Pondicherry 's defenses were strong , but the garrison was too small to effectively man the walls , and although a French frigate squadron was stationed Placing at the distant Île de France , it was unable to effectively protect Defending the French Indian coast .

He retired to his base at Île de France ( now Mauritius ) , where he learned Know of his error .

The French squadron , commanded Control by Contre-amiral Pierre César Charles de Sercey , had left Departing their base on Île de France in July , cruising Patrolling off Ceylon and Tranquebar before sailing Self_motion eastwards .

The Batavian operation did however force Request the cancellation Removing of a planned British invasion of Île de France .

This gave Giving the French forces on the island a significant regional advantage , outnumbering the British frigate on the recently captured Conquering Île Bourbon , commanded by Commodore Josias Rowley , by six to one .

British reinforcements were hastily despatched Sending to the area but the French were blockading Besieging Île Bourbon in force and the arriving Arriving reinforcements were in constant danger of attack by more powerful French units .

`` Africaine '' was the first ship to reinforce Cause_change_of_strength Rowley 's squadron , but within three days of her arrival in the region was engaged Hostile_encounter by two French ships while attempting to drive Motion them away from Saint Denis on Île Bourbon .

The engagement Hostile_encounter was the third successful French attack Attack on an Indian Ocean convoy Patrolling in just over a year , the French frigates being part of a squadron operating Being_in_operation from the Île de France under Commodore Jacques Hamelin .

The attack Attack on Île Bonaparte was however part of a wider British strategy to seize Conquering and capture Conquering French raiding Attack bases , and the success of the operation severely limited Limiting future French operations as Hamelin 's squadron was required Imposing_obligation for the defence Defending of Île de France .

The attack Attack on Île Bonaparte was however part of a wider British strategy to seize Conquering and capture Conquering French raiding Attack bases , and the success of the operation severely limited Limiting future French operations as Hamelin 's squadron was required Imposing_obligation for the defence Defending of Île de France .

A month later , Hamelin 's raiding Attack campaign skirted disaster Catastrophe when a winter hurricane on the voyage back to Île de France almost wrecked Destroying his flagship `` Vénus '' .

French privateers operating Control from the Indian Ocean islands of Île Bonaparte and Île de France were a serious threat to British trade across the Indian Ocean during the Wars Hostile_encounter , and the British deployed Arranging numerous methods of intercepting them , including disguising warships as merchant vessels to lure Hold privateers into unequal engagements Hostile_encounter with more powerful warships .

French privateers operating Control from the Indian Ocean islands of Île Bonaparte and Île de France were a serious threat to British trade across the Indian Ocean during the Wars Hostile_encounter , and the British deployed Arranging numerous methods of intercepting them , including disguising warships as merchant vessels to lure Hold privateers into unequal engagements Hostile_encounter with more powerful warships .

The victory gave Giving Britain dominance over its European rivals in the eastern Pacific and western Indian Ocean , allowing free passage of British trade through the region and allowing British forces to focus on the one remaining threat to their merchant convoys in the Indian Ocean : the French islands of Île Bonaparte and Isle de France ( now Mauritius ) .

The engagement Hostile_encounter was one of several between rival frigate squadrons contesting Competition control Control of the French island base of Île de France , from which French frigates had raided Attack British trade routes during the war Hostile_encounter .

In consequence of the heavy losses Earnings_and_losses the British force had suffered Earnings_and_losses , reinforcements Cause_change_of_strength were hastily rushed Self_motion to the area and became Becoming individual targets for the larger French squadron blockading Besieging the British base at Île Bourbon .

HMS `` Ceylon '' had been despatched Sending by the British authorities at Madras after the Battle Hostile_encounter of Grand Port to reinforce Cause_change_of_strength the remains of the squadron under Commodore Josias Rowley on Île Bourbon .

Searching for Rowley off Île de France , `` Ceylon '' was spotted Know by French Commodore Jacques Hamelin who gave Giving chase Self_motion in his flagship `` Vénus '' , supported Supporting by a corvette .

`` Vénus '' was faster than `` Ceylon '' , and although Captain Charles Gordon almost reached Arriving the safety of Île Bourbon , he was run Self_motion down and forced Causation to engage Hostile_encounter the French ship during the night , both frigates inflicting Change_sentiment severe damage Damaging on one another before the wounded Bodily_harm Gordon surrendered Surrendering to the approaching corvette .

This was the last ship-to-ship action in the region before the successful invasion Attack of Île de France in December 1810 : without Hamelin the French squadron , short on supplies Supply and low on morale , did not contest Competition British control Control of the region and failed Earnings_and_losses to even attempt Hold to disrupt Hindering the invasion Attack fleet .

The campaign developed Coming_to_be as French forces based on Île de France reacted Response more quickly than the British forces in the Indian Ocean to the expansion Expansion of the French Revolutionary Wars on 1 February 1793 .

The French subsequently turned Motion southwards out of the Strait and attacked Attack Bencoolen again on 9 February , capturing Conquering an East Indiaman in the harbour before returning Arriving to Île de France with their prize .