A preliminary drawing for a painting forming one of a set of Indian engagements commissioned by Sir Edward Hughes, commander-in-chief on that station during most of the War of American Independence. In 1782, following various actions with the French Vice-Admiral de Suffren off the east coast of India (including the one depicted in this drawing), Hughes captured the French base at Trincomalee, on the east coast of what today is Sri Lanka. The drawing shows the 'Monmouth' disabled and in danger of being captured by the French on 17 April 1782. It is inscribed by Serres 'The French squadron consisted of 12 sail of the Line, 4 frigates and 1 armed dhow - The English of 11 sail of the Line, 1 20 guns Ship, a Fire Ship and 1 Indiaman in convoy'. It also identifies the ships (with the Indiaman at bottom and the fireship 'Combustion' immediately above). The 'Monmouth' is engaged, right of centre, pointing on a reverse course to the rest. The full set of related paintings was left to Greenwich Hospital after Hughes's death in January 1794, apparently through his wife since they are not mentioned in his will. In 1835 all but one (of the Battle of Negapatam, now BHC0448) and a half-length version of Hughes's portrait by Reynolds (see BHC2792), were subject of an 'exchange' engineered by Admiral Benjamin William Page, a former follower of Hughes. This saw them presented to the Borough of Ipswich in exchange for a picture of 'one of the naval victories' at that point unrepresented in the Naval Gallery of the Hospital, to the value of 100 guineas funded by Page. That eventually materialized as George Chambers's 'Battle of La Hogue, 1692' (BHC0339), copied from the painting by Benjamin West then in the Marquess of Westminster's collection. However, the difficulties of the transaction alerted the Hospital Commissioners to the fact that they were exceeding their powers as trustees in alienating items already formally accepted by the Hospital, and they never did so again. The paintings transferred to Ipswich were displayed in the town hall for over 160 years but are now in the museum there.