Port Louis – Place D’Armes – Labourdonnais Square – Carioles ready for work – 1900s

After having already written about Place D’Armes and Labourdonnais Square, it is still amazing to discover how the routine of people back then diversed considerably. Among the different methods of transport, the Place D’Armes was quite famous for its ‘taxi’ stand at that time driven by animals, carriages would ensure displacement within the town and even further around. Apart from passenger transport, there also existed alternative logistics for the transportation of goods or similar items. This role was fulfilled by ‘carioles’ driven by mules/donkeys and sometimes even oxes and departure was in front of the quay or at the Labourdonnais Square. Whilst animals were commonly used, human effort was also used to draw these carts for easier loads.

When ships would unload, these methods of transport would relay the contents to their respective owners/traders. Other illustrations and photographs of that period gives a similar understanding of how the service was provided, most of the time administered by coolies, africans or asians. This was a common practice. One of the reasons what Port Louis and the Place D’Armes was considered as one of the busiest place of the country.

Port Louis – The Harbour and Docks – 1890s

This view of the harbour gives more details about the proximity and requirement of the carioles as an important role for goods transport. At the same time we can also see the railway tracks which further on the right lead to the Albion Docks Station and continuation of the Northern Line.