A quarter plate negative. A fair quality starboard broadside view of the United States Navy screw sloop Nipsic (1863 (rebuilt 1878)) at moorings in Gravesend Reach, River Thames. She has a 3 masted auxiliary barque rig with 3 yards on each of her fore and main masts. Tilbury Fort is in the background. The negative emulsion has started to peel. This is a Gould copy of a Gould whole plate negative that has not survived. The Nipsic was originally built as a gunboat by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, launched 15 June 1863, but was 'rebuilt' as a sloop by Washington Navy Yard between 1874 and 1879. The first Nipsic was completely dismantled and some of her timbers were used in the second Nipsic, which was substantially heavier, longer, wider, deeper, more heavily armed and with completely different machinery.