Dee ihe na-aga n'ihu maka paragraf a - Na 18 Disemba 1855 Stephenson sonyeere Royal Navy, bụrụ onye Naval Cadet na HMS "St Jean d'Acre", nke nwanne nna ya bụ Henry Keppel nyere iwu, ma jee ozi na Oké Osimiri Ojii n'oge Agha Crimea. Site na Septemba 1856 ruo Eprel 1857 Stephenson jere ozi n'okpuru Keppel dị ka onye na-agụ akwụkwọ na HMS "Raleigh", na-eje ozi na East Indies na China n'oge Agha Anglo-Chinese nke Abụọ
, ruo mgbe ụgbọ ya kpuru n'akụkụ Macau mgbe ọ kụrụ nkume a na-amaghị ama. A zọpụtara ndị ọrụ ụgbọ mmiri ahụ nile. N'ọnwa Juun afọ 1857, o jere ozi dịka onye Midshipman na HMS "Pearl", na-eje ozi na "Pearl's Naval Brigade n'oge ọgba aghara India nke 1857, nke a kpọtụrụ ya aha na Despatches ugboro atọ. N'ọnwa Juun afọ 1861, e buliri ya n'ọkwa lieutenant na HMS "Emerald", na-eje ozi na Channel Squadron.