Bush Lot is located in the county of Berbice, fifty-six miles east of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. Twelve miles east is Rosignol which is connected by a two-mile ferry service across the Berbice River to New Amsterdam, a small town. Close by is the Atlantic Ocean. On moonlit nights we were able to see the reflection of light from the waves.
| Most of Guyana’s population live on a northern strip of land which is less than two miles wide. With an annual rainfall of 80 inches and the coastal area below sea level, flooding was a constant threat to many villages. Since the livelihood of the people depended on flood control, our village overseer had to ensure that the water, which resulted from heavy rains, was emptied into the ocean at low tide. The salty ocean water was a threat to crops and kitchen gardens as well as to the fresh water fish and shrimps in the many ponds. Hence “kokers”, flood control locks, had to work properly. |
| All homes were built on stilts due to flooding. Most were built with wood, with roofs covered by zinc sheets or wood shingles. The walls of others were plastered with mud and the thatched roofs made from coconut branches or straw. The kitchen was usually separated from the house because of the smoke from burning wood. The fireplace was made of bricks daubed with a mixture of clay and cow dung. We had an oven attached to our fireplace. I remember vividly my mother’s struggle to get the fire started with wet wood. There was smoke everywhere. A “pookney”, an iron pipe through which air was blown, was used to start the fire. |
Ninety-nine percent of Bush Lot’s population of 1500 were East Indians. They were descendants of indentured immigrant labourers, who came from India 100-140 years earlier to work at Bath, a sugar plantation. There were two Afro-Guyanese families and one Chinese family, the Sue-Chungs. The residents of the surrounding villages, Golden Grove and Hope Town, were predominantly Afro-Guyanese. In spite of the ethnic separation in these villages, I was not aware of any problem during those early years.
Mr. Sue-Chung was an immigrant from China but his Chinese wife was born in Guyana. Mr. Sue-Chung knew very little English. He was well liked and was known as Matty, Creole for “mate”. Matty used to tell us stories which we did not understand. When he laughed we did the same so as not to offend him. His son John and I were good friends and we played in each other’s homes. Early one morning we were awakened by loud screams from the Sue-Chung’s home. Mrs. Sue-Chung was hysterical. While preparing the day’s meals, her dress caught fire and she was seriously burnt. In spite of Matty’s pleading, she refused to be taken to the hospital or to visit Dr. Mook-Sang, our area doctor. To relieve the pain, she kept her right forearm bent and the new skin in the upper and lower areas was fused together. Subsequently, she was affected mentally and her relationship with her family seriously strained. Psychological help was not available and her family neglected her. Matty took over the domestic chores for his children John and Jem.
We spoke Patois, broken English, which was a combination of English, African and Indian dialects. Georgetown residents felt that their speech was superior to that of rural residents; they spoke a slightly different Creolese.
Bush Lot’s residents were chiefly rice farmers. Everything was done by hand. Their farms were generally small and located some distance from the homes. To supplement their income they planted coconuts and ground provisions--plantain, banana, cassava. In their kitchen gardens they grew tomatoes, eschallots, boulanger (egg plant), bhagee (spinach), bora (bean) and ochro. They also caught fish with a “cast net”, and shrimps with a hooped net, called a “ghir-ghira”. Some residents kept a few chickens and ducks. While a few beggars received rice and money, there were no homeless or starving people. The aged were taken care of by their relatives.
The main road from Georgetown to Rosignol was made from burnt clay. Cars, buses and lorries passed through and kicked up a lot of red dust creating a constant nuisance. Dust was everywhere, even on one’s hair and clothing. During the rainy season, pot holes were quite common. “Middle Dam”, extending from North to South, crossed the main road. When rain fell, “Middle Dam” and the other side dams, all dirt roads, were a muddy slush. A railway track, half a mile south of the main road, connected train services between Georgetown and Rosignol.
Drinking water came from artesian wells. Six pipes served the whole village so in some cases, water had to be transported over long distances. That chore was usually done by children. Girls carried single buckets on their heads while boys carried two buckets on a lever contraption called a “bahangi”, with a bamboo rod and a hook at each end for holding the bucket. It was balanced on the shoulder which served as the fulcrum. The water was stored in barrels. A few families collected rain water in large vats from the eaves troughs on roofs.
