Belley, Bellica, Bellicum, or Bellicium. A town in the department of Ain, France, 39 miles east from Lyons, formerly fortified. Belley served as a place of arms to Cæsar against the Allobroges; burned by Alaric in 390; it was in the possession of the dukes of Savoy; it was ceded to France in 1601.
Belligerent. In a state of warfare. Hence any two or more nations at war are called belligerent powers.
Bellinzona. A town in the Swiss canton of Ticino, on the river Ticino. It has several castles, and was captured and recaptured several times by the Germans, Swiss, and French.
Bellipotent. Powerful or mighty in war.
Bell-metal. An alloy of about 78 parts copper and 22 of tin, used in making bells. It is harder and more sonorous than gun-metal, but much more brittle.
Bellovaci. The most powerful of the Belgæ, dwelt in the modern [Beauvais], between the Seine, Oise, Somme, and Bresle. In Cæsar’s time they could bring 100,000 men into the field, but they were subdued by Cæsar with the other Belgæ.
Bellows-house. See [Ordnance, Carriages for, Traveling Forge].
Bells of Arms. In the British service, are tents in front of the quarters of each company of infantry, in which the arms are piled. In Indian cantonments, the bells of arms are of masonry.
Beloochistan, Southern Asia. The ancient Gedrosia. The capital, Kelat, was taken by the British in the Afghan war, in 1839; abandoned in 1840; taken and held for a short time in 1841.
Belt, Great. A strait forming the central communication between the Baltic and the Cattegat; it separates the island of Funen from that of Seeland. In the winter of 1658, while frozen, it was crossed by Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, and his army, on his way to besiege Copenhagen.