After her sale, Mexican pirates captured her, and boats from the United States Navy sloop-of-war USS Mohican destroyed her in the Battle of Boca Teacapan in 1870.

She was fitted for Royal Navy service in British Columbia in 1859 where she served along with her sister ship HMS Grappler.

Together they were involved in the Lemalchi incident in the spring of 1863 when they hunted down and captured natives believed to have murdered some Gulf Island settlers.

Forward used her guns to level a village on Kuper Island; she then transported her captives to Victoria where they were tried and hanged.

Crewed by Mexicans,[3] and flying the flag of San Salvador,[4] she preyed on shipping and coastal settlements in the Gulf of California.