 On 14 August , one of Rowley 's ships , the 18 @-@ gun sloop HMS Otter , attacked a French brig at Rivière Noire District on Île de France . Although the attack was ultimately unsuccessful , Otter 's captain Nesbit Willoughby and his landing party were able to break into and out of the harbour without severe difficulties . This prompted Rowley to consider a larger scale operation against a more heavily fortified French position . Two months earlier , in the Action of 31 May 1809 , the French frigate Caroline had captured two East Indiamen , the Streatham and Europe in the Bay of Bengal . The French captain , Jean @-@ Baptiste @-@ Henri Feretier , led his prizes back to the French @-@ held islands , arriving off Île de France on 22 July . Feretier was prevented from attempting to reach Port Louis by Rowley 's blockading squadron and instead put his ships into Saint @-@ Paul on Île Bonaparte to unload his captured vessels and replenish his supplies . 
