"San Francisco" arrived at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in February 1893 and with other U.S. and foreign ships, assembled for the naval review. "I was much impressed by the smartness and cleanliness of the British warships. No others seemed as well kept, with the exception of our own. The peculiarities of the French construction and arrangement came in for considerable attention. The appearance of their ships seemed almost grotesque. The Italian ships seemed to be modeled after the British. The discipline of the German tars caused much comment. It seemed so unnecessarily strict." Stirling transferred to the "Charleston" in October 1893, when the cruiser steamed south from Hampton Roads towards the Strait of Magellan on its return to the Pacific Coast. "Charleston" anchored at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where it was ordered to protect American interests and shipping from disturbance during the Brazilian Naval Revolution that had erupted in September with Brazilian admirals Custódio José de Melo and Saldanha da Gama commanding a rebel force that included the formidable battleship "Aquidaban", several cruisers, "Republica", "Tamandaré", "Trajano", "Guanbara" and a few smaller frigates and gunboats that were blockading the port of Rio de Janeiro in a mutiny against the government of General Floriano Peixoto whose regime was recognized by the United States. When "Charleston" arrived, there was a British gunboat and two Portuguese cruisers in the harbor. "Charleston's" captain, Henry F. Picking, due to his rank, became senior officer of the foreign navies in port and by international custom was regarded as the leader in concerted actions. To determine whether the city could be bombarded by the rebel navy under the rules of war, it was necessary to determine whether the city was fortified. Picking ordered Stirling and Ensign H. E. Smith ashore to find out.