In the centre, a warship announces its arrival with guns, while three small craft hover by the stern. In the foreground to the right is a large official wherry barge, and in the right background is a Dutch flute, which was a merchant ship. On the right, in front of the flute a ship's boat is towing the saluting ship into the anchorage owing to the calm conditions. One man is standing up in the boat, waving his hat and gesturing back towards the merchantman. The painting has been signed by the artist.

Bouttats was born about 1680 in the Netherlands and came to England in the 1720s, settling in Hull then York. One of his sons stayed in Hull and another moved to London as a picture dealer. He died in 1743.