What is "a bill of adventure"

Adventure \Ad*ven"ture\ (?; 135), n. [OE. aventure, aunter, anter, F. aventure, fr. LL. adventura, fr. L. advenire, adventum, to arrive, which in the Romance languages took the sense of ``to happen, befall.'' See Advene.]

1. That which happens without design; chance; hazard; hap; hence, chance of danger or loss.

   Nay, a far less good to man it will be found, if she must, at all adventures, be fastened upon him individually.
   --Milton.

2. Risk; danger; peril. [Obs.]

   He was in great adventure of his life.
   --Berners.

3. The encountering of risks; hazardous and striking enterprise; a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a daring feat.

   He loved excitement and adventure.
   --Macaulay.

4. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring incident; as, the adventures of one's life.
   --Bacon.

5. A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account.

   A bill of adventure (Com.), a writing setting forth that the goods shipped are at the owner's risk.

   Syn: Undertaking; enterprise; venture; event.