Editing HMS Alert (1856) (section)

===Pacific Station (1857–1868)===
''Alert'' spent the first 11 years of her life on the [[Pacific Station]], based at [[Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard|Esquimalt]] at the southern tip of [[Vancouver Island]], Canada. [[Alert Bay, British Columbia]] is named after the ship, and nearby [[Pearse Island]], at the north entrance to [[Johnstone Strait]], is named after Commander William Alfred Rumbulow Pearse, her commanding officer.<ref>{{cite book|first=John|last=Walbran|year=1909|title=British Columbia Coast Names, 1592–1906: their origin and history|location=Ottawa}}</ref> During this period it returned to [[Plymouth]] between October 1861 and May 1863 for a refit. Her service on the Pacific station was the type of work for which her class had been designed—the policing of Britain's far-flung maritime empire.

A photograph exists of ''Alert'' at [[Esquimalt]], [[British Columbia]] from 1867, and it is further attested to by the following extract from ''The Colonist'' newspaper:

{{blockquote|"The 'Alert' Taken! – On Wednesday, H.M.S. Alert was taken without resistance on the part of her officers and crew, who are believed to have lent themselves to the plot. The ship was lying at anchor in Esquimalt harbour when the affair occurred, and the time chosen by the enemy was noon-day. The captor was Mr. Robinson the Photographer, and the only weapons he used in effecting his object were a Camera, and a bit of glass."|''The Colonist'', 5 July 1866<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crunchers.bc.ca/robinson/qc_coal_1.html|title=George Robinson, Vancouver Island Pioneer|access-date=2008-11-20}}</ref>}}

''Alert'' [[paid off]] at Plymouth on 30 May 1868 and was placed in the Steam Reserve.

{{anchor|Arctic exploration}}