[2][a] In the autumn of 1805 Espoir was part of Commodore Home Popham and General Sir David Baird's expedition to capture the Cape of Good Hope.

On 5 January Home Popham used Espoir to conduct a reconnaissance of the coast to attempt to find an alternate landing place for the troops than Saldanha Bay.

[b] Because Espoir was part of the squadron, she shared in the proceeds of the vessels the expedition captured, which included the French frigate Volontaire.

The whole force, including Canopus, Spartiate, Warrior, Cyane, and Espoir, together with transports and the like, some 133 vessels in all, sailed from there on 11 June to the coast of Calabria.

[10] On 20 June Cyane sailed south with Espoir and 12 Sicilian gunboats to patrol between Procida and Cape Miseno.

[10] At daylight on 26 June, the British spotted 47 enemy vessels and Martin sent Cyane, Espoir, and a flotilla of gunboats to block them from entering the harbour at Naples.

The British spiked the guns, set fire to two vessels on the shore, and stove in the barrels holding their cargoes of oil.

[11] On 25 April 1810 Spartan, Success and Espoir discovered four square-rigged vessels and a number of feluccas anchored under a castle at Terracino.

Then the boats of the squadron boarded and brought out a ship of six guns, whose crew defended her strongly, and three barks.

The squadron's objective was two-fold: maintain the then existing good relations between Great Britain and the Sublime Porte, and protect British commercial interests (trade) in the area.

[9] On 18 August, a landing party from Espoir, the frigate Undaunted, and Redwing stormed shore batteries at Cassis and captured three pinnaces and 83 men.

[15] These captures occurred while Espoir participated in Admiral Alexander Cochrane's expedition in the Patuxent River, at Fort Washington, and Alexandria, between 22 and 29 August.

[d] Espoir shared in the proceeds of goods landed from transport ship Abeona, surgeon's necessaries, schooners Franklin and Saucy Jack, and flour, captured between 21 October and 6 November.