A landscape view along the inside of the outer harbour wall at Saint Mary's Isles of Scilly looking towards the set-up to swing the recovered boiler of Zelda (1874) ashore. A topsail schooner, seen from the starboard stern, is alongside the stone pier with a large group of people standing nearby. Two large sheerlegs have been rigged between the pier and the ship, with the legs against the base of the pier underwater. Sturdy block and tackle lead from the top of the sheerlegs to an anchor point on the other side of the pier wall. The recovered boiler is on deck suspended from block and tackle attached to the sheerlegs. Outboard the ship is a stern view of the salvage vessel Hyaena (1854), which had been involved with the salvage of the Zelda's cargo. Pieces of steel rail recovered from the wreck are in the foreground on the quayside. St. Mary's is in the background.

The new cargo steamer Zelda was on its maiden voyage from Liverpool with a mixed cargo when it encountered thick fog on 15 April 1874. The ship did not reduce speed and at about 1230am on 16 April struck the rocks of Maiden Bower, southwest of Bryher. The crew were saved, but the ship broke up. Salvage of the cargo commenced soon after 18 April and was completed around the end of September 1874.