[2] In an effort to eliminate French support Commodore William Cornwallis, the British naval commander in the region, stationed a squadron of frigates at Tellicherry, where they were ideally situated to blockade Mangalore and prevent the passage of shipping into Mysorean territory.

The French had communicated to the British at Tellicherry that they would not submit to any attempts to search their vessels, but Strachan and Cornwallis replied that they would enforce the blockade of Mangalore whatever the consequences.

The French captain was outraged at this violation of his neutrality, and responded by opening fire: British sources suggest that his initial target was the small boat, although Phoenix was the ship most immediately damaged.

[4] Cornwallis ordered the merchant ships released to continue their journey and for the frigate to be towed back to Mahé, where it was anchored in the roads with its sails and topmasts struck.

When Cornwallis insisted that his ships had been acting within their orders, Saint-Félix promised reprisals if any of his vessels were attacked again and withdrew with both Cybèle and Résolue later in the day, followed by Minerva and Phoenix.

[5] News of the encounter was conveyed back to France, but the country was at this time in one of the most turbulent eras of the ongoing Revolution and little notice was taken of events in India.

Historian William James notes that under normal political circumstances the action would have had more significant ramifications,[5] while Edward Pelham Brenton claims that the French deliberately ignored the report out of fear of antagonising Britain.

As British forces closed on the city in February 1792, the Tipu Sultan initiated peace talks which brought the war to an end in exchange for concessions to the company and its Indian allies.