A black and white view of the sternwheeler "J.N. Teal" as she steams along the Columbia River. Water roils out of her paddlewheel, and a long trail of thick black smoke crosses the center of the picture and appears to blow back towards the photographer. On the right, steep banks, partly wooded, slope sharply to the river. On the left can be seen lower riverbanks, also partly wooded, rising up to heavily wooded hills and mountains in the background. There are some islands or rocks in the river ahead of the steamship.
Image Description from historic lecture booklet: "The Hawkesbury River is one of the most beautiful rivers of Australia. It flows directly eastward to the sea at Broken Bay, from which the river is navigable by streamers for 70 miles, as far as Windsor."