On the left are five English ships before the wind, shortening sail and getting ready to anchor; in the foreground a stern view of the ‘Hampshire’ bearing Beach’s pendant. The six Algerines burning in the centre distance. Van Ghent’ships in the right distance. At the bottom corner a thumbnail sketch of an earlier stage in action.

Inscribed in brown ink ‘d kap d spartel’ and in pencil on the thumbnail sketch ‘k.d mane’ (turn over for the names).

On the backing pencil not in the hand of Van de Velde ‘ Cape Spartell Hampshire Jersey Centurion senturijon Foresight Portsmouth / Tripoly Henrietta Portsmouth John and Christopher Holmes / int straet vand / navie over d dolfij(n) / te vaeren S willijam pol / aen d… / Jersey’ (Sir William Poole commanded the ‘Jersey 1669-1670. The action at Tripoli was in 1676). In brown ink ‘Sr Richard Beach’.

This drawing by the Younger is signed on the back in pencil ‘W.V.VJ’. Pen and brown ink with grey wash over slight preliminary work in pencil, strengthened with a few touches of pen and black ink.

The centre part has been laid down on a larger piece of paper in order to include the fifth English ship on the left and Van Ghent’s ships on the right. The thumbnail sketch has been added over both parts.

A drawing for the painting of the action in the Royal Collection (Buckingham Palace, no. 1061). The painting shows three of the English ships at anchor, as in PAI7274.