L' AURORE was built in 1784 in France by the shipbuilder H. Penevert. The length amounted to 31 m, the width to 8.7 m, the displacement to 500 tons at 4 m draught. From France ships of this kind sailed to the coast of Angola, in order to take over 600 slaves for the journey to Haiti, at that time French colony Saint Domingue. From there colonial goods were bought, usually sugar, and transported to France. In 1789 the slave trade was abolished in France.