Cutters under sail in a river, probably the Bristol Avon RMG PW5907

Cutters under sail in a river, probably the Bristol Avon
The view is probably upstream near the mouth of the Bristol Avon with two cutters – typically Bristol pilot craft based near there at Pill – coming out on a beam wind followed by a merchantman running down under topsails from Bristol. A third cutter is beating up river against the wind in the distance. It is quite a late drawing that harks back in its subject and monochromatic tone to Pocock's early artistic career, though perhaps partly by accident given that light exposure has faded such colour as it originally had. The drawing is one of three dated 1814 (PAF5902, PAF5906 and PAF5907), which were purchased through Colnaghi's, with an earlier series of ten by Pocock of incidents in the life of Nelson, as lot 213 in a Sotheby's sale of 29 April 1935. Signed by the artist and dated on the rocks to the right. Exhibited: NMM Pocock exhib. (1975), no. 61.

Cutters beating up a river. The Bristol Avon?