In 1839 she was one of the vessels that surrendered her store of opium to be burned at the behest of Chinese officials at Canton.

[5] The Register of Shipping showed her with C. Bean, master, Grant, owner, and trade "In India".

[9] By 1833 Hercules belonged to Jardine Matheson and was operating as a receiving ship for opium at Lintin.

On 7 August 1833 Captain Grant, the marine superintendent for Jardine Matheson & Co., had Samarang pulled up on the beach at Tsinkeo Bay and broken up.

In the subsequent melee, the British seized a local, but released him when he agreed to return to his village and retrieve the stolen materials.

Grant organized a force from Hercules and the other opium ships at anchor and attacked the village.

However, an official inquiry resulted that took some time to smooth over the affair, with the assistance of a made up story and some bribes.

[13] In 1835 an advertisement in the local press stated that "Captain Parry of the Hercules has for sale at Lintin – chains, anchors, nails, cordage, copper sheathing, sheathing nails, canvas, boat guns.