Can you identify this ship ?
It was painted by a fellow officer of Ernest Coates and is thought to be either the "Alert" or "Centurion", although the closest match I have found
is HMS Bacchante.
We do know that Ernest was on HMS Alert from 1879 to 1882, when it was engaged on a "scientific voyage of discovery" around the world.
Many photos of Queen Victoria's fleet have been compiled by Steve Johnson here
Ernest with crew of a ship commanded by Captain John Rushworth Jellicoe
who, later as Admiral Jellicoe, commanded the British fleet in the 1st World War.
