On 3 March 1789, he enlisted as a volunteer on the 700-ton "Aurore", under Captain Tardivet, a slave ship bound for India. "Aurore" sailed to Pondicherry and ferried troops bound for Isle de France. On her next journey, seeking to purchase slaves on the Horn of Africa, "Aurore" was wrecked in the Mozambique Channel, drowning 400 black slaves chained in the orlop. Tardivet chartered the Portuguese "San Antoine" in October 1790 to return to Port-Louis, but had to divert to Sumatra because of the weather, and only returned to Port-Louis in late 1790, on a French ship via the French colony of Pondicherry. Promoted to officer, Surcouf enlisted on the "Courrier d'Afrique", another slave ship, bound for Mozambique under Captain Garnier. Captain Tardivet then brought him over as Lieutenant on his new ship, "Revanche". On "Revanche", Surcouf made several expeditions off Madagascar.