Essington prevailed upon Colonel Brooke, the governor of St Helena, to lend him some troops and to put the British East India Company (EIC) vessels there at the time to form a squadron to try and intercept the Dutch. Providentially, , an East Indiaman under the command of Captain William Taylor Money, was resting at St Helena while on her way back to England. On 3 June, "Sceptre", "General Goddard", (also an EIC ship), and "Swallow" set out. Five other HEIC ships set out later, of which only met up with the squadron. On 10 June the British captured the Dutch Indiaman "Hougly", which "Swallow" escorted into St Helena, before returning to the squadron with additional seamen. Due to bad weather, "Manship" and "Busbridge" lost contact with Essington's squadron.