A name for rich low land formed by alluvial deposits: but in a
general sense it denotes the lowest part of a thing, in
contradistinction to the top or uppermost part. In navigation, it is
used to denote as well the channel of rivers and harbours as the body or
hull of a ship. Thus, in the former sense we say a gravelly bottom,
clayey bottom, c., and in the latter sense a British bottom, a Dutch
bottom, c. By statute, certain commodities imported in foreign bottoms
pay a duty called petty customs, over and above what they are liable
to if imported in British bottoms. Bottom of a ship or boat is that part
which is below the wales.