This coloured lithograph depicts a port-side view the three-masted clipper merchant sailing ship ‘Marco Polo’, launched in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1851. Painted by Thomas Dove, the ‘Marco Polo’ is depicted entering the mouth of the River Mersey on return to port in Liverpool, after completing a return journey from Melbourne.

The caption inaccurately highlights the record time in which she made the Liverpool-Melbourne route and back in 1852 as 11 months and 21 days. The ship actually took 68 days to reach Australia and 76 days to return to Liverpool, a rough total of five and a half months. She arrived back in the Mersey on 26th December that year.

The ship is shown with only her inner job, foresail, fore topsail and main topsail unfurled, with the mainsail and mizzen topsail partially unfurled. The British Union Jack flies from the bowsprit, while the British White Ensign flies from the stern. Five signalling pennants fly from the mizzen mast. An orange and red pennant – orange flag, red circle – flies from the mainmast. This is the flag of the Black Ball Line, the ship's owner. A blue and white pennant flies from the foremast.

Crew and passengers can be seen on deck along the length of the ‘Marco Polo’. Two lifeboats can be seen at the aft end, the portside lifeboat more prominent. At the bow, what appears to be smoke from a signalling gun is seen dissipating from the fore end of the vessel.

Other vessels can be seen in the painting together with the ‘Marco Polo’. This includes a three-masted paddle-steamship with a single orange and black funnel, spewing coal-black smoke. This vessel is located in the left-hand background of the painting, forward of the ‘Marco Polo’. A single lifeboat can be seen on the aft-end of this ship, along with the paddle-wheel covering.

Three distant, smaller sailing vessels – most likely cutters – can be seen forward of the steamship, clustered around the left-hand of the painting in front of the banks of the Mersey.

Other vessels can be seen in the left section of the painting. In the bottom-left foreground, a small four-man sailing boat – possibly a pilot vessel – can be seen riding the swell. In the centre foreground, just in front of the ‘Marco Polo’s port side, a rowed longboat is making its way through the waters of the Mersey.

Aft of the ‘Marco Polo’ another unidentifiable three-masted vessel, most likely another clipper, is clearly visible in the far-left background. This ship has more of her sails unfurled, and flies the British White Ensign. Like the ‘Marco Polo’, she also flies the same orange and red pennant of the Black Ball Line on her mainmast, as well as signalling flags on her mizzen.

Just to the right of this unknown vessel, located in the foreground, is another sailing cutter, with her sail completely unfurled.

The banks of the Mersey and the nearby headland are shown in the background of this painting. The land shown in the far-left background includes depictions of houses, as well as green hills and trees. In the right-hand background, Fort Perch Rock and the New Brighton Lighthouse, located at the mouth of the Mersey, are both visible as distant silhouettes.

The waters of the Mersey are depicted as choppy, though the sky and day is shown as being clear and of good weather, with favourable winds. The ‘Marco Polo’ is shown to be cruising into the Mersey on a fine day.