Also 6 waiftage. [f. WAFT v.1 + -AGE.]
I. The action of wafting.
† 1. The action of convoying merchant-vessels.
1558. Q. Eliz., in Burgon, Gresham (1839), I. ii. 197. To advertise the Admirall … that order might be taken for his waftage over with the treasure.
1563. Gresham, ibid., II. 42. Sir Thomas Cotton seant the barck of Bollen with me, for my better waiftage.
1563–4. Admiralty Exam. (MS.), Bundle 98, 13 March. ij frenche men of warr who then had in their company and under ther waftage ij Flemishe hoyes.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, lviii. 132. Hee had beene many yeares Generall of the south Sea, for the carriage and waftage of the silver from Lyma to Panama.
2. Conveyance across water by ship or boat.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., IV. i. 95. An. What ship of Epidamium staies for me. S. Dro. A ship you sent me too, to hier waftage.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, XXII. 84. Agathocles in the same ships that he had waftage ouer out of Sicil, was transported into Syracuse.
1627. Drayton, Agincourt, 13. The Ships appointed wherein they should goe, And Boats prepar’d for wattage to and fro.
1655. Fuller, Hist. Cambr., 3. The Ferrie over the river Grant was a vagrant before (even any where, where passengers could get waftage over).
1673. H. Stubbe, Further Vind. Dutch War, App. 132. There was paid … 300000 l. in one year: besides the Tenth fish and Cask, paid for Waftage.
b. Conveyance over the Styx.
Very common in 16–17-c. poetry and drama.
1592. S. Daniel, Delia, Rosamond, ii. H. 3. Caron denies me waftage with the rest.
1606. Shaks., Troylus, III. ii. 11.
1639. G. Daniel, Vervicensis, 24, Wks. (Grosart), I. 128. The infernall Foorde; Where happie Soules get waftage, with a Worde.
1834. Fraser’s Mag., X. 26. The crazy bark of old Charon, only fitted for the light waftage of ghosts.
c. transf. and fig.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, VI. vi. 356. The Pleura … giueth also to the vessels a safe waftage and a kinde of stability.
1615. T. Adams, Spir. Navigator, 9. Praising God … for their safe waftage over the sea of this world.
1662. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., III. verse 17. v. § 2. 36. Afflictions … are as necessary for our waftage to glory, as water is to carry the Ship to her Port.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 69. Is this the Elysium after a tedious Waftage?
3. Passage through the air or through space.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Lett., Wks. (1687), 119. As if their Travel (like Witches in the Air) were nothing but the Waftage of a deluded Phantasie.
a. 1700. Ken, Edmund, Poet. Wks. 1721, II. 132. A Chariot for his Waftage was decreed, With long-wing’d Horses of Cœlestial Breed.
1834. J. Wilson, in Blackw. Mag., XXXV. 775. Forest flies, ephemerals all like ourselves—but happier far in their airy waftage or watery voyaging, than the vain race of man!
1885. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, May, ii. The solitary rock where she was left; And thence in dark and airy waftage reft, How on the flowers she had been disburden’d light.
4. The action or power of propulsion that the wind or breeze has; also, conveyance by such propulsion.
1651. Sherburne, Salmacis, 327. She … Sent him by the light waftage of the Wind, A sigh, an Ah Mee, Nuncios of her Mind.
1673. Phil. Trans., VIII. 5194. In their [the snow flakes’] continual motion and waftage to and fro touching upon each other.
1861. Fraser’s Mag., Dec., 758. Then there comes fitfully on the feeble waftage of the awakening night-breeze an uncertain wail of music.
1880. L. Wallace, Ben-Hur, IV. v. Let us give ourselves to waftage of the winds.
II. A means of wafting.
† 5. Vessels for the conveyance of merchandise or passengers by water. Obs.
1650. T. B[ayley], Worcester’s Apoph., 107. Passes granted unto him, both by Land and Sea, with carts by Land, and waftage by Sea.
1659. Harrington, Art Lawgiving, III. iv. 106. For these [men] the Commonwealth in her Sen-guard hath always at hand sufficient waftage.
† 6. A means of conveyance through the air. Obs.
1636. W. Strode, Floating Isl., III. iii. Nothing to carry me but Barges, Coaches? Sedans, and Litters? through the Aire I’d passe By some new waftage.
