A man-of-war is being raised by three balloons each fastened by a cord to the top of a mast. Beneath the ship five sailors haul at ropes attached to her; they are on a small island or sandbank near the coast; the figures are on a very small scale. Lord North is climbing up one of these ropes which is held by a sailor who says, "this Destroys the Coalition". North says "I am going for More airy Promises", a paper falls from him inscribed "Ch------s [Fox] is a curse on Coalitions". The other four sailors are saying, "Avast hauling There"; "Take Ch------s with you"; "D-----n my Eyes bring her Back"; "I'll be damn'd if She goes". In the upper right corner of the print a head with demon's wings appears from clouds, directing at the balloons a blast of air inscribed "No Boreas here". A winged imp or demon is flying from the balloon (right) saying, "A Paris".
<p><br>On the shore (left) stand three spectators: a man looking through a telescope says "Dont go N-----th"; he wears a ribbon and is probably the Duke of Portland; a lady who says, "His other Half is Behind"; a fox on his hind-legs (Charles Fox), holding a scourge, with a paper inscribed "Pains &amp; Penalties". (Cf. BMSat 6289.)
<br>On the edge of a rock overhanging the sea (left) on the horizon is Britannia, with her shield, holding a broken spear; she is about to fall into the water. A label issues from her inscribed "Britania Æterna". A ship at anchor, a ship's boat, &amp;c, show that the scene is a harbour.
<br>In the lower part of the print, encroaching on the foreground, are small inset designs of irregular shape. On the right is "India scourg'd", a confused representation of a monster with wings and three heads, an angel with a sword, a number of prostrate and fleeing figures, and smoke. It is "Cap. 9", which appears to be a reference to 'Revelation'.
<br>Below it is a design inscribed "Revelations Cap. 13"; a monster with seven heads is rising out of the sea. Four figures wearing crowns kneel before it, one of these has an animal's head and is perhaps intended for Fox. A beast with horns resembling an ox rises from the ground behind.
<br>To the right of this design is seated Fox in oriental dress, with animal's legs; he holds a sceptre in his right hand, a sword (?) in his left. He is seated on a placard or paper inscribed "My Power will last 42 Months". Fox's India Bill vested the government of the East India Company in the seven directors named in the Bill for 48 months, but 42 was the duration of the power of the Beast in the Apocalypse. A winged devil, wearing legal bands, says to him, "it is only a Bit of Wax C------s", an allusion to the much-quoted speech of John Lee, Attorney General in the Coalition, who asked (3 Dec), "what was the consideration of a charter, a skin of parchment with a waxed seal.. . compared to the happiness of thirty millions of subjects . . .". 'Parl. Hist.' xxiv. 49. Wraxall, 'Memoirs', 1884, iii. 182.
<br>On the right, and in the lower right corner of the design, the India House, partly ruined, is falling; across part of the house is the Company's Charter with a large seal. On this charter, the Beast, a four-footed monster with wings and tail, wearing the papal crown, plants its four feet; the charter is inscribed, "India Charter Well Done Man of My People". Beneath is inscribed "The India House Falling".
<br>On the extreme left is a small design of Fox and a winged devil standing (left) on a cliff; below (right) is a rectangular enclosure surrounded by a wall in which are gates. Above is inscribed "Bengal" and "Cap 21", a reference to the 'Book of Revelation', that is, to the revelation by an angel to John of "the holy Jerusalem" lying foursquare.
<br>Below the design is engraved, "The Air Balloon Carrying up the Royal George and Lord N------th &amp;c.", apparently an allusion to the sinking of the Royal George at Spithead in Aug. 1782.  c.1783
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<br>Hand-coloured etching
1783<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1783-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
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