[4][5] The class was based on the lines of the captured French 38-gun frigate Hébé, a design by Jacques-Noël Sané vaunted as an all-rounder.

The naval historian Robert Gardiner argues that the key characteristic of the design, leading to its adoption with the Royal Navy, was its "unspectacular excellence".

[1] This meant she was moored in the harbour with her guns, stores, and upper masts removed, manned by a small group of warrant officers.

[1] Conveying the diplomat James Justinian Morier to Mexico for the negotiation of a treaty, the frigate reached St Kitts on 27 September and then sailed for Veracruz.

The ship visited Pernambuco, Bahia, and Santos, before sailing to Rio de Janeiro in expectation of meeting Pedro I of Brazil.

An officer on board Diamond wrote negatively of the trip to Bahia, noting the only positive to be when Pedro accidentally gifted the ship seven bullocks that had been meant for the French.

Diamond left Pedro's ships at Bahia and sailed on to Espírito Santo before going to Rio de Janeiro for a refit.

The survivors of Frances Mary were rescued by the 46-gun frigate HMS Blonde on 7 March, with the vessel itself left to drift until discovered by Diamond.

[20] He then sent a volunteer crew on board and had Frances Mary sailed to Santa Maria Island, not able to take her with him because of the urgency with which Stuart required to reach Lisbon.

[19][21][22][23] Diamond escorted Frances Mary from Terceira on 31 August, subsequently arriving at Milford Haven on 25 September where the merchant ship was put up for sale.

[22][24] From Milford Haven Diamond travelled on to Portsmouth, finally landing Stuart on 3 October so that he could make his reports to the Foreign Secretary, George Canning.

The flagship at Portsmouth, the 104-gun ship of the line HMS Victory, fired warning guns and sent out boats to fight the growing blaze.

[27] Reports afterwards suggested that the fire had been caused by hot cinders from the galley which were raked on to the deck, setting it alight and remaining unspotted by the warrant officers stationed on board.