This print depicts the HMS Challenger under sail during an oceanographic expedition. The background showing the flat-topped icebergs (which are characteristic of Antarctica) and the sea-birds suggest the ship's connection to natural science. The Challenger is underway on a rough sea with all of her sails except the jib, fore-course sail, fore topsail, and main topsail reefed to cope with the windy conditions. The ship is shown with gunports open and cannon muzzles showing, which seems to be an exaggeration by the artist; not only would the gunports have been kept closed in foul weather, the Challenger was stripped of all but two of her seventeen guns for the expedition.