This hand-coloured aquatint depicts some of the unfortunate crew and passengers of the frigate ‘Guardian’ abandoning ship in treacherous conditions, after she had struck an iceberg on 23 December 1798. The 'Guardian', under Captain Edward Riou, was the first ship to take vital supplies to support the ‘Botany Bay’ penal colony founded in 1788 by Commodore Arthur Phillip, though in fact by then moved to Port Jackson (Sydney), New South Wales. It was only owing to Riou's brilliant seamanship that she was able to make it back to Table Bay - those who insisted on taking to the boats were not seen again and the Australian colony was left in serious hardship until resupply was possible. Most of the Guardian’s materials were saved when she was beached near Cape Town and later sent on. Riou died in 1801 commanding Nelson's frigates at the Battle of Copenhagen.