A port broadside view of the 'mess sampan' being rowed in Hong Kong Harbour. A man is in the bows rowing a long oar over the starboard side and a woman is amidships rowing over the port side. A person heavily cloaked with the hood up is standing at the stern with the steering pole. In the middle distance is a starboard quarter view of a white-hulled steam launch rigged with white canvas awnings at anchor. Behind the launch is a black-hulled four-masted schooner. In the distance off the schooner's port bow is either the pre-Dreadnought battleship HMS Centurion (1892) or her 'sister' HMS Barfleur (1892). Directly behind the schooner is the receiving ship HMS Tamar (1863).

The original negative envelope was labelled: 'Ah Hing. Mess Sampan, HMS Waterwitch 1901'.