Help: What is a bulgine?

Subject: RE: Bulgine Run
From: Metchosin
Date: 28 Dec 99 - 02:49 AM

"Sharp says that the air is a variant of the Irish folk-song "Shule Agra" and the "low back car" would support this origin. The probability is that some Irish sailor, ashore on liberty in Mobile, sang "Shule Agra" in a water-front saloon. It pleased the ear of the negroes hanging about outside; and the next day they sang what they could remember while screwing home the great bales of cotton in some Liverpool ship's hold. Negro fashion, they put in the rattling sucession of 16th notes, and added "bulgine" for good measure. The crew of the ship heard and liked it, perhaps without recognizing its origin; and took it back with them to Liverpool. There the crew of the Margaret Evans, a well known American packet-ship, lying in the Clarence or the Waterloo Dock, picked it up and fitted in the name of their ship, and took it back to New York, with Liza Lee and the bulgine still in close conjunction with the low-backed car, to the puzzlement of future folk-lorists!" (Colcord, Johana C. 1924. Roll and Go)

Subject: RE: Bulgine Run
From: Margo
Date: 28 Dec 99 - 01:28 AM

Hugill says that "Bulgine" was an American slang term for a railway engine. The two versions he lists differ; one as a capstan shantey and the other as a halyard shantey. Yo ho! Margo

Subject: Bulgine Run
From: CBjames
Date: 28 Dec 99 - 01:10 AM

What is a bulgine??

"Clear away the Track and let the Bulgine Run" The song is obviously (he said with such surety - yo ho) a square-rigger sail hauling song. But the Judy Collins {?} lyrics of the 1960s indicated "off to Greenland for to catch the whale". The Digitrad Lyrics appear more involved in freighting than whaling. Does this song have UK roots? And pray tell what IS a Bulgine???