[Alteration of SUPRACARGO by prefix-substitution.] An officer on board a merchant ship whose business it is to superintend the cargo and the commercial transactions of the voyage. † Also formerly, an agent who superintended a merchant’s business in a foreign country.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 511. One Mr. Moody, who was Supercargo of the Ship.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. (Globe), 39. The Question was, whether I would go their Super-Cargo in the Ship to manage the Trading Part upon the coast of Guinea?
1732. Fielding, Lottery, ii. 14. A Man of the first Quality, and one of the best Estates in the Kingdom: Why, he’s as rich as a Supercargo.
1782. Phil. Trans., LXXII. 48. The Directors of the East India Company, to give proper orders to their factors and super-cargoes in China, to procure some of the best seed that can be obtained.
1800. Asiat. Ann. Reg., Hist. Ind., 32/3. With the port of Rangoon … they carried on a very considerable trade, and had supercargoes stationed there.
1828–43. Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), I. 272. Richard le Furbur, a trader of the inland town of Roxburgh, had sent factors or supercargoes to manage his business in foreign countries.
1836. Marryat, Pirate, ix. The pirate had been questioning the supercargo as to the contents of the vessel.
c. 1870. Gladstone, in Morley Life (1903), I. I. i. 9. My father … went in one of these ships at a very early age as a supercargo.
transf. 1713. Guardian, No. 95, ¶ 1. Mr. Purville was Supercargo to the great Hamper, in which were the following Goods.
Hence Supercargoship, the office or occupation of supercargo.
1809. P. Irving, in W. Irving’s Life & Lett. (1864), I. 222. I am averse to any supercargoship, or anything that may bear you to distant or unfriendly climates.
1879. Hill, Life Irving, 55. He seems even to have considered a supercargoship.
