Station - Transport of 2 tons of equipment

From the port of Santo António to Roça Sundy, the equipment was transported mainly by tram. But, for about 1.5 km of this route, the rails were broken and the boxes had to be carried by the plantation workers, the same who ensured the high quality cocoa production that made Príncipe famous.

Try it… Hold the box to support its weight. 

Can you carry it easily?

Why is this?

Transportation logistics was a common challenge for expeditions to observe solar eclipses. The size and weight of the box are similar to the boxes that the expeditionaries brought to the island of Príncipe. In all, they transported two tons of disassembled equipment distributed in several boxes, to enable their transport, according to planning during the preparation of the trip.

Also try… Choose one of the fruits that are in the basket and take it with you to the next station. Be mindful of the landscape and try to find the fruit in nature.

Did you know?

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the management of these plantations was a model for other colonial empires. Its efficiency depended on forced labor practices and violence. All stages of the cocoa production work: felling, digging new pits, fertilizing, sowing, pruning, weeding, harvesting, breaking, fermenting, drying, sorting, bagging, transportation; were rigorously and daily accounted for, with the result that every worker, woman, man, or child, was constantly under pressure to meet production goals. Failure was often met with physical violence.

Now it’s your turn… When you arrive at your destination, open the fruit and enjoy its flavor!