She was stripped of her crew at Esquimalt in 1914, and transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1917, being commissioned as HMCS Algerine.

She and her sister ship, Phoenix, were designed by Sir William White, the Admiralty Chief Constructor.

[3] Algerine was provided with a three-cylinder vertical triple-expansion steam engine developing 1,400 indicated horsepower (1,000 kW) and driving twin screws.

[1] Her armament consisted primarily of six 4-inch quick-firing guns weighing a ton each and firing a 25-pound (11 kg) shell.

She was recommissioned at Hong Kong on 15 February 1900 by Commander Robert Hathorn Johnston Stewart,[4] and served in Chinese waters during the Boxer Rebellion.

[2] In June 1900 Algerine was involved in an attack on the Taku Forts by an international naval force, including contributing to a multi-national landing party, and had six men wounded.

[9][10] Following her arrival at Esquimalt, her crew was sent to man HMCS Niobe, and the ship lay unused in harbour for most of the First World War.