This view depicts Commodore Matthew C. Perry's sailors and marines on the banks of the Grijalva River between Devil's Bend and their objective during the second Expedition.  At left is one of the steamers, either Spitfire or Vixen.  Just to the right near shore is a small schooner-rigged vessel, probably the gunboat Bonita.  Small cutters and surfboats leave the ships with the landing party toward shore.  Some troops have already disembarked their vessels to the right.

The marines, in the center distance, can be discerned with their forage caps, ascend the river bank and plant the American flag.  To their right lines of sailors, wearing characteristic blue jackets and circular-brimmed hats, hoist up with ropes small 6-pounder field guns.  At the top of the hill Commo. Perry directs the action as an orderly stands to his left with the Commodore's broad pennant.  An officer from the Vesuvius wrote:

"The order was then given for the forces to embark in the boats and form into a line, three deep, in the middle of the river.  This was done with great dispatch and in beautiful order. . .In advance of all this was the Commodore, sitting quietly in his barge, with his broad pennant flying, forming the most conspicuous mark for Mexican shot, and his mouth puckering out as if he did not care for all the Mexican bullets in Tabasco. While forming into line a heavy cannonading was kept up from the vessels.  At a signal given by the Commodore the steamers ceased firing, the men gave an awful shout, seven hundred oars dipped their blades into the water, and a thousand Yankee tars stood on the banks of the Tabasco."