Homeward bound, she passed Saugor on 23 December, reached Madras on 2 February 1790, and St Helena on 29 August.

War with France had broken out almost four months earlier, so as became the common practice for EIC vessels, he received a letter of marque on 17 April.

[1] The withdrawal of the Royal Navy squadron from Indian waters had left the EIC's trade vulnerable to privateers from Île de France (Mauritius).

One account lists the vessels as Britannia, Pigot, Houghton, Nonsuch, and the cruiser Viper.

It states their task would be to cruise the Malacca and Sunda Straits, and the Bay of Bengal, when not actually convoying the trade.

[1] In the meantime, the EIC squadron under Commodore Charles Mitchell passed Singapore on 2 January 1794, sailing eastwards in search of French raiders.

On 17 January they approached the mouth of Rat Island Basin close to Bencoolen where Pigot lay at anchor, completely unprepared for action.

[12] At 08:15 Vengeur opened fire at 150 yards (137 m), maintaining the battle for an hour and 45 minutes before hauling off so that Résolu could continue the combat.

Ballantyne defended his vessel intelligently, positioning Pigot so that the French could only approach one at a time through the narrow mouth of the bay.

[13] Pigot too had suffered, with one man mortally wounded and sufficient damage to the rigging to require several weeks of repairs.

After immediate repairs had been completed, next day Corosin abandoned Bencoolen and retreated to the Sunda Strait in search of weaker targets.

[12] The overwhelming numbers and size of the British squadron soon convinced Corosin and Jallineaux that further resistance was pointless and 45 minutes after the first shots were fired both surrendered.

[13] On 25 January in the Sunda strait, Mitchell engaged a French naval squadron under the overall command of Captain Jean-Marie Renaud.

The squadron had sailed from the Île de France and consisted of the frigates Prudente and Cybèle, the brig Vulcain, and the captured Princess Royal, now renamed Duguay-Trouin.

[4] As the French maneuvered Pigot out of the bay, Renaud demanded that the small Fort Marlborough nearby surrender.

He, his two officers, and the garrison showed such energy in preparing the defenses, heating shot, etc., that Renaud withdrew.

Lloyd's List reported, "The Pigot (Ballantine), of London; the Sacramento, a Portuguese Ship; and the Ceres, ---- -----, the latter from Manilla to Bengal, have been taken by the French and carried into the Mauritius.

[10] The Times reported that "the remainder of the crew of the Pigot with some Dutchmen taken in a packet from Batavia were in a cartel Ship bound to Madras but which was prevented from sailing by the people on shore who suspecting the Captain was an Aristocrat unhung her rudder and carried him on shore for trial.