“The Ostrich Inn, on the site of the original harbour of Bristol, is next to the Redcliff Caves, which used to be a major source of sand. Landlords used to send little boys (sandboys) into the cabes to collect sand to spread on the floor of the tavern to soak up the beer spillages. They were paid in beer.”
Definition courtesy of:
Breverton, Terry. The Pirate Dictionary. Gretna: Pelican Publishing, 2004. 74.