Adèle was a French privateer brig commissioned in 1800 that the British Royal Navy captured later that year.

[3] Albatross had left Bombay and near the Point de Galle encountered a Danish vessel that informed him that the French privateers Confiance and Malartic were in the Bay of Bengal preying on British commerce.

The two vessels exchanged fire at close range for about half an hour until Adèle attempted to board.

Albatross repelled the attempt and Adèle, now aware that she was not dealing with a merchant vessel, started to flee.

The two vessels exchanged broadsides with the muzzles of their cannon touching when Adèle struck, and a British boarding party took possession of her.

The Madras Insurance Company presented Waller with an honour sword and a piece of plate (each worth £200) as a reward for the service he had rendered by this capture and that of Adèle.

[7] General Sir Arthur Wellesley acquired Adèle on behalf of the EIC, named her Waller, and sent her to Trincomalee with dispatches.

Then on 21 January 1801 he wrote a letter to Wellesley asking for permission to purchase four guns from the transport Eliza to complete her armament.

[8] Later that year Waller supported General David Baird's expedition to co-operate with Ralph Abercromby in the expulsion of the French from Egypt.

Visibility was bad during the night and as she did not have a pilot aboard it is possible that she mistook some lights ashore for boats at anchor and the Dover pier.