Fig. 5.—The Construction of the Nock of a Turkish Arrow.
Scale: Half full size.
A. The butt end of the arrow, with the projecting wooden halves of the nock shaped and ready to be glued to the shaft.
B. The halves of the nock glued to the shaft.
C, D. The feathers glued to the shaft.
The feathers (3) of a Turkish flight arrow, though stiff, are as thin as paper, and are 2½ in. long and ¼ in. high near the nock. They were often made of parchment.
The dark band of shading to be seen round the nock in C and D is a wrapping of fine thread-like sinew. This sinew, after being soaked in hot glue, was wound to a thickness of about 1/32 in. all over the nock and it thus held the halves of the latter securely to the shaft.
When dry, the wrapping of sinew was cut out where it crossed the opening for the bow-string. It nevertheless gave a great increase of strength to the thin projecting halves of the nock, as it covered them on their outer surfaces with a sheathing that was very tough and elastic, and as smooth as glass to the touch. This wrapping was, of course, applied before the feathers were glued on.
So careful were the Turks in the construction of these arrows, that even the halves of their nocks were made from wood with a natural curve to suit the finished outline. It is possible, of course, they would not otherwise have withstood the violent shock of the released bow-string. It may be said that every inch in length of a Turkish bow or arrow was named in a manner that could be recognised or referred to. In a general way the parts of an arrow were known as follows:—