so that the pupil of his left eye is drawn back toward the rear of the eye, while the pupil of his right eye (1) moves forward toward the front; the light received by the right pupil then passes across to the left pupil.
This manner of sighting is called al-aḥwal (the cross-eyed method): the two eyes function as though they were a single eye. It is greatly commended in this school, and the whole technique is excellent for a mounted warrior or anyone who shoots a weapon. It delivers severe damage, for its practitioner sits angled toward the mark; this lengthens his draw, increases the arrow’s penetration, and prevents him from sitting cross-legged. It is the ancient style, employed by the al-Akāsirah and the Asāwira.
As for looking at the mark by dividing the two lines of sight (3): the archer sets the arrowhead on the mark with the left eye from outside the bow and, with the right eye from inside the bow, corrects his aim toward the mark, never losing sight of the arrowhead with the right eye while the left eye remains fixed on the mark until release.
The second variant is to place the arrowhead on the mark from outside the bow with both eyes (4). When only about one-third of the arrow remains to be drawn and the head disappears from view, he keeps his left eye fixed on the mark and with his right eye observes the arrowhead as it approaches his hand inside the bow. Once he sees the head upon