Burden

Burden, the measure of merchandise that a ship will carry when she is fit for sea. Formerly ships were spoken of as being of so many tons burden. To find a ship's burden, according to the method then in use, multiply the length of the keel, taken within-board, by the breadth of the ship at the midship beam; multiply the product by the depth of the hold; and divide the last product by 94 The quotient is the tonnage required. A ship is now often, and should be always, measured by the weight, in tons, of water which she displaces when she is at her load water-line.