In the 1840s, businessman Augustine Heard’s company commissioned a shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland, to build two steamships. One of them, the Fire Dart, is depicted in this painting with steam billowing from its smokestacks. Along with the American flag, this vessel also flies the Augustine Heard & Co. ensign. Situated where the Han River merges with the larger Yangtze, Hankow (Hankou) was a strategic location for U.S. merchants.