A Fleet of Transports under Convoy, Robert Dighton, 1781

A man (left) leads by a rope the foremost of a crowd of prisoners sentenced to transportation who follow him from left to right. The two foremost are bearded jews. Behind comes a knock-kneed youth taking a pinch of snuff; a man behind him is gnawing a large bone. There are ten prisoners in all. The background is part of the façade of newgate prison. 9 november 1781 hand-coloured mezzotint. Date: 1781. Dimensions: Height: 350 mm; Width: 250 mm. Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. A Fleet of Transports under Convoy (BM 1935,0522.1.196)