She spent some time with the West Africa Squadron suppressing the slave trade and later with the East Indies Station was involved in operations in Borneo.

On 28 April 1841, her ship's boats were involved in burning the warehouses and other property of Niara Bely in Farenya, on the Pongo River.

[4] In July 1846 Iris was part of an expedition along the Brune River in Borneo under Rear-Admiral Thomas John Cochrane to destroy forts and batteries there.

[5] Her captain G. Rodney Mundy led a returning force of 476 men from six Royal Navy vessels along the Borneo River later that month.

As obsolete sailing vessels which had to be towed while ferrying cable, neither ship was capable of independent operation, and both were described as "hulks" in contemporary reports.