The Wasp — 1914 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical dialogue mocking British colonial enterprise in Jamaica. The character Burnham (likely a caricature of a contemporary figure, though unclear which) is being sent to Jamaica with 500 guineas by a character named Stow, supposedly to engage in trade with sugar exporter Angus McLatchy. The satire targets the colonial venture's dubious morality: Stow cynically predicts Burnham will either squander the money or rot in Jamaica—while threatening that if he ever returns to England, he'll be imprisoned regardless of his financial success. The joke captures contemporary skepticism about colonial schemes: ventures presented as legitimate trade opportunities that routinely enriched corrupt officials while exploiting colonial territories. The threat of imprisonment upon return suggests complicity in illegal or disreputable activities.