 After delivery to her owners on 19 September, "Mount Temple" was chartered by the Imperial Government to transport remounts for the British Army fighting in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War.She departed for her maiden journey on the same day for New Orleans and arrived there on 9 October.As the steamer entered the service late in 1901, she only made three trips in Admiralty service before the war ended at the end of May 1902.