On the completion of his time, Mr. Maitland was confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant, and appointed to the Winchelsea frigate, commanded by Lord Garlics, now Earl of Galloway, with whom he had formerly served as a Midshipman, in the Sheerness, 44, on Channel service. Soon after his return to England, he removed with his Lordship into the Lively, of 32 guns.
On the 13th March, 1795, the Lively, commanded pro tempore by the late Sir George Burlton, being on a cruise off Ushant, fell in with, and after an action which lasted near three hours, captured la Tourterelle, a French frigate, mounting 30 guns, with a complement of 250 men, 16 of whom were killed and 25 wounded. The Lively had only 2 wounded, but sustained considerable damage in her sails and rigging, the former of which were much burnt by hot shot fired from her opponent. She had a few days before taken l’Espion corvette, of 18 guns and 140 men.
Towards the latter end of the same year, the Lively was ordered to the Mediterranean station, with the flag of Sir John Jervis, by whom Lieutenant Maitland was made a Commander, and appointed to the Transfer, a polacre-rigged ship, on the establishment of a sloop of war, but carrying only 8 guns.
Proceeding from Gibraltar to Elba, for the purpose of joining that vessel, our officer, then a passenger on board the Blanche frigate, bore a part in the action between that ship and a Spanish squadron; an account of which will be given under the head of Superannuated Rear-Admiral Preston, in our next volume. He was subsequently employed in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar, and from thence sent to convoy a number of light transports to Lisbon; but falling in with the enemy’s fleet during a fog on the day preceding the battle off Cape St. Vincent, his charge was cut off, and the Transfer had some difficulty in effecting her escape.
Captain Maitland’s next appointment was, in April 1J97, to the Kingfisher, a fine brig, in which he cruised for some time on the coast of Portugal. Whilst on that station, an occurrence took place which, however painful to his feelings, afforded another opportunity for the display of that determined courage which he had been long known to possess. On
