metal, without
realizing the principle of the mutual support of the various parts.

BUIRAN. A Gaelic word signifying the sea coming in, with a noise as of
the roar of a bull.

BULCH, TO. To bilge a ship.

BULGE. (_See_ BILGE.) That part of the ship she bears upon when on the
ground.

BULGE-WAYS. Otherwise _bilge-ways_ (which see).

BULK. In bulk; things stowed without cases or packages. (_See_ BULK-HEAD
and LADEN IN BULK.)

BULKER. A person employed to measure goods, and ascertain the amount of
freight with which they are chargeable.

BULK-HEAD, THE. Afore, is the partition between the forecastle and
gratings in the head, and in which are the chase-ports.

BULK-HEADS. Partitions built up in several parts of a ship, to form and
separate the various cabins from each other. Some are particularly
strong, as those in the hold, which are mostly built with rabbeted or
cyphered plank; others are light, and removable at pleasure. Indeed the
word is applied to any division made with boards, to separate one
portion of the 'tween decks from another.

BULK OF A SHIP. Implies the whole cargo when stowed in the hold.

BULL. An old male whale. Also, a small keg; also the weak grog made by
pouring water into a spirit-cask nearly empty.

BULL-DANCE. At sea it is performed by men only, when without women. It
is sometimes called a stag-dance.

BULL-DOG, OR MUZZLED BULL-DOG. The great gun which stands "housed" in
the officer's ward-room cabin. General term for main-deck guns.

BULLETIN. Any official account of a public transaction.

BULLET-MOULD. An implement for casting bullets.

BULLETS. Leaden balls with which all kinds of fire-arms are loaded.

BULL-HEAD, OR BULL-JUB. A name of the fish called miller's thumb
(_Cottus gobio_).

BULLOCK-BLOCKS. Blocks secured under the top-mast trestle-trees, which
receive the top-sail ties through them, in order to increase the
mechanical power used in hoisting them up.

BULLOCK-SLINGS. Used to hoist in live bullocks.

BULL'S-EYE. A sort of block without a sheave, for a rope to reeve
through; it is grooved for stropping. Also, the central mark of a
target. Also, a hemispherical piece of ground glass of great thickness,
inserted into small openings in the decks, port-lids, and
scuttle-hatches, for the admission of light below.

BULL'S-EYE CRINGLE. A piece of wood in the form of a ring, which answers
the purpose of an iron thimble; it is seldom used by English seamen, and
then onl