The enslaved boy is depicted accompanying the oxen and cart bringing two barrels down the hillside track. The barrels were filled with estate produce, mainly processed brown sugar, and taken to ships to be sent to London and Glasgow for sale. Each barrel was known as a ‘Hogshead’ which could be anything from 800-1500 lbs (360-680kg) of sugar.

The water in the river flowing down the hillside and past the boy and cart would have been used to power the mill to crush the sugarcane. Other goods sent for sale in this way were rum, cocoa, and coffee. Arrowroot, yams, sugar, and rum were also sent to Paxton House for Nancy Stephens and George Home, from Grenada.

This painting was conserved in 2022 with a grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund.