In her brief career before she was wrecked in 1799 on the French coast, she participated in a major battle and in the capture of two privateers and a rich prize.

Soon after commissioning in April under Captain George Countess, Ethalion was engaged in chasing a French squadron under Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart intent on invading Ireland during the Rebellion of 1798.

This brought a significant force under John Borlase Warren to the region and the French were defeated at the Battle of Tory Island.

[2] In 1847 the Battle of Tory Island earned for any still surviving crew members the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "12th October 1798".

Swan had been captured some two years earlier off the Isle of Wight in an action that cost the life of Captain Sarmon, her commander.

She homeward-bound from Vera Cruz with a cargo of cocoa, cochineal and sugar, and more importantly, specie worth 1,385,292 Spanish dollars (£312,000).

The vessel that Triton, Alcmene and Naiad had captured was Santa Brigida, under the command of Captain Don Antonio Pillon.

The board ruled that the accident was due to unusual tides against which the skill and zeal of the officers and ship's company were unavailing.