Lith. by Deutsch, publ. by Louis Rochefort, London, ca. 1860
Depiction of the "boarding" or a boarding. In the foreground a ship flying the French flag and behind it a British ship. The aim of boarding was not to destroy the enemy ship, but to bring it under control. Once you were level with the enemy ship, you threw grappling hooks over the railing and pulled the ship closer. The ship could then be boarded.