 Between 1893 and 1896, she cruised along the United States East Coast, visiting various shipyards with groups of midshipmen embarked.Naval expansion brought a corresponding increase on the Naval Academy's enrollment, and "Bancroft" quickly proved to be too small.After the practice cruise of 1896, she was converted into a conventional gunboat with a reduced armament and the original three-masted barkentine rig cut down to the two masts of a brigantine.