The first print of a pair, of which the second is PAH0752. This one shows the 'Boyne', 98 guns and launched in 1790, which had been Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis's flagship in the West Indies in 1794, early in the French Revolutionary War after it caught fire by accident on 1 May 1795, while lying at anchor with many other ships of the fleet in Spithead, off Portsmouth. The view appears to be towards the Isle of Wight and HM ships 'Prince' and 'Arethusa' (a frigate) are identified on the right, with others in the background. Attempts to put the fire out failed but most of the crew of the 'Boyne' escaped before the cables burnt through and the ship drifted onto the Horse Shoal off Southsea Castle, where it exploded once flames reached the magazines. Eleven 'Boyne' men died (a low number for such an incident) and two more in the 'Queen Charlotte', since the former's guns were loaded and the fire set them off sporadically to the hazard of everyone trying to help. No other ships were lost. Despite calm conditions, those in danger were able to weigh and move out to re-anchor in St Helen's Roads, off the east end of the Isle of Wight.

In 1796 a huge (110-foot) panoramic canvas of the incident, with the other ships escaping, painted by Robert Dodd and titled the 'Campus Nautica', was exhibited in the Great Rooms at Spring Gardens, London. A copy of the printed key to this is in the British Museum (1868,0612.1574) showing that it was in roughly semi-circular, cycloramic form so spectators viewed it in an immersive way. In this, it in part emulated the completely circular paintings on 10,000 feet of canvas (c. 30ft hgh x 90ft in diameter) exhibited from 1794 by Robert Barker in his 'Panorama', Leicester Square, where a view of the 'Grand Fleet' at Spithead during the Russian Armament crisis of 1791 was one of the first attractions.

Little is recorded of Captain Thomas Moutray Waller, on whose drawings this pair of prints was based. He was commissioned lieutenant in January 1791, then served in the 'Fly', sloop, in 1793 and the frigate 'Tersichore' in 1794. In 1796 he was initially fourth then second lieutenant of the 'Victory' beffore being promoted to post-captain in March 1797 and command of the frigate 'Emerald' by 1798. In 1807 he was commanding Sea Fencibles at New Romney and he died in 1818. [PvdM 8/23]