, A.D. 1530:

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The art of shutyng hath been in times past much esteemed in this realme: it is a gyft of God that he hath gyben us to excell all other nations withal. It hath been Goddes instrumente, whereby he hath gyben us manye bictories agapneste our enemyes. Let a proclimacion go furth charging the justice of peace that they see such actes and statutes kept as are made for thys purpose."

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Doubtless the skill of the archers in the time of Saul was consummate. All the accounts of those times prove it; and herein may be found the cause for that dismay which seems so suddenly to have seized Saul's army on the day of that fatal battle! It also exhibits the wisdom of the course adopted by David of introducing archery into Judah immediately after the battle.

Our party was here increased by the addition of a Scotch

NEW VARIETY OF BIRDS.

175

gentleman of the Madras Presidency and his intelligent guide. One of my friends has been up since half-past one o'clock, trying to reduce the number of the "plagues," more to be feared by travellers than the Bedouins, as the latter are frightened at pistol and bullet, which the former can dodge.

We leave Jenin at twenty-five minutes before seven o'clock, and pass into a valley on a southern course. Behind us the plain appears like a vast sea, as the morning mists lie low and level. Now a bird of the form and size of a snipe, but with a shorter bill, is seen near a rain-pool, with dark-brown wings and a white breast. The hills on either side are of equal height and with little vegetation, save the low thorn-bush so prevalent in Syria. Five varieties we have noticed particularly. The description of the thorns of this land and its thistles alone would fill a volume. At five minutes before seven o'clock we pass a strong wall running obliquely across the valley, several feet high and about five and a half feet thick; and no ruins are seen in connexion with it. It seems as though it had been a barrier to the waters which at some time have flowed along the course, now entirely dry. A little farther, and we meet with the seventeenth variety of birds in one of the size of a half-grown chicken, with dark wings and back, breast light-coloured, with a dark crescent under the neck and a little plume or top-knot on the head. When it flew, the half of the wing next the body was of a brighter colour than the remaining half. Next appears, after an ascent, a cotton-field of six or seven acres; but the cotton-pods are small, while the cotton is white and fine. On some fields we have seen a nankin-coloured cotton. The soil is dark and brown, but free from volcanic fragments. At a quarterpast seven o'clock the view of the country passed is truly panoramic, and includes many places of historic interest. More than forty miles distant is the snow-crowned summit of Mount Hermon. About fifteen miles off is the tripletopped ridge of Little Hermon, stretching away toward the

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THE HILL OF SAMARIA.

left of the apparent position of Mount Hermon, with the little mosque on its western summit, beneath which on the plain is Solam, at the opening of the plain of Jezreel. At nine o'clock we come to a fine plain stretching on for two miles or more, with soil so soft that our horses sink above the fetlocks at almost every step.

Passing down a valley toward the Hill of Samaria, we see two additional variety of birds. One seems entirely alone, and of the linnet kind and size, but with a black head, a white band around its neck, a russet or brown breast, and dark back; the other, of the size of the sparrow, of a dark-brown colour, forming the shade of the entire bird, which has a little top-knot. This is the nineteenth variety

we have noted.

As we ride to the base of the hill, flints and flinty rocks again appear, and we commence the ascent on horseback. Pottery and architectural fragments make their appearance; and, when near the summit, we pass around by the side of shafts ten to twelve feet high, without any capitals, apparently of the stone just described, of which the hill seems to be composed. Sixty or seventy are almost perfect among one hundred and ten which we counted. Ascending still higher and farther east, fifteen or sixteen are standing as if they once formed part of a temple; and not far off, before reaching the temple, is a base or plinth closely resembling one seen at Sarepta, both in moulding and size. My friend suggests with plausibility that it formed an altar, though it is but two feet in height. We afterward met with several other bases; but with no capitals. These colonnades seem to be similar to those at Baalbek and Palmyra; but the columns appear as if they had been removed from some building and placed up here. Several are of a size and

shape so different from others immediately adjoining as to forbid the idea that they were placed here originally in this form. Descending slightly on the east end of this hill, we came to a ruined apsis of an early church. The prickly pear grows thickly amid the ruins; and the walls are fall

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