She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) from Bengal to England.

In 1840 she was sold to an American trading house at Canton, and then to the Qing Dynasty, which purchased her for the Imperial Chinese Navy.

The British Royal Navy destroyed her on 27 February 1841 during the Battle of First Bar at the onset of the First Opium War.

[10] In August, an American ship brought letters reporting that Bellona had captured Porcher in the Bay of Bengal.

Furthermore, though both captor and captive had copies of the "Preliminaries of Peace", the expectation was that Porcher and her cargo would be condemned.

[11] Lloyd's List reported on 13 August that Bellona had captured Porcher, Tay, and Highland Chief.

[10][a] In June 1802, Earl Cornwallis sailed to Île de France having on board a number of French prisoners, who had been detained in Bengal.

[9] Lloyd's List reported on 28 December 1802 that Highland Chief, Porcher, and Tay had been condemned.

[6] On 1 March 1811 Captain Charles Morlock received a letter of marque against the French for Cambridge.

Under his command, Cambridge left China on 15 March 1815, reached St Helena on 5 July, and arrived at the Downs in September.

[4] Captain John Freeman sailed Cambridge from Plymouth on 20 March 1816, bound for China.

On 1 June 1825 Captain James Barber sailed Cambridge from Portsmouth, bound for Bombay.

[17] Captain James Barber sailed from Plymouth on 6 July 1826, bound for Madras and Bengal.

[21] On 27 February 1841 a British Royal Navy flotilla sailed up the Pearl River and attacked Chinese artillery batteries on First Bar Island.

[24] Seamen and marines from HMS Calliope boarded Cambridge and set her on fire.

Eventually the ship's magazine detonated, creating a sound so loud British dispatches reported that it "must have been heard in Canton.