This engraving after a painting by Thomas Whitcombe is a dramatic rendering of the bombardment of Algiers by the Anglo-Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Lord Exmouth. Allied fire can be seen piercing the night sky while debris, fire and smoke fill the air blocking the view of the harbour. The 'Albion' is pictured to the left of 'Impregnable', which is depicted slightly to right of centre of the image. The attack on the North African port was part of a continuing campaign by various European and the American navies to suppress the piracy against Europeans by the Barbary states. The specific aim of this expedition, in which an Anglo-Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Lord Exmouth bombarded ships and the harbour defences of Algiers, was to free Christian slaves and to stop the practice of enslaving Europeans. To this end, it was partially successful as the Dey of Algiers freed around 3,000 slaves following the bombardment and signed a treaty against the slavery of Europeans. However, this slavery did not end completely until the European conquest of Africa. (See W. Laird Clowes, "The Royal Navy, a history", vol.6, p.228.)