As part of its offensive strategy, the British organized an expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa (present-day Ghana).

Captain Thomas Shirley led the expedition, commanding HMS Leander together with the sloop-of-war Alligator with a small convoy consisting of a few merchant-vessels, several transports carrying two small regiments of independently raised troops under the command of Captain Kenneth Mackenzie of the 78th Foot.

In November near the African coast Senegal, he captured and destroyed the French store-ship Officeuse, supposed to be worth £30,000.

The French frigate Fée captured Ulysses and took her into Brest, but not before her captain had weighted the dispatches and thrown them overboard.

Shirley's first lieutenant, Mr. Van court, took the second set in the transport cartel Mackerel, which also carried the Dutch governors of the forts to Europe.