An original pen and ink drawing of two British men-of-war firing a salute. One man-of-war is in the foreground visible from a three-quarter view of its port side. The second man-of war is behind in the distance, almost parallel to the ship in the foreground and hidden by a cloud of smoke; its head and bowspirit are only visible. Men on small rowing boats around the saluting ships row or move cargo. Other shipping vessels surround the two larger ships.
The drawing is executed with fine lines and controlled washes of ink to portray detail and volume. Ships in the distance are rendered in uniform washes of ink without details. The watermark is a 'Pro Patria' watermark in the 'Maid of Dort' form, produced on paper made for general sale and used over a wide geographic range. The watermark consists of a woman holding a scepter enclosed in a small fence with the English rampant lion holding a sword in its upper paw and a bouquet of flowers in its lower paw. Around 22-27 versions of the 'Maid of Dort' circulated.
