This watercolour painting depicts the Malcolm, a chartered merchantman in service with the Honourable East India Company, shown centre-image. It is shown, as described in the inscription, as rounding the Cape of Good Hope in a voyage dated to 1829. As befitting the location, the seas are rough and the sky is overcast. In the bottom-left background, the South African coast and headland can also be seen.

The Malcolm is shown with her sails partially unfurled only one of her jib sails is open. On the foremast, only the fore topgallant sail is furled. On the main and mizzen masts however, only the topsails on each mast are unfurled, along with the mizzen spanker. The British Red Ensign flies from the mizzen mast.

The Malcolm is the only ship shown in real detail in this painting. There are three other vessels in the background; one in the bottom left, astern of the Malcolm shadowing the headland, two on the bottom right, forward of the Malcolm. All of these vessels are shown only as distant silhouettes, obviously not intended to be identifiable.

The depiction is intended to show a typical journey through the rough waters around the Cape of Good Hope.