Fama was laid down as a 34-gun fifth-rate frigate in Cartagena in 1795, and was launched later that year. In 1796 she was assigned to the Spanish Philippines, and so she departed Concepcion, Chile for Manila on 10 October 1796 in the company of the third-rates Europa, Montañes, San Pedro, and the frigate Pilar.Aguado, Juan-Garcia, Jose M (1999). Un Ingeniero de Marina en el s. XVIII. A Coruna. University de Coruna Press. p. 320 In Manila a typhoon severely damaged the squadron, putting it out of action for nearly two years.Parkinson 1954, p. 139 At the same time, the Anglo-Spanish War broke out between Great Britain and Spain. After repairs were completed, Admiral Ignacio Maria de Álava y Sáenz de Navarrete attempted to use the fleet to disrupt the British trade with China by sailing the squadron into the South China Sea in search of a British convoy. After fighting an inconclusive battle with a British fleet in January 1797, de Navarrete ordered Fama and Europa to Macau in an attempt to intercept British merchantmen in the Pearl River estuary.Parkinson 1954, p. 157 This operation was likewise a failure, and both ships returned to Manila.Parkinson, C. Northcote (1954). War in the Eastern Seas, 1793 – 1815. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. p. 157
