 A second diplomatic mission , sent from London in 1808 under Sir Harford Jones , was instructed to discuss the issue again , Jones deciding to travel to Bushire in Persia by sea . The diplomatic convoy consisted of the frigate HMS Nereide and two HEIC sloops , Sylph and Sapphire . The convoy was commanded by Captain Robert Corbet , who refused to wait for the slower sloops once the force had reached the Persian Gulf . Nereide arrived at Bushire on 14 October 1808 . Jones completed his journey by land . Corbet returned south to the Straits of Hormuz , expecting to meet the sloops on his return journey . On 21 October , however , he discovered Sylph in the hands of Al Qasimi , who had swarmed the isolated warship , captured her and massacred her crew . Corbet was able to recapture the vessel and later rejoined Sapphire , which had been detached to conduct survey 's of the Persian coast , but the operation demonstrated that it was the pirates who now controlled the Southern Persian Gulf . 
