HOW DEMERARA SUGAR LEAVES HOME 55 



trundled by a darkie who is putting his back into his 

 work with a zest that will not allow him to pull up at 

 a second's warning. The while you linger here, the 

 more conscious you become of the immensity of the 

 bulk, the vastness of the weight of sugar that is stored 

 in this building. Your sense of smell detects a most 

 pleasing odour that pervades the atmosphere ; presently 

 you recognize this fragrance as being akin to the 

 essence of freshly made toffee. You watch a near-at- 

 hand gang of darkies standing aloft on the sugar-bags, 

 throwing them down one at a time to a group of boys 

 waiting below with hand- trucks. 



Each boy loads his truck with one bag, and makes 

 off with it down the siding. As the last boy disappears, 

 the men settle down to enjoy a few seconds' rest. Now 

 is the time for you to make your way to the front of 

 the warehouse ; step into the siding down which the 

 train of boys you have just been watching has dis- 

 appeared, but press ahead warily, so as not to fall foul 

 of any empty trucks on their return journey. 



You emerge from the warehouse on to a long and 

 wide platform at the river's edge ; in front of you lies 

 the big steamer which is shipping a load of sugar for 

 export ; to your left is a lighter unloading sugar, with 

 several lighters and punts waiting in the background 

 for their turn to discharge a similar freight. 



You are now in the midst of a veritable pandemonium, 

 but you have not come into an atmosphere throbbing 

 with work, as might reasonably be expected. On the 

 contrary, you seem to have strayed into a Bank Holiday 

 crowd of merrymakers, who are enjoying fine sport 

 with a number of trucks and sacks which they have 

 chanced to discover during a riotous mood, when any- 



