A highly stylized portrayal of a naval recruiting party driving across London Bridge following a Thames regatta. A cart positioned in the centre holds several volunteers. The man in naval uniform on the left holds out the bounty notice, while his companion holds an orange and a knife. A naval recruiter stands to the left in front of the white horses, holding enrolment papers. He looks towards a wide-eyed, young Thames waterman in his dress uniform. The narrative of the painting invites us to read him as a potential recruit. Two women flank the young man and appear to be presenting the oarsman to the recruiter. The young woman on the left wears a bonnet and yellow shawl, and on the right an old woman in black holds a rolled-up umbrella. Behind the waterman another recruit similarly coaxes him towards the recruiter. On the right are two orange sellers with baskets of oranges; one looks at her companion while the other glances towards the recruit on the cart, holding the orange. Further on the bridge other figures convey a sense of the variety and force of the crowd. In the distance to the far right some of the buildings of the north bank, such as the Monument, are implied. Below, the tops of masts suggest the presence of the River Thames.