BELLOWS. An old hand at the bellows. A colloquialism for a man up to his duty. "A fresh hand at the _bellows_" is said when a gale increases. BELL-ROPE. A short rope spliced round a thimble in the eye of the bell-crank, with a double wall-knot crowned at its end. BELLS. _See_ WATCH. BELL-TOP. A name applied to the top of a quarter-gallery, when the upper stool is hollowed away, or made like a rim. BELL-WARE. A name of the _Zostera marina_ (which see). BELLY. The swell of a sail. The inner or hollow part of compass timber; the outside is called the _back_. To belly a sail is to inflate or fill it with the wind, so as to give a taut leech.--_Bellying canvas_ is generally applied to a vessel going free, as when the belly and foot reefs which will not stand on a wind, are shaken out.--_Bellying to the breeze_, the sails filling or being inflated by the wind.--_Bellying to leeward_, when too much sail is injudiciously carried. BELLY-BAND. A strip of canvas, half way between the close-reef and the foot of square sails, to strengthen them. Also applied to an army officer's sash. BELLY-GUY. A tackle applied half-way up sheers, or long spars that require support in the middle. Frequently applied to masts that have been crippled by injudiciously setting up the rigging too taut. BELLY-MAT. _See_ PAUNCH-MAT. BELLY-STAY. Used half-mast down when a mast requires support; as belly-guy, above. BELOW. The opposite of _on_ or _'pon deck_. Generally used to distinguish the watch on deck, and those off the watch. BELT. A metaphorical term in geography for long and proportionally narrow encircling strips of land having any particular feature; as a belt of sand, a belt of hills, &c. It is, in use, nearly synonymous with zone. Also, to beat with a colt or rope's end. BELTING. A beating; formerly given by a belt. BELTS. The dusky streaks crossing the surface of the planet Jupiter, and supposed to be openings in his atmosphere. BENCHES OF BOATS. The seats in the after-part whereon the passengers sit; properly stern-sheets, the others are athwarts, whereon the rowers sit. BEND, TO. To fasten one rope to another, or to an anchor. The term is also applied to any sudden or remarkable change in the direction of a river, and is then synonymous with bight or loop.--_Bend a sail_ is to extend or make it fast to its proper yard or stay. (_See_ GRANNY'S BEND.) Also, _bend to your oars_, throw them well forward. BEND. The chock of the bowsprit. BENDER. A contrivance to bend small cross-bows, formerly used in the navy. Also, "look out for a _bender_," or "strike out for a bend," applied to coiling the hempen cables. BENDING ROPES, is to join them together with a bowline knot, and then make their own ends fast upon themselves; not so secure as splicing, but sooner done, and readiest, when it is designed to take them asunder again. There are several bends, as _Carrick-bend_, _hawser-bend_, _sheet-bend_, _bowline-bend_, &c.