Loading the Sugarcane Punts

Sugarcane was one of the major agricultural crops in British Guiana. The process was largely manual work. The workers harvest the sugarcane and load them on to the punts for transport to the next stage. The punts were pulled by ox or tractor along an intricate network of canals leading to the sugarcane processing factory for unloading. Sugar and rum were the main end-products. The image shows the sugarcane loaded on to punts and the navigation of the punts along the canal in British Guiana.

Image 01 - Sugarcane punts and navigation canals (1908)

Image 02 - Heading out sugarcane to punts (1924)

Sources

[Image 01] - Unknown
[Image 02] - Unknown

The Ox as a Beast of Burden

The ox (also called a bullock) was used in British Guiana to pull the sugar punts and plow the rice fields. The ox is usually a castrated male cattle since it is easier to control. A bull is a cattle that has not been castrated. These animals are well maintained since they are a tool for income, and since the Laws of British Guiana (1866) stipulated that stray animals found trespassing on private property can be taken to the nearest Pound and only released if a fine of 48 cents is paid by the animal owner to the property owner. The image shows an ox on the roadside of 1900s British Guiana.



Sources
[image] Unknown