Norway and the East Indies he returned successful, but had suffered many fatalities among his crew. On the outward voyage, scurvy had broken out and not one seaman was fit for duty by the time he reached Cape Town. There Bille also broke an arm, which was not set properly and which gave him problems for the rest of his life. Arriving in Bengal, he sent his second officer home in disgrace, for embezzlement. For a few years after his return, Bille was in poor health and without a command. During this time he traveled privately to Germany and Paris. Then he received a few commands and at the age of 38 he was promoted to Captain on 6 March 1789. He became flag captain to Admiral von Schindel in Den Prægtige. Later, he commanded Havfruen and other ships. As head of cadet training in the frigate Fredericksværn in 1795, he earned his students' undying loyalty by allowing them to eat all they wanted each day. In a test in 1796, racing the old Cronborg against the newly built Najaden, Bille's Cronborg was always the victor. That same year, Bille was flag captain in the squadron of Vice-Admiral F C Kaas. In The Mediterranean In the spring of 1797, whilst most of Europe was at war, neutral Denmark had expanded its trade in the Mediterranean and it was necessary for the country's interests to protect this. The Moors had until now been appeased with annual gifts of tribute, but Tripoli now declared war on Denmark, seizing a merchant ship – the Providentia from Bergen – and selling the crew into slavery. Bille was given the task of solving the situation and he set sail in Najaden, arriving on 2 May in Malta, where the brig Sarpen and a hired armed xebec were waiting. These ships proceeded to Tripoli harbour where, on 16 May 1797, they successfully fought the Bey of Tunis's ships. The ensuing peace treaty was favourable to the Danes, and Bille's squadron continued to provide naval cover for all Danish merchant ships in the Mediterranean. Bille himself was promoted on New Years Day 1798 to senior captain (Danish – KomKapt) and honoured with an appointment as Gentleman-in-waiting to the Danish Court. Diplomacy was high on his agenda (he became the ambassador to Morocco), to protect Danish convoys and to negotiate with the British naval forces and avoid conflict