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. Strong seas struck the rudder, already weakened by the first incident, and tore it from the stern post. The ship was then steered for 1400 miles back to England without a rudder and was able to return to England in October 1835. Her captain was tried at Court Martial at Portsmouth Harbour in October 1835, but found not guilty of the damage of the ship.

The painting shows the crew rowing in the ship’s gig. That the ship survived its various misadventures, the ‘Times’ attributed to the judgement of the captain and the ‘admirable conduct of the crew during all this difficulty and danger: they worked hard and willingly’….’ They ‘saw that promptitude only could preserve the ship and their lives’. Significantly it is this sense of working as a team which is being celebrated in the painting of the gig.

From these four paintings see also BHC2255, BHC2256 and BHC2258 a series of four lithographs were made see PAF8067, PAI8711, PAI8712 and PAI8713.