Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/788

 iftnguifhed from the bows of Greece and other nations, by its incurvation, which v/as fo great, as to form an hair moon or femicircle. The matter of which bows were made, as well as their fize, differed in different countries. The Perfians had very great bows made of reeds; and the Indians had alfo, not only arrows, but bows made of the reeds or canes of that country; the Lycian bows were made of the cornel tree ; and thofe of the ^Ethiopians, which furpaffed all others in magnitude, were made.of the palm-tree. Though it does not appear, that the Romans made ufe of bows in the infancy of their republic, yet they afterwards admitted them as hofiile weapons, and employed auxiliary archers in all their wars. In drawing'the bow, the primitive Grecians did not pull back their hand towards their right ear, according to the fafhion of modern ages, and of the ancient Perfians, but, placing their bow diredtly before them, returned their hand upon their right breaft. This was alfo the ctjftom of the imazons. The bow is a weapon of offence amongft the inha- bitants of Afia, Africa, and America, at this day; and in Europe, before the invention of fire-arms, a part of the. infantry were armed with bows. LewisXI. firfl: abolifhed the ufe of them in France, introducing, in their place, the halbard, pike, and broad fword. The long bow was formerly in great vogue in England, and many laws were made to encourage the ufe of it. The parliament under Henry -VII.-' complained of the difufe of long, bows, heretofore the fafeguard and defence of this kingdom, and the dread and terror'ofits enemies. Bow is alfo an inftrument formerly ufed at feafor taking the fun’s altitude; confiding of a large arch of ninety degrees graduated, a fhank or ftaff, a {hade vane, a fight vane, and an horizon vane. It is now out of ufe. Bow, among builders, a beam of wood or brafs, with three long fcrews, that dire<5t a lath of wood or fteel to any arch; chiefly ufed in drawing draughts of fnips, and proje&ions of the fphere; or where-ever it is requifite to draw large arches. Bow, in mufic, a fmall machine, which, being drawn over the firings of a mufical inftrument,- makes it refound. It is compofed of a fmall ftick, to which are faftened eighty or an hundred horfe-hairs, and a fcrew which ferves to give thefe hairs the proper tenfion. In order that the bow may touch the ftrings briikly, it is ufual to rub the hairs with rofin. Bow, among artificers, an inftrument fo called from its figure; in ufe among gunfmiths, lockfmiths, watchmakers, lire, for making a drill go. Among turners, it is the name of that pole fixed to the ceiling, to which they faften the cord thab whirls round the piece to be turned. Bow-staves, imported from the Britilh plantations, are free; if from Ireland, Afia, or Africa, they pay jys. 4-IA°iJd. for every 120; and if from any other country, 11. 2 s. io %d. for the fame number. Bows of a faddle Tare two pieces of wood laid archwife to receive the upper part of a horfe’s back, to give the faddle its due form, and to keep it tight. The fore-bow, which fuftains the pommel, is com-

) BOW pofed of the withers, the breafts, the points or toes, and the corking. SeeWiTHEas, &c. The hind-bow bears the troufequin or quilted roll. The bows are covered with finews, that is, with bulls pizzels beaten, and fo run all over the bows to make them ftronger.. Then they are ftrengthened with bands of iron to keep them tight, and, on the lower fide, are nailed on the faddle-ftraps, with which they make faft the girths. Bow of a /hip, that part which begins at the loof, and compafling ends of the ftem, and ends at the fternmoft part of the fore-caftle. If a fhip have a broad round bow, they call it a bold bow. If ftie has a narrow thin bow, they fay flie has a lean bow. Bow-line. SccBowling. Bow pieces are the pieces of ordinance at the bow of a fhip. Rain-now. See Rain-bow, and Optics. Bow-bearer, an inferior officer of the foreft, who is fworn to make inquifition of all trefpaffes againft vert or venifon, and to attack offenders. BOWE, a market-town of Devonfhife, about twelve miles north-weft of Exeter; W. long. 40, and N. lat. 50° qj'. BOWELS, in anatomy, the fame with inteftines. See p. 2jo, 6c. BOWER, in gardening, a place under covert of trees, differing only from an arbour, as being round or fquare, and made with a kind of dome or ceiling at top; whereas the arbour is always built long and arched. Bower, in the fea-language, the name of an anchor carried at the bow of a,fhip. There are generally two bowers, called firft and fecond, great and little, or beft and fmall bower. See Anchor. BOWESS, or Bowet, in falconry, a young hawk, when ftie draws any thing out of her neft, and covets to clamber on the boughs. BOWGE, or Bouche oy court. See Bouche. BOWL denotes either a ball of wood, for the ufe of bowling; or a veffel of capacity, wherein to hold liquors. Bowls and buckets of wood, imported, pay a duty of q-j^gd. the dozen; whereof S/^d. is repaid on exporting them. BOWLDER-y?ff»i?/, fmall ftones, of a roundifh figure, and no determinate fize, found on the fea-lhore and banks or rather channels of rivers. BOWLING, the art of playing at bowls. The firfl: thing to be obferved in bowling is, the right chufing your bowl, which muft be fuitable to the ground you defign to run on. Thus, for clofe alleys, the flat bowl is the beft; for open grounds of advantage, the round biaffed bowl; and for plain and level fwards, the bowl that is as round as a ball. The next is to chufe your ground; and, laftly, to diftinguiffi the rifings, fallings, and advantages of the places where you bowl. Bowling, or Bow-line, in a (hip, a rope made faft to the leech or middle part of the outfide of the fail: it is faftened by two, three, or four ropes, like a crow’s foot.