From 1773 to 1775,
Roland was the flagship of the
Second voyage of Kerguelen. After it returned, its leader,
Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec, was
court-martialled in
Brest on 15 May 1775 by a
council of war presided over by Vice-Admiral
Anne Antoine, Comte d'Aché for transporting 200 slaves on
Roland from
Madagascar to sell in French colonies in defiance of Louis XV, who had issued regulations ordering French Navy officers not to trade in slaves. At the court-martial, his defence lawyer minimised Kerguelen's slave-trading activities by stating that it was only "Eight or nine negroes that the pilot’s assistant bought on Kerguelen’s behalf". Although several other naval officers, many of whom were stationed at
Rochefort, had traded in slaves, he was found guilty on 25 May 1776 and sentenced to six years imprisonment.
Roland took part in the
Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778 under
Gilart de Larchantel. == Fate ==