Commissioned on 31 December 1808 under Captain Charles Méquet, she was sent to Martinique on 1 February 1809. En route, she encountered HMS Aimable, under George Stuart, which captured her off Dieppe. She was taken into British service as HMS Rainbow. The British upgraded her armament to 20 32-pounder carronades, 6 18-pounder carronades and 2 6-pounder long guns, turning her into a 28-gun corvette.