A starboard bow view of the French brigantine Jeune Hortense (1858) aground on the beach off Long Rock, Mount's Bay. The Penzance RNLI lifeboat 'Dora' has been launched and is rowing ashore. A large crowd of people are on the beach watching with the horse-drawn lifeboat trailer waiting in the foreground of the image. The photographer was standing at the top of the beach looking southeast towards St. Michael's Mount, which is in the distance on the left.

Red masking fluid has been used on the glass and emulsion sides to highlight the crest of waves.

The Nantes-registered French brigantine Jeune Hortense (1858) on passage in ballast to Poole for clay, had arrived at Penzance to off-load the body of Thomas Hall of Penzance, a telegraphist who had died in Brest. The ship had anchored off Penzance and transferred the body ashore. On leaving the captain found he could not work the ship out of the bay and so re-anchored off the Cressars. The waves caused the anchor chain to part and they set sail trying to head towards St Michael's Mount but crossed the Pedn-lez rock just as the lifeboat was being launched. The 'Dora' took of all the crew except the captain who refused to leave. The ship then drifted ashore and lay broadside to the waves which broke over her. Lloyd's List reported on 28 May that the ship was sold at auction and refloated and taken into harbour by the purchaser.