As a part of the constant war against the Algerine corsairs, Sir Edward Spragge made an attack on their stronghold in Bugia Bay with a small squadron. Boats were sent in against a well-protected boom, which they eventually broke and so made way for the ‘Little Victory’ fireship to burn all seven Algerine ships within. The action resulted in the Dey of Algiers making a temporary peace.

The ships are shown engaging the fort. In the centre middle distance at anchor is the ‘Mary’ in port-broadside view, with the ‘Advice’ and Spragge’s flagship the ‘Revenge’ on her starboard quarter and the ‘Dragon’, ‘Garland’ and ‘Portsmouth’ pink on her starboard bow. They are engaging the fort and town in the background and the Algerine ships are lying inside a boom. The ‘Little Victory’ fireship is sailing in towards the boom.

The ships are identified from Hollar’s etching of the action (upon which the drawing is based) which was published as a plate to ‘A True and Perfect Relation of the Happy Successe & Victory obtained against the Turks of Argiers at Bugia…’ printed by T. Newcomb, 1671. They are lettered in the drawing as follows: a, ‘Revenge’; n, ‘Advice’; m, ‘Mary’; d, ‘Dragon’; g, ‘Garland’; o, ‘Portsmouth’ pink; p, ‘Little Victory’; q, boats.

A high horizon drawing based on Hollar’s etching, and also a sketch for the painting are in the Royal Collection (no. 1077). There are two other paintings of the same action, one showing the ‘Little Victory’ reaching the Algerines (no 1075) and the other showing the Algerines burning (no. 1074).