LADEN, in the sea-language, the state of a ship when she is charged with a weight or quantity of any sort of merchandises, or other materials, equal to her tonage or burden. If the cargo with which she is laden is extremely heavy, her burden is determined by the weight of the goods; and if it is light, she carries as much as she can float, to be fit for the purposes of navigation. As a ton in measure is generally estimated at 2000 lb. in weight, a vessel of 200 tons ought accordingly to carry a weight equal to 400,000 lb. when the matter of which the cargo is composed is specifically heavier than the water in which she floats; or, in other words, when the cargo is so heavy that she cannot float high enough with so great a quantity of it as her hold will contain.