after commissioning she was assigned to the chatham division of the harwich flotilla. on 26 june 1897 she was present at the royal naval review at spithead in celebration of queen victoria's diamond jubilee. she was reassigned to sheerness in january 1900 for instructional purposes at the sheerness school of gunnery, including as tender to hms "wildfire". two months later, she was transferred to chatham to relieve the destroyer in the medway fleet reserve.