Landing in Constantinople, the Simoom acted as a supply ship to Crimea and in May 1855 at Sevastopol in an Anglo-French naval raid, she fought against the Russian opposition on the Sea of Azov.

[2] By 1867, HMS Serpent continued along the west and north-west coast of Japan, due to the impending opening of the port of Hyogo to foreign trade under the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce.

He was reported by British officials to speak Japanese, and thoroughly 'likes the country [of Japan]', frequently finding little time other than to carry on his photography, engaging in local culture, which are presumed to be lost.

After suffering a related deterioration of his health in February 1879, in April his contract was terminated and they returned home on 19 May 1879 after receiving an audience with Emperor Meiji, departing from Yokohama.

[14][15] Sutton on returning to London in 1879 also attempted to deliver a series of lectures about his photographic slides entitled 'Lantern Exhibitions of Travels in the Eastern Island World, China, Loo-Choo, and Japan'[16]