In October 1781, Bellone, under Captain Étienne-François de Cillart de Villeneuve, was off Cape of Good Hope escorting the transports Neker and Sévère. The squadron encountered the 50-gun HMS Hannibal, which captured the transports and brought them to Saint Helena. Bellone sailed on to Isle de France and reinforced the French squadron under Rear-Admiral Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves. On 9 February 1782, Estienne d'Orves and Suffren assumed command of the squadron. He re-appointed his captains and gave command of Bellone to Jean André de Pas de Beaulieu. On 1 March 1782, under Captain de Beaulieu, Bellone returned to Trinquebar from a cruise in the Indian Ocean, where she had captured or destroyed 14 merchantmen. In April 1782, Bellone captured the East Indiaman Cartier, which came from China, and brought her to Batacalo. In June of the same year, she captured a British "both", in the roads of Negapatnam that the French took into service as Negapatnam. The next month Negapatnam was at Pondicherry with the French squadron under Admiral Suffren, but her subsequent disposition is unknown. Around late May, Bellonecut out the snowRaiker, with a cargo of arak, and three smaller ships, near the fort of Nagapattinam. In July 1782, in the wake of the Battle of Negapatam, Suffren promoted Beaulieu to the command of Brillant, replacing him with Pierrevert. On 12 August 1782, in the runup to the Battle of Trincomalee, Bellone had her mainmast damaged by a gust of wind and sailed to Batacalo for repairs. En route, she encountered, under Andrew Mitchell. In the ensuing Action of 12 August 1782, Coventry killed or wounded the senior officers of Bellone, which allowed her to make good her escape. In the wake of the Battle of Trincomalee, Suffren sent Bellone to reconnaitre the harbour of Cuddalore and investigate whether a British attack was imminent. Bellone returned on 23 September 1782 and could report that everything was quiet at Cuddalore. In January 1783, she was under Villaret-Joyeuse.
Later career
On 5 February 1791, under Captain de Méhérenc de Saint Pierre, Bellone departed Brest with Amphitrite, bound for Martinique. From May to December 1792, she cruised the North Sea, before returning to Brest. On 8 October 1792, her commanding officer, Lieutenant Leprince, committed suicide, and the First Officer, Lieutenant Lafargue, took over. In August 1793, she ran aground at Quibéron, but was successfully refloated. Bellone took part in the Glorious First of June. In February 1795, under Lieutenant Anger, she crossed from Bergen to Brest. She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande.
Capture and fate
Under Commander Jacob, Bellone took part in the Battle of Tory Island on 12 October 1798. There, she was captured by and, and was commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Proserpine. She had 20 killed and 45 wounded in the action. The Royal Navy hulked her, with Captain William Ferris commanding her from August 1804. Still, although officially "under repair" at Plymouth, she was never more than a hulk. The Navy sold her for breaking up on 27 August 1806.
