The main subject of this image is the hulk 'Immortalite' (misspelled 'Imortalite' in the title inscription), shown from the starboard broadside, lying in Portsmouth Harbour. The yacht (also misspelled as 'yatcht') 'Royal George' is alongside: this is the small cutter rigged vessel just to the left of the long fixed companion ladder down to fixed sponson at water level. The upper masts of the 'Immortalite' have been removed and various structures built on the deck – a wooden latrine overhang at the bow, a canvas awning aft, and so on. Various figures can be seen on the sponson and the deck. On the left of the image, there is a cut-down hulk converted as a mooring lighter and behind that the port stern quarter of the three-decker 'Royal George' can be seen, shown 'in ordinary' with masts removed: given the date of the drawing this can only be the 120-gun first-rate launched in 1827 and converted to auxiliary steam propulsion in 1853. The 'Royal George yacht' may be a service vessel connected with her in this case. On the right of the image there is a smaller warship also de-rigged and in ordinary labelled lightly below in pencil as the 'Nymph': this is presumably the 38-gun frigate built in 1812. The shoreline can be seen in the distance. C. J. M. Whichelo (1784-1865) is best known as an artist of London topography but also did marine subjects: BHC1210 is an oil painting by him of an American ship in difficulties in bad weather off a harbour entrance. [amended PvdM 9/20]
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