The scene is located on the Bocca Tigris, a narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta near Humen in Guangdong Province, China. Because of its strategic location as the naval gateway to the city of Guangzhou, the strait was fortified. Although five ports, including Canton, had been opened to foreigners earlier the same year, local Chinese forces tried to prevent the passage of the Royal Navy ships. The print shows the 'Imogene' and 'Andromache' trying to force their way through. Much of the scene is obscured by thick clouds of smoke from the intense gunfire emanating from both the ships and the forts. At the left is Tiger Island Battery, closest to which is 'Imogene', seen in stern view, while 'Andromache', follows closely on her right. Between them but almost completely invisible from view is the cutter 'Louisa'. 'Sylph', said to belong to Mr Marwick of Canton, is hidden from the line of fire on the far right. After a couple of days of intermittent action the Chinese forts were silenced.

There is a hand-coloured version of this print. See PAG9102. See also PAG9100 and PAG101, also by William Skinner, who was on board 'Andromache.