The Cutting of the Spanish (late his Majesty's) Frigate the Hermione, out of Porto Cavallo, on the Spanish Main
British sailors clamber aboard the ex-British frigate, 'Hermione,' in the middle of the night to recapture her from the Spanish. On the right, the HMS 'Surprise' stands by in the distance as her crew, on small boats row infiltrate the 'Hermione.' The engagement is heightened by the moonlight that illuminates the smoke and men embarking.
Two years earlier, the 'Hermione' was involved in a violent mutiny off Puerto Rico on the night of 22 Sept. 1799. The crew revolted against the captain and several officers and murdered them. They surrendered the ship to the Spaniards at La Guayra, Venezuela, in which she was commissioned for Spanish service. By October, the HMS 'Surprise' under British Captain Edward Hamilton spotted her in Puerto Cabello. Despite being surrounded by a heavily armed battery, Hamilton's crew managed to fight their way onto the ship and cut her cables, allowing the British to successfully carry her out.
The right margin has been trimmed, obscuring the original artist.
