The Navy purchased her in 1855 and she participated in several battles in Chinese waters, including having been sunk and recovered.

Tartar had a shallow-draught wooden hull, strengthened by diagonal planking and reinforced with iron scantlings.

[1] On 8 September 1853 she sailed from Southampton for the Far East where she was to provide a feeder service for the P&O Line on the China coast.

[3][4] Lieutenant Sholto Douglas commissioned Coromandel in October 1856 for operations on the Canton river.

[2] On 25 October 1861 Coromandel was under the command of Lieutenant Duncan George Davidson and serving as tender to HMS Imperieuse.

From 29 October 1862 she was under the command of lieutenant Robert Peel Denniston and serving as a tender to HMS Euryalus.