In order to match the French deployment of armored corvettes of the and es in the Pacific Ocean the Admiralty ordered "Zealous" to sail for the west coast of Canada shortly after she was completed. Upon her arrival the ship became the flagship, and reached her operational base at Esquimalt in July 1867 (Esquimalt was the headquarters of the Pacific Station); she remained moored there, at the end of a telegraph link with Britain, until April 1869. During this time her only sea service was for gunnery practice on two days every quarter. In January 1870 she picked up a fresh crew at Panama brought out by the two-decker . After six years on station she was relieved by "Revenge" as flagship and started for home. Her bottom had not been cleaned since she had left Great Britain and she could only make a maximum of under sail or steam so her return voyage took five months. "Zealous" struck a rock while sailing through the English Narrows in the southwestern coast of Chile, but was only slightly damaged. She was refitted in Plymouth in April 1873 and then became guard ship at Southampton until 1875, when she was paid off. The ship was placed in reserve in Portsmouth until sold for scrap in September 1886.