Euphrates was stationed at Corfu with orders to combat pirates, until Admiral Lord Exmouth arrived in the Mediterranean for operations against Algiers.

Taken off her regular duties for this, Euphrates missed the Bombardment of Algiers when Preston chose not to pass on the despatch announcing Exmouth's arrival to his commanding officer, Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Penrose.

Preston, whose mental health had been deteriorating, slit his throat after Euphrates had departed from Gibraltar, and died rabidly insane three days later.

This new theatre of operations, with the Napoleonic Wars ongoing, was expected to put a strain on the existing fleet of Royal Navy frigates.

[2] Using pine for construction meant that the usually long period of time between keel laying and launching could be dramatically decreased to as little as three months.

[11] After Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo Euphrates was one of a number of ships sent out from Portsmouth on 1 July to prevent any attempt by him to flee to America.

[13] On 23 July Euphrates was sailing off Cherbourg with the 18-gun brig-sloop HMS Despatch when the Bonapartist military commandant raised the white flag and surrendered the port.

Preston took the two ships into the harbour where they anchored as a sign of good faith before dining with the governor, on which a newspaper reported: "The passing events, however, did not appear to be a favourite topic of conversation.

[16][17] Needing volunteers to fill a peacetime crew, it took Preston seven months to recruit enough men to bring the ship to operational levels.

[17][19] Euphrates came under the orders of the second-in-command of the fleet, Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Penrose, who assigned the ship to pirate hunting duties in July.

[20] Throughout this period the ship was based at Corfu under the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Maitland.

[21][22] The crew spent time riding, playing cricket, and conversing with the army regiments stationed there in a mostly relaxed atmosphere.

[22][26] One of Euphrates's officers, Lieutenant Frederick Chamier, believed that this was not an act of cowardice on Preston's part, but instead because he had fallen in love with a woman on Corfu.

[36] Preston died while Euphrates was sailing off Cape Finisterre on 16 May, with his body placed in a cask of alcohol for the rest of the journey to England.

Subsequently, the ship was one of four of her class under consideration to be sent as reinforcements to the South America Station, but she stayed in England and was laid up at Deptford Dockyard.