Commander James Kinneer commissioned Salamander in November 1778 for Admiral Hardy's fleet.

[9] In a case that went all the way to the Lords of Appeal, Salamander was among the vessels entitled to share in the prize money for the capture of the island of Saint Eustatius in February 1781.

[10] Commander the Honourable Henry Edwyn Stanhope replaced Hichens in around April.

Stanhope was promoted post-captain on 16 June and replaced by Commander Edward Bowater on 5 September.

Although she was assigned to Sir George Brydges Rodney's division, she did not participate in the action at the Battle of the Chesapeake.

[9] Salamander shared with Triton in the proceeds of the French sloop Prince of Orange, captured in March 1782 at Saint Lucia.

[9] Northern whale fisheries (1784–1790): Salamander appeared in the 1786 Lloyd's Register (LR) with T. Ash, master, and P. Mellish, owner.

[15] In July 1787, Salamander, Ash (or Ashton), master, was reported to have taken two fish,[16] at Davis Strait.

She departed Portsmouth on 27 March 1791 and arrived on 21 August 1791 in Port Jackson, New South Wales.

She returned to England on 15 September 1793 with 117 tuns of sperm oil and 6100 seal skins,[3] having come via St Salvadore.

[3] Lloyd's Register for 1802 listed Salamander as a London-based transport, with Hutchins, master, and still under the ownership of Mellish & Co.

Captain William Jameson sailed from London on 11 October 1802, bound for West Africa.

Because she sailed during the short-lived Peace of Amiens Jameson did not acquire a letter of marque.

[25] 2nd enslaving voyage (1804): Lloyd's Register for 1804 showed Salamander's ownership had changed to Carver & Co., her master to Walbert, and her trade to London-Africa.

Grande Decide manned Princess Royal, and on 22 September she captured Salamander after a "smart action".

From 1805 on, Lloyd's Register had an unchanged entry showing Wolbert, master, Calvert & Co., owner, and trade London-Africa.

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