A distant port bow view of the sailing barque Queen Mab (1887) off the pier head at Hugh Town, St. Mary's, having been towed in at high water. Alongside is the steamer Lyonnesse, who towed the ship in. The harbour has a number of small craft at moorings and fishing vessels with the mainsails set. The photographer was on Town Beach looking out to the harbour entrance. A couple of wooden rowing boats are dried out on the foreshore to the right of the image.

The Queen Mab was on passage from Chile to Falmouth for orders with a cargo of logwood when it grazed the Spanish Ledge getting close in shore to take on a pilot. The ship took on water after anchoring and, with assistance from gigs and two lifeboats, and the steamer Lyonnesse was towed with difficulty to the pier head at St Mary's where it was secured very low in the water. The boats involved were the Lyonnesse steamer, St. Mary's lifeboat Henry Dundas, and the gigs Leo, O. and M., and James and Caroline, who were awarded a salvage fee in January 1904. The ship was eventually towed to Le Havre, arriving on 12 October 1903, having left on 9 October.