A Sea Fight with Barbary Corsairs

Many actions were fought at this time in the Mediterranean between the British Streights Fllet and the Barbary Corsairs (mostly based at the Algiers). Both R. T. Jeffree and F.B. Cockett have proposed that this painting may show the action of 22 May 1681, when the Kingfisher was attacked by seven Barbary ships and her captain Sir John Kempthorne was killed; the Algerine boats were then flying Dutch and English Colours.