Spy then became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people, a merchantman to South America, and privateer again.

One was the East Indiaman Trajan, Captain Joseph Boudel, which was coming from Pondicherry.

The frigate HMS Syren, Captain John Manley, captured Robert on 13 June 1793 in the Bay of Biscay after a chase of 28 hours.

On 22 July 1794 Tamise and two other French frigates captured Espion south of the Isles of Scilly.

[12][1] On 23 August 1794, HMS Flora, Captain Sir John Borlase Warren, and HMS Arethusa, Captain Sir Edward Pellew, chased two French corvettes, Alerte and Espion into Audierne Bay.

The two corvettes anchored off the Gamelle Rocks, but when they saw that the British intended to capture them, their captains got under weigh and ran their vessels aground below the guns of three shore batteries.

Warren sent in the boats from both Flora and Arethusa, all under Pellew's command, with orders to set fire or otherwise destroy the two corvettes.

Pellew estimated that Alerte had suffered 20 to 30 men killed and wounded, and that Espion had lost more.

[13] Alerte was a total loss,[14] but the French Navy was able to refloat Espion, which had been under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Magendie.

For instance, on 5 March 1799 Spy passed Plymouth, escorting a convoy of coasters westward.

[22] The Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy offered the "Spy 275 tons burthen" for sale at Plymouth on 7 September 1801.

[2] The supplement to Lloyd's Register for 1802 showed Spy, with Vaughn, master, and "Swansea", as owner, having undergone a refit in 1802.

A database of enslaving voyages from London showed Spy, Robert Vaughn, master, and James Swanzy, owner, made one voyage in 1803 carrying captives from the Gold Coast to British Guiana.

[b] The next day the bullion, in 100 casks and boxes, traveled in three wagons under strong guard to the Bank of England.

[30] Lloyd's List of 2 August 1805 reported that the privateer Spy, of London, Dwyer, master, had been captured and taken into Guadeloupe.

[31] Lloyd's Register continued the entry from the 1803 addendum, including Clarke as master, unchanged until at least 1811.

[26] The Register of Shipping for 1805 had an entry for Spy that still showed Clarke as master, and Hurry & Co. as owner.