No.5.; Hand-coloured. Depicts clothing, outerwear: dress, cook's [Royal navy]

Midshipmen were usually the sons of wealthy or aristocratic families training to become commissioned officers. They usually joined the Navy at the age of twelve to fourteen and can be easily identified by the white patch on the collar of their uniform which is still in use today. They were taught navigation, astronomy and trigonometry by the ship's schoolmaster as well as undertaking watches on deck when school hours were over. Rowlandson's original drawing for the figure here also appears to be in the collection (PAF5938), the backgound perhaps being added at the engraving stage.