HMS Reynard was part of the 1847 Program, she was ordered on 25 April as a steam schooner from Deptford Dockyard with the name 'Plumper'.

She was launched in 1848, conducted anti-piracy work in Chinese waters and was wrecked near Pratas Island in the South China Sea on 31 May 1851.

[1][2] Her main armament consisted of two Blomefield 32-pounder 56 hundredweight (cwt) muzzle loading smooth bore (MLSB) 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m) solid shot guns and six Blomefield (bored up from 18-pounders) 32-pounder 25 cwt MLSB 6-foot 6 ft 0 in (1.8 m) solid shot guns on broadside trucks.

[1][2] She was commissioned on 4 July 1848 at Woolwich under Commander Peter Cracroft, RN for Particular Service[4] with Sir Charles Napier's Western Squadron.

she sailed for the East Indies, leaving Singapore in company with HMS Cleopatra for Labuan and China on 10 October 1849,[7] and arriving in Hong Kong on 14 November.

[8] She left Hong Kong to return to Woolwich to pay off, but on her way was required to accompany the brig HMS Pilot to rescue the crew of the brig Velocipede, which had run aground on Pratas shoal, 170 miles (150 nautical miles; 270 kilometres) southeast of Hong Kong.