Pigmy underwent fitting-out at Portsmouth between 12 June and 26 September 1806, apparently including conversion of her to a brig-rig.

He sailed her to the Pertuis d'Antioche on the Atlantic coast of France under orders to observe the movements of a French Navy squadron there.

When he arrived on the evening of 4 March 1807 he discovered that the fifth-rate frigate HMS Pomone was already on station.

[2] Pigmy was short-handed, her master was in bed, ill, and Higginson was exhausted from having been on deck for several days.

He had relied too much on the pilot, and had not come on deck after the watch had warned that shore lights suggested that Pigmy might be in danger.