 On 14 November 1884, while anchored off Keelung and exposed to the northeast monsoon, she nearly foundered when her anchor chain snapped during a gale.In February 1885 five warships of China's Nanyang Fleet made a sortie from Shanghai in an attempt to break the French blockade of Formosa.Courbet sought them out with "Bayard" and several other ships of the Far East squadron, and trapped them in Shipu Bay.