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 tonnage or burden. If the cargo with which the is laden is extremely heavy, her burden is determined by the weight of the goods; and if it is light, the carries as much as she can float, to be fit for the purposes of navigation. As a ton in measure is generally estimated at 2000lb. in weight, a vessel of 200 tons ought accordingly to carry a weight equal to 400,000lb., 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 the cannot float high enough with so great a quantity of it as her hold will contain.

LADEN in Bulk, the state of being freighted with a cargo which is neither in casks, boxes, bales, nor cases, but lies loose in the hold; being defended from the moisture or wet of the hold, by a number of mats and a quantity of dunnage. Such are usually the cargoes of corn, salt, or such materials.