[f. FREIGHT v. + -AGE.]
1. The hire of a vessel for the transport of goods; cost of conveyance of goods (originally, by water; now extended, esp. in U.S., to land-transit).
1694. trans. Milton’s Lett. State, July, an. 1656, Wks. 1851, VIII. 348–9. There is a considerable Sum of Money owing … upon the account of Freightage and Demorage.
1785. J. Phillips, Treat. Inland Navig., 32. The tonnage, freightage, and tolls, will produce as follow.
1819. Shelley, Lett. to Peacock, 21 Sept. I have printed in Italy 250 copies, because it costs, with all duties and freightage, about half what it would cost in London.
1885. Law Times, LXXIX. 11 July, 189/1. The defendants … offered him a steamer called the Glendevon, whose owners were represented by the plaintiffs, at the rate of 30s. freightage.
1885. L’pool Daily Post, 23 Oct., 4/8. The higher scale of freightage [by railroad] will be maintained.
b. The freighting or hiring of a vessel.
1755. Magens, Insurances, II. 282. If a Ship be intirely freighted for a full Cargo…. In Case the Owner was not informed of the abovementioned full Freightage.
2. That with which a vessel is freighted; freight, cargo; quantity of cargo conveyed.
1803. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 61/1. In looking over the particulars of the Danish commerce, we were struck with the immense increase of their freightage during the wars of this country.
1843. Mrs. Romer, Rhone, etc., I. 308–9. The largest vessels can ride at anchor in safety, and unload their freightage close to the very houses.
1860. Russell, Diary India, I. ii. 11. The last time I, outward bound, saw that anchorage, it was full of French and English ships laden with full freightage of gallant soldiers, of whom but very few are now alive.
1885. Jane Meade Welch, The City of Buffalo, in Harper’s Mag., LXXI. July, 199/1. Coal as an up freightage is fully as important as the down cargo of grain.
b. transf. Burden, load.
1823. Roscoe, trans. Sismondi’s Lit. Eur. (1846), II. xxix. 282.
| The busy hangman now approach’d his side | |
| To seize his prey, a branded negro slave, | |
| The wretched freightage of the Atlantic wave. |
1825. Blackw. Mag., XVIII. Nov., 601/2. The Diligence … summarily discharged its whole freightage into the street.
c. fig.
1827. Mary Howitt, Two Voy., i.
| My boat is on the shore, mother, | |
| My ship waits but for me, | |
| And all I lack of freightage now | |
| Is a farewell word from thee. |
1859. G. Meredith, R. Feverel, xii. (1878), 77. Conscience was beginning to inhabit him, and he carried some of the freightage known to men; though in so crude a form that it overweighed him, now on this side, now on that.
3. Transport of goods.
1886. S. G. W. Benjamin, Domestic and Court Customs of Persia, in Harper’s Mag., LXXII. Jan., 217/2. A third of the population of Persia is still composed of nomads, and all travel and freightage are still, as of old, conducted by means of horses, asses, camels and mules.
