During her first commission, she served in the North America and West Indies Stations and later the Channel Squadron.

Like previous ships of the same name, she was re-commissioned on 8 May 1869 as flagship of the Special Flying Squadron, under Rear Admiral Geoffrey Hornby.

The squadron's mission was an early form of "flag waving" to display British naval power and prowess across the world.

The "Flying Squadron" consisted of HM ships Barrosa, Endymion, Liffey, Liverpool, Phoebe, and Scylla.

The squadron left Portsmouth on 18 July 1869, circumnavigated the globe, and returned in November 1870, having sailed 53,000 miles.