This is a small ink drawing, not a miniature in the normal sense, in a gilded wood frame for wall display. 'Pickle', shown here in port-bow view under full sail on the starboard tack, is famous as the dispatch vessel which, when commanded by Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere, was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and brought the news of the victory back to England. This item was presented to the Museum in 1939 when the donor added the following inscription on the back of the frame: ' Pen and ink drawing of H.M. Schooner "The Pickle", drawn by one of her officers and given by him in 1804 to Joseph William Southall. Subsequently belonged to his sister Mrs Sills, then to her daughter Eleanor, who gave it to Joseph W. Southall the second in Nov. 1874, and subsequently came into the possession of his nephew Matthew Billing in 1895, then to his son James E. Southall Billing who presented it to the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, July 1939.' (A Museum hand has also added the original acquisition number '39-1549', in ink.) An armed schooner of this size only rated a lieutenant in command in terms of commissioned 'officers', so if that account is accurate the drawing may be by a master's mate.