Inscribed: “To Lieut. Millward The Officers & Crew Of His Majesty’s Brigantine Buzzard. This Plate Representing His Majesty’s Brigantine Buzzard Lieut. Millward Capturing the Spanish Slave Brig Formidable on the Coast of Africa, December 17th, 1834, the Action commenced (after a chase of 9 hours with her sweeps) at 4.45 P.M., and lasted for 45 Minutes when they ran her on Board – Is most Respectfully dedicated by their most Obedient Servant W.J. Huggins Marine Painter to Hs Majesty.”

In ‘Nautical Magazine’, vol.4, p.312, the action is reported with the comment “When the prize arrived at Sierra Leone, she was nearly a wreck, and 307 slaves had died on the passage”; the commanding officer, note, is given as Lt. N. [Jeremiah] McNamara and not Lt. Millward.

Liberated Africans were settled in Sierra Leone at this time. A colony had been founded there in 1798 in order to try and induce the local chiefs to give up trafficking in slaves, but the voyage from the Bight of Benin to Sierra Leone was long and hazardous (see T. F. Buxton, The African Slave Trade and its Remedy (John Murray, 1840), pp.362-5).

Here, ‘Formidable’, square rigged on both masts and flying the Spanish ensign (and flag from the maintop) is shown port-broadside on in the foreground, engaging to starboard with ‘Buzzard’, square rigged on the foremast, with a square topsail and a fore-and-aft main sail on the mainmast.

The Museum also has Huggins’ watercolour (PAG9762) and oil (BHC0625) versions; the latter item contains a fuller description.

Hand-coloured.