[54] Mahmoud Effendi.
I found the following records in a manuscript notebook of 1798, describing feats and incidents of archery collected by the recipient of the letter I have given.
‘Records of Turkish archery procured in 1797 from Constantinople by Sir Robert Ainslie, at the request of Sir Joseph Banks, and translated by Sir Robert Ainslie’s interpreter.
‘The Turks still have detachments of archers in their armies so as not to deviate from ancient custom, for in Turkey archery is now merely regarded as an amusing exercise that is to this day practised by all ranks of the people.
‘The Ottoman emperors, with their court, often enjoy the diversion of archery in public, and there is an extensive piece of ground allotted to that purpose.
‘This place is upon an eminence in the suburbs of the city of Constantinople and commands an extensive view of the town and harbour. It is called Ok Meydan, or the Place of the Arrow. The ground mentioned is covered with marble pillars erected in honour of those archers who have succeeded in shooting arrows to any remarkable distance. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of the person whose dexterity it records, together with some complimentary verses to him, and the exact range which he attained with his flight arrow.
‘The Ottoman emperors, from ancient times, have always been supposed to live by their manual labour and in consequence of this supposition they have each learnt some art or profession, most of them having preferred the art of making bows and arrows.
‘The present emperor was bound apprentice to the trade of archery, and at the time he was received as a master in this trade he gave very splendid public entertainments at the Ok Meydan, where the State tents were pitched for him and his court.’
Translations of the inscriptions on some of the marble columns at the Ok Meydan (Place of the Arrow) which were erected in honour of those who excelled in archery.
| 1. | Ak Siraly Mustapha Aga shot two arrows both of which travelled to a distance of | 625 | yards. |
| 2. | Omer Aga shot an arrow to a distance of | 628 | „ |
| 3. | Seid Muhammed Effendy, son in-law of Sherbetzy Zade | 630 | „ |
| 4. | Sultan Murad | 685 | „ |
| 5. | Hagy Muhammed Aga shot an arrow | 729 | „ |
| 6. | Muhammed Ashur Effendy shot an arrow which fixed in the ground at | 759 | „ |
| 7. | Ahmed Aga, a gentleman of the Seraglio under Sultan Suleiman the Legislator, shot an arrow | 760 | „ |
| 8. | Pashaw Oglee Medmed shot an arrow | 762 | „ |
| 9. | The present Grand Admiral Husseir Pashaw shot an arrow which drove into the ground at | 764 | „ |
| 10. | Pilad Aga, Treasurer to Hallib Pashaw | 805 | „ |
| 11. | Hallib Aga | 810 | „ |
| 12. | The reigning Emperor, Sultan Selim, shot an arrow which drove into the ground at a distance of | 838 | „ |
| The Sultan shot a second arrow to near the same distance. |