"Den Flyvende Fisk" (The Flying Fish") was a schooner owned by Gunder Terkildsen.  It sailed out of Christiansand in Norway. When it left port on August 29, 1846, it was captained by Captain Simonsen.

Schooners were two-masted sailing ships that were used for fishing and as transportation among European ports.  Schooners were also a mainstay of Great Lakes traffic in North America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  They remain a popular choice among yachtsmen.

Kristiansand traces its history back to 1641.  It was named for Christian IV of Denmark.  Today, it is a summer resort with a busy private marina.

The Ancona was an American packet ship that brought cotton from New Orleans to Le Havre and, at least in September of 1846, paying passengers from France to New Orleans.  The passenger list had an international flavor that included travelers from France, Bavaria, Switzerland,  England, and Prussia along with the sizable contingent from Norway.

Le Havre de Grace is located at the mouth of the Seine River.  It continues to be an important French seaport.