Things of Yesteryear

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Things Barbadian

At this time of the year when Barbadians pause to remember that special time in history when our nation gained its independence in 1966, one often also reflects on the things that make Barbados what it is.

Whether it's a trip down memory lane or merely exploring nature, there are some things that simply say "Barbados - From Country to Town: All uh we is one".

Things of Yesteryear

Chawstick (Gouania lupuloides)

A woody vine, common in gullies, with tendrils coiled into flat spirals. A pencil-sized length of stem is cut and briefly chewed at one end to create a brush. This is then rubbed over the teeth and the wood generates a foam dentifrice with a rather bitter taste. A tea made from the leaves is reputedly a male aphrodisiac and, perhaps appropriate, a reputed treatment for gonorrhoea.

Crocus bag

The local name for burlap or hessian sacks which were once in common commercial use for bagging goods like potatoes and sugar. Being readily available, they were reused by may householders for a variety of purposes, including doormats and mops, and for transporting anything from fruits and vegetables to live piglets. A bag could turned bottom-side-up, and made to form a hood over the head to become a rough raincoat. Crocus bags are becoming increasingly rate, as they are replaced by bags of synthetic materials. The name is probably derived from the generic name for the jute plant, Corchorus.

Donkey cart

The traditional cart found in Barbados today varies very little from that of a hundred years ago. In fact, practically all in existence today are relatively old, and though the remaining artisans keep them serviceable, there is no evidence of any having been built in recent years. The vehicle is generally referred to as a donkey cart, but may also be drawn by mules and by horses.

There were basically two types, the now-extinct freight cart, built to transport sugar-cane, and the box cart which is still in use today. The box cart is approximately 5 ft (1.5 m) long, 4 ft (1.2 m) wide, and 2 ft (60 cm) deep. There is a panel at the rear, which can be fitted or removed to close or open the cart according to the type of cargo. Though there are only two wheels, the vehicle is so well balanced that even when it is fully laden the animal feels less weight on its back than if it were being ridden. Attached to the cart is a wooden seat which, like the back panel is removable.

It would have required the expertise of three different craftsmen to make the box cart – the carpenter, the blacksmith and the wheel-wright. The carpenter constructed the wooden sections, which were usually of a durable wood. The blacksmith made the axles, hooks, pins, braces and other metal parts; while the wheel-wright with the assistance of the blacksmith constructed the wheels. The hubs, spokes and rims of these wheels are made of wood, local fustic reinforced with iron bands, and covered with thin iron tyres.

The cart is seldom used as a means of purely personal transportation. Today, the donkey cart makes its appearance at fairs to provide rides for children but it is seldom seen on our roads. It is clear that with the passing of the present generation of donkey cart owners, this form of transportation will disappear forever off the Barbadian landscape.

Dutch oven

In the early half of the twentieth century many goods were imported into the island in wooden crates of varying sizes. A householder could buy a used crate for a small sum, like the inside with tin sheeting, add hinges to the lid to make a door, install two or three metal racks, and he had a Dutch oven. Heating was provided by a Dutch stove, known locally as a COAL POT, because it burned coals for fuel. The coal pot received air through an opening in the bottom of the door, while an opening higher up served as a small observationwindow.

To contain some of the heat during baking a wet CROCUS BAG was spread across the top of the oven.

Today it is rare to find an intact Dutch oven.

Jooking board

A thick slab of hard wood, with one side corrugated. This household item was once widely used in laundering to 'jook out' (rub) clothes and is especially useful for hard clothing with stubborn dirt. The board is about two and a half feet (75 cm) long, and nine to twelve inches (24 to 30 cm) wide.

Marl

Coral stone, crushed to the consistency of a very coarse sand, containing pebbles. It is used as the 'filling' for the foundation of buildings and as the base in road building. Traditionally it was used in yards in lieu of the more expensive concrete and often applied just before Christmas as part of the preparations. Weathering and the constant tread of feet compacts it to a consistency where it can be swept without being eroded. Today, more and more backyards are paved with cement, while front yards are being replaced by lawns.

Monkey jar

It is a pottery jug used for holding drinking water. It was particularly used to keep water refreshingly cold; clay is a poor conductor of heat and evaporation from the porous, unglazed surface cools the jar. Nobody seems to know the origin of the name but the thick handle does conjure up the image of a monkey with its tail raised.

Mortar and pestle

The mortar is a thick piece of wood, hollowed out into a receptacle; the pestle is another short thick piece of wood used for pounding condiments and other food items in the mortar. This two-piece implement has its origins in Africa, and though local ones range from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm), those in Africa, might be large enough that the user could stand, pounding with a six-foot (2 m) long pestle. The use of this implement is not restricted to Africa and Barbados, however, as it is now found in many parts of the world. Its local use has declined, taken over by electronic devices.

Rollers

The roller was a metal hoop which boys rolled along the ground. One kind, a favourite, was about the size of a long playing record with a large hole in the centre, and half-inch rolling edge. This type was easy to control because it was balanced, and being relatively heavy, it was not easily deflected by small obstacles. Boys also like the deep authoritative sound it made as it rolled, especially on a cemented surface. Before it served as a roller, this piece of metal would have done duty for a large water main, as a collar.

Another favourite, called for some inexplicable reason, the 'cow-tongue', was of similar size, but with a rounded edge, looking more like a small, inflated rubber tyre. This was also easy to control and made a sound which, though not as deep as the other, was pleasant to the ears. Perhaps the most common roller was the one whose original purpose was a strap for the hub of a donkey-cart wheel. About twelve inches (30 cm) tall, with a think, flat rolling edge, this was as prestigious as the first two, since it bounced easily and so was difficult to control above a certain speed. It was also noisy, making a high-pitched, clanking sound.

The noises made by rollers were so distinctive, that one could recognise by sound what roller was being rolled, whether the person controlling was running or walking, and whether the person controlling was running or walking, and whether he was rolling on the tar road, on a concrete surface, on a MARL road or grass.

Discarded bicycle rims and the tin metal bands on wooden barrels were also used as last resorts, but these being very light, were difficult to manage beyond a walking speed, especially in a strong wind. The latter of the two, the band from the wooden barrel, was especially light and noisy, and called appropriately, the 'tinnin lizzie'.

The roller was controlled by a simple device called the 'steerer'. This was a sturdy straight piece of wire, bent at right angles about four inches from one end. The small arm was then bent into a semicircle, for hooking the roller. If the length of the steerer permitted, the top end was pushed into a piece of CLAMMY-CHERRY wood or CASSAVA wood, which served as an extension as well as a hand grip. Bicycle rims were controlled with such steerers, or with short pieces of stick.

Whether a roller had one wheel or two, whether it was a 'tinnin lizzie' of a 'cow-tongue', it used to be one of a boy's most precious possessions. It provided hours of clean, out-door entertainment for boys who didn't have, or even care about, expensive store-bought toys.

Source: A-Z of Barbados Heritage