A whaler (the vessel in the center right with square rigging) with a single deck of guns and four schooners comprise this scene. The water, with arched white-caps is a dark green. Imitation portholes were painted on the bulwarks of some whaling vessels to give the impression that the ship was well armed, in order to frighten any possible enemies or to scare pirates.
See Allan Forbes, Whale Ships and Whaling Scenes as Portrayed by Benjamin Russell. Presenting Reproductions in Color of the Paintings of the Foremost Artist in That Field (Boston: Printed for the Second Bank-State Street Trust Co, 1955), 71.
