September to join a new West African Squadron, commanded by KAdm Eduard von Knorr to protect German interests in the region. The squadron also included the corvettes Bismarck, , , and Sophie, along with the tender Adler. The ships left Wilhelmshaven on 30 October, bound for West Africa. While in Cape Verde, Ariadne was detached from the squadron to proceed with Adler to Liberia to settle financial disputes. She then steamed off the coast of what was to become French Guinea; the chiefs in the territory between the Pongo and Dubreka rivers that had previously signed agreements with the German explorer Friedrich Colin in 1882 signed protectorate agreements with Ariadnes captain. The German government later traded these territories for areas on the border of Togoland. The ship then went to Freetown before proceeding on to Porto Grande, Cape Verde, where she remained from 15 January to 1 March 1885. While there, she received orders to return to Germany, which she reached on 30 March. Later career After arriving in Wilhelmshaven, Ariadne was reassigned to training duties for Schiffsjungen (apprentice seamen), though she was not formally reassigned as a training ship until 1888. In this role, she typically conducted training cruises in the Baltic and participated in the annual fleet maneuvers. She joined the newly-established Training Squadron on 29 September, which began a long training cruise to the Caribbean Sea on 10 October, which lasted until 27 March 1886 when the ships returned to Wilhelmshaven. She spent the next several months as she had in 1885, conducting training cruises in the Baltic and the autumn fleet exercises. On 14 October, she was decommissioned in Kiel. Ariadne was recommissioned on 1 April 1887 to resume training duties in the Baltic. She was present for the ceremonial beginning of construction on the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal in Kiel in June, shortly before embarking on another cruise to the Caribbean on 12 June. During the voyage, she also visited ports in the United States. Ariadne arrived back in Wilhelmshaven on 25 August 1888 and immediately joined the fleet maneuvers, where she was tasked with defending the port with the ironclad and some armored gunboats against a simulated attack. Ariadne was again decommissioned on 29 September and she remained out of service until 16 April 1889 for another cruise to the Caribbean. After returning to Germany in 1890, she took part in a naval review held