Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

LONDON’S DOCKS. IT is an imposing spectacle to stand at a point of vantage—an upper floor of one of the many huge warehouses scattered about the docks—and gaze out across the vast acreage of water, with the busy, teeming cargoes, and large vessels are being laden with merchandise for exportation ; craft having been “cleared” are moving majestically away for fresh supplies ; others are moving in, loaded, bringing tea from China, ivory THE WEST INDIA IMPORT DOCK. Photo: Cassell Co., Ltd. life upon its bosom. The air is filled with the noise and clamour of unremitting industry ; craft of all kinds are there, from colossal, leviathan liners to pigmy row-boats—Dignity and Impudence in close contiguity ; mammoth cranes are swinging round with their costly and cumbersome loads, and floating derricks are also assisting to expedite the work of relieving the many argosies of their bur- dens; barges are receiving “overside” various 24' from Africa, wool from Australia, tobacco from America-—in fact, merchandise from all parts of the world; steam whistles are shrieking, horns baying, confused shouting of voices, deafening clanking of metal, a feverish, pulsating activity. It is the daily routine, month after month, year in, year out, of the greatest port of the greatest city of the world. There are eight groups of docks at the