This painting is one of a series of four in the same frame, recording an incident involving HMS 'Pique' after she went aground on rocks at Point Forteau, in the Straits of Belle Isle, whilst patrolling off Labrador. Several days later she was again caught in a gale and strong seas struck the rudder, already weakened by the first incident, and tore it from the stern post.

The painting shows the ship in distress, her flags upside down as she calls for help and fires a distress cannon to call other ships to her aid. The ship was then steered for 1400 miles without a rudder and was able to return to England in October 1835.

This image shows the moment when the storm carries her rudder away and her forging over the reef off Cape Forteau after struggling for 11 hours. Her captain was tried at Court Martial at Portsmouth Harbour in October 1835, but found not guilty of damage to the ship. From these four paintings see also BHC2255, BHC2257 and BHC2258 a series of four lithographs were made see PAF8067, PAI8711, PAI8712 and PAI8713.