Biton (fl, 250 B.C.), mathematician,
a writer on siege engines, 254
Blaine, D. P, author of a work on rural
sports (1840), and bullet shooting crossbow 179
Blondel, Francois (1617-1686), engineer,
254
Boccaccio, G. (1313-1375). Italian novelist
and poet, illustration from, 36
Bogenschutzen-Gesellschaft : See Dresden,
Crossbowmen of
Bolts used with crossbows, weight and shape,
16
sqq, 126 ; the
Vireton,
17
; method of winging, 17,
18
; length of, used with primitive crossbow, 60
; arrangement of, on stock,
70, 127,
128
; groove for, 108, 109
; used with small sporting crossbow, 168 ;
of Continental crossbow, 205 ; of Belgian crossbow,
218 ; used at Dresden competitions, 235,
236
Boulogne, picture of siege of (1544), alluded
to, 34, 49
Bourchier, John. See Berners,
Lord
Bouvier, Gilles le (1386-1457), historian,
quoted,
64
Bow of a crossbow : of wood, 57; yew, horn
and tendon, 62 ; dimensions of composite, 63
n.; method of making composite, 64 ; method
of bending , cord and pulley, 73, 75
; belt claw, 77, 78
; screw and handle , 81 sqq ; goat's foot
lever, 84 sqq ; of steel, dimensions and shape,
101
; how to procure a good one, 103 ; how fixed
to stock,
105,
106
; how string fitted,
114 sqq ; cranequin used
with, 142 ; Continental, 201,
205
; Belgian, 207, 209
; Chinese,
242
Bow irons : dimensions and use, 103
; how fitted, 103, 104
Bowstring of a crossbow : materials suitable
for, 110 ; ingenious manner of making in some
medieval crossbows, 111 ; how to make, 112,
123
; advantage of denoting center, 112 ; how fitted
to bow, 114 ; postion when fitted,
116
; slack, 116 ; tight,
116
; Chinese, 242
Bow string, of Bullet
shooting crossbow; how made, and material used, 189
sqq ; cross trees, 190 ; fitting of, 194
Braggs, R., Crossbow maker, 179
Bridle of sinew ; for attaching bow to stock,
67
Brompton, John (fl. 1437), historian, quoted,
46
Brown Bess : compared with longbow,
25
; good shot with, 26 n. ; introduction of, and
derivation of name, 26 n.
Bruges : Society
of Crossbowmen in, 206 ; Charles
II. of England and, 226
Brussels : Crossbowmen
of, 206, 228, 229
; medal of Crossbowmen of, 224
; picture in museum at, 229
Bullet shooting crossbow (English) : weight,
177
; price of, 177 ; utility, 177,
199
; writers on, 179 ; makers of, 179
; component parts of, 179,
181
; how to bend bow and stretch bowstring,
181
; the bastard string, 184 sqq ; how
to make bow string, 189 sqq ; how
to fit a bowstring, 189 sqq. ; cross trees,
190,
191 |
pocket for bullet, 191, 193,
194
; the lock, 195 sqq ; the sights, 197,
198
; method of aiming, 198,
199
Bullet shooting crossbow (Belgian): barrel
and bullet, described, 219 ; lock and bow,
221
; force and accuracy of, 222
Burgundy, Duke of, defeated by Swiss (1476),
38
; and Old Crossbowmen, 224
Casaer, Julius
(100-44 B.C ), Dictator, 254, 257,
259
; quoted, 270,
271,
290
Caius Trebonius, Roman general, movable
tower built by, 270
Camden, William (155 1-1623), antiquary,
254
; quoted, 270
Carnarvon Castle, immunity from longbows,
23
Carolstein, siege of (1422), 271
Carrobalista, uses of, 259,
260
Carthage, war engines
used in conquest of, 261 ; hair of women used
at siege of, 290
Catapult ; early use of, and names known
by, 249, 259 ;
projectiles employed with, 249, 250
and n. ; source of power, 250 ; writers on,
253
sqq ; various occasions on which used,
261
sqq ; range of, 276 sqq, 296,
297 ; side pieces and cross pieces of, 279,
284
; the skein of cord, 289
sqq ; the winches, 287,
288
; working of catapult, 281 sqq ; the
arm, 285,
287
; how to make the skein, 291;
how to fit the skein, 291 sqq ; the sliphook,
293,
294
; the
metal catch,
295,
296
Chaluz, Castle of, death
of Richard I. at siege of, 3
Charles II., and crossbowmen
of Bruges, 226, 228
Charles VII., and the crossbow,
228
Charles VIII.,entry into Rome (1494), 48
Charles IX. of France and hire of crossbowmen,
49
; at meeting of crossbowmen, 228
Chester, crossbow
makers of, 179
Chinese crossbow used by, at Taku,
49
n.
Chinese repeating crossbow : modern use
of, 237 mechanism of, 239,
241
; range, 241 ; arrows used with, 241
Clonard, Count de, author of a book on the
Spanish army (1861), illustration from, 151
Colonna, Egidio (14th cent.), historian,
Archbishop
of Bourges, 254 ; cited, 309
Comnena, Anna (1083-1148), historian, quoted,
57
sqq ; comment on, 57 n. ; cited, 64
Competitions with crossbow, 53,
236
Conrad III. of Germany, prohibition
of crossbow by, 3
Constantinople, popularity of archery at,
28
Continental target crossbow : costly nature
of, 48 ; various parts of, 201
; sights, 203, 205
; stock, bow, and bolt described, 205 ; popularity
and effectiveness, 205
Cope, Sir Anthony,
and Bramshill, 52
Cord and pulley for bending crossbows, description
and mode of use, 73, 75
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