_Bull the Barrel_ (Vol. v., p. 200.).--The practice of "bulling the
barrel" or "cask," as mentioned by C. FORBES, is an every-day occurrence
in the Navy. As soon as a rum cask is emptied, a few gallons of water
are put into the cask (and it is struck down again into the
spirit-room); this is done to keep the wood moist, and prevent it from
shrinking, so as to keep the cask water-tight: this is called "bulling
the cask;" and from the water receiving after some time a strong
impregnation, which makes it really strong grog, salt water is used,
though even the "salt-water bull," as it is called, when again poured
out, has often proved too attractive for seamen to resist. Again, it is
common to talk in the same way of "bulling a tea-pot," coffee-pot, &c.;
that is, after the first "brew" has been exhausted, by adding fresh
water, and boiling over again, to make a "_second brew_" from the old
materials. This probably was derived from "bulling the cask;" but
whether the "bulling" originally applied to the preserving the
water-tight qualities of the cask, or to the making the "second brew," I
cannot pretend to say, though I should define the present acceptation of
the term "bulling" to be "the obtaining an impregnation from that which
had been already used."