The arrival of British steamship "Britannia" in Boston harbor in 1840 established a strong commercial link with Great Britain and made Boston the major American port for the transmission of mail and cargo to and from Europe. Steamships were familiar sights to Bostonians by this time, but it was a noteworthy event to see such an important vessel. Lane painted the steamship at least twice. In 1842 he depicted the ship foundering in rough seas (Peabody-Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts). This view, however, probably was based on a small pencil sketch he made on the spot some years earlier (Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, Massachusetts). "Britannia" moves through Boston Harbor with a procession of sailing vessels and an American steamer behind; two rowboats filled with men salute the arriving ship.

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