Bush Lot had two rice mills, four grocery stores, called salt goods shops, five cake shops which sold bread, cakes, soft drinks, mauby drink, and ice, and two dry goods stores which sold cloth. At that time no ready-made clothing was available so dress makers and tailors were kept busy. A village market was held on Saturday mornings at the junction of the main road and “Middle Dam”.
Along the main road were the Presbyterian and Pilgrim Holiness churches; the Hindu and Muslim churches were on “Middle Dam”. My family belonged to the Presbyterian Church and I attended Sunday school one hour before the regular Church Service in the school building.
The Post Office, Police Station, and the Doctor’s office with residence were located at Fort Wellington, two miles east of Bush Lot. The doctor, Dr. Mook-Sang, passed through the village in his chauffeur-driven car twice a week. When medical help was needed a white flag, attached to a wooden peg, was placed at the side of the road. Someone had to be nearby to accompany the doctor to the patient’s home. Once I had a serious cut and needed stitches. I had to be taken to the doctor’s home when he had completed his rounds through the surrounding villages. I still have the marks of that cut on my left hand.
Since the village had no electricity, life came to a relative standstill in the evenings. Every home had kerosene lamps or lanterns. The only residents who had kerosene-driven refrigerators were the shopkeepers. With the exception of dried fish, perishable food was not stored for any length of time. Milk had to be boiled several times a day to prevent spoilage. Another food preservation method was “pepper pot” where meat, vegetables, casreep and hot spices were cooked in a large pot. When other foods became available later in the day, they were added to the boiling mixture and cooked. The “pepper pot” dish lasted several days. Ice was sold once or twice per week on donkey drawn carts. It was too expensive to use ice for refrigeration in a tropical climate. The few people who bought small quantities stored it in large thermos flasks and used it in drinks. Ice was also sold as “shave ice” with a sweet red syrup on top. This was always a treat for youngsters. Some people kept their water cool by using goblets, porous clay pots which work by evaporative cooling.
Very little money circulated but there was cooperation and people helped each other. Relatively no petty crime existed during that period. However, there was one major blemish in Bush Lot’s record, a murder which took place when I was about eight. A villager was hanged in Georgetown for the murder of his wife.
Bush Lot became active when three major sports events - horse racing, athletic sports and cricket games took place. They were held on a sandy area north of the village. Two individuals, Sewsankar Maraj and Joe Persaud (Uncle Joe), brought joy to children on sports days. They handed out candy and pennies to us. Uncle Joe was one of the two residents who had radios. When cricket games were being broadcast from Georgetown, he used to turn up the volume for us to listen from outside his home.
Weddings were usually celebrated with pomp and ceremony. My sister Hilda’s wedding was performed according to East Indian as well as English tradition. The food was cooked in large pots on the night before the wedding. This was accompanied by entertainment--East Indian music, dancing and singing. The marriage took place in the Bush Lot Presbyterian Church and the festivities were held at our home. The whole village was invited as was the custom in those days. With the passage of time such large weddings no longer take place.
When a villager died, an immediate relative passed through the village, rang a bell and shouted the death announcement. The burial took place the following day because of lack of refrigeration facilities. Today death announcements are made over the radio and refrigeration facilities are available in New Amsterdam and in Georgetown.
The present population of Bush Lot has quintupled its 1940s figure. This growth has brought prosperity as well as problems. Today, the village has many beautiful homes with electricity, television, refrigerators and stoves. Children are neatly dressed in school uniforms and have school bags and shoes. There are a few cars, lorries, tractors and combines. Gone, however, is the close-knit society. Inflation has created a less caring community. Infra- structure is sadly neglected. There is need for improvement in water supply, sanitation and road maintenance. I also saw the need for a community centre, a park and a library. As my contribution to Bush Lot, I helped to set up a Reading Centre in the Village Office in September, 1995. The books sent to the Reading Centre are purchased at garage sales, collected from Library discards or are gifts from friends and relatives. I hope to continue to send books annually. I also hope that my efforts will be an incentive to others to make similar contributions to their community.
