The French Navy had originally deployed only two frigates in the region, Prudente and Cybèle, operating from Port Louis on Île de France.

[1] This force was subsequently augmented in the summer of 1796 by a large squadron of frigates under Contre-amiral Pierre César Charles de Sercey, which cruised in the East Indies during 1796 and 1797, suffering setbacks at Action of 9 September 1796 and the Bali Strait Incident.

[2] During 1798 the squadron dispersed, as his crews became increasingly mutinous and the Colonial Assembly of Île de France grew openly disdainful of his efforts, refusing to provide reinforcements or supplies to his ships.

[3] To mitigate this disaffection, Sercey ordered two of his frigates, Prudente and Forte to cruise in the Bay of Bengal against British trade during the autumn of 1798.

Ball shortened sail and brought his ship across the stern of Prudente, firing a devastating raking broadside into the French frigate at 12:25.

[8] Among the prisoners taken from Prudente was a deserter from the Royal Navy named Thomas Tring, who was subsequently court martialed and hanged.

[9] In the Indian Ocean theatre the loss of Prudente was compounded a few weeks later by the capture of Forte at the action of 28 February 1799, which left Sercey with a shortage of available warships.