History of Genghis Khan . ready,as soon as the horses fell upon the enemy, tocut down all opposed to them with the mostfurious and deadly blows. If they were repulsed, and compelled by asuperior force to retreat, they would gallop atfull speed over the plains, turning at the sametime in their saddles, and shooting at their pur-suers with their arrows as coolly, and with ascorrect an aim, almost, as if they were thus retreating the trooper would guideand control his horse by his voice, and by thepressure of his heels upon his sides, so as tohave both his arms free for fighting his p
History of Genghis Khan . ready,as soon as the horses fell upon the enemy, tocut down all opposed to them with the mostfurious and deadly blows. If they were repulsed, and compelled by asuperior force to retreat, they would gallop atfull speed over the plains, turning at the sametime in their saddles, and shooting at their pur-suers with their arrows as coolly, and with ascorrect an aim, almost, as if they were thus retreating the trooper would guideand control his horse by his voice, and by thepressure of his heels upon his sides, so as tohave both his arms free for fighting his pur-suers. These arrows were very formidable weap-ons, it is said. One of the travelers who visited the country in those days says that theycould be shot with so much force as to piercethe body of a man entirely through. It must be remembered, however, in respectto all such statements relating to the efficiencyof the bow and arrow, that the force with which The Monguls. 85 The flying horseman. Nature of the how and SHOOTING AT PTTRSTTEBa an arrow can be thrown depends not upon anyindependent action of the bow, but altogetherupon the strength of the man who draws bow, in straightening itself for the propul-sion of the arrow, expends only the force whichthe man has imparted to it by bending it; sothat the real power by which the arrow is pro-pelled is, after all, the muscular strength of thearcher. It is true, a great deal depends on thequalities of the bow, and also on the skill of theman in using it, to make all this muscular 36 Genghis Khan. Superiority of fire-arms. Sources of information. strength, effective. With, a poor bow, or withunskillful management, a great deal of it wouldbe wasted. But with the best possible bow,and with the most consummate skill of thearcher, it is the strength, of the archers armwhich throws the arrow, after all. It is very different in this respect with a bul-let thrown by the force of gunpowder from thebarrel of a gun. The force in
Size: 1551px × 1610px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublishernewyorkharperbroth
