The table below recapitulates information from Lloyd's Register for William, built in France in 1770.

Sailing from London on 25 February, she was driven ashore at Sheerness with many others by a sudden blizzard.She finally departed for the South Sea from the Downs on 3 April.William proceeded first to Delagoa Bay in Southeast Africa, where she was reported on 28 August.

She was reported on the coast of Peru in April and September, and called again at the Juan Fernandez Islands in November for firewood and fresh provisions to counter scurvy.

[5][6] Under the command of William Folger, she sailed from England via Cork, Ireland, on 21 September 1793, with 2080 barrels of beef and pork, the Colony's new Assistant Chaplain, Rev.

[5] On 12 April 1796, Captain George Fitch sailed William for the South Seas whaling grounds.

Then she was off Bahia (possibly Bahía de Banderas), California, in January 1798 bound for the Galapagos and then Easter Island.

By the time the French privateer sailed off Cornwall had eleven feet of water in her hold and was quite water-logged.

[11] On 4 March 1801 Captain Robert Poole received a letter of marque for William.

[5] The Register of Shipping for 1802 showed William's master changing from Poole to J. Cottle.