the rank of lieutenant,
and appointed to the _Andromeda_, of 32 guns. From the _Andromeda_ he
was removed to the _Venerable_, the flagship of Admiral Duncan in the
North Sea. In April 1797 he went out to the Mediterranean to join Lord
St Vincent.

St Vincent had been a friend of his father's, and had promised to
promote him as opportunity should occur. The flagship had her full
complement of officers, so Maitland was appointed first lieutenant of
the _Kingfisher_, a brig mounting 18 six-pounders and commanded by the
Hon. Charles Herbert Pierrepont, afterwards Earl Manvers. In her he
was present at the capture of four French privateers. With one of
these, the _Betsey_, of 16 guns, a severe action was fought. When the
prize-money for her capture was distributed, the crew of the
_Kingfisher_ subscribed L50 to present Maitland with a sword in
recognition of his conduct.

Pierrepont was promoted to post rank in December 1798, and appointed
to the _Spartiate_, one of Nelson's prizes taken at the Nile. A few
days after his departure the _Kingfisher_, under Maitland's command,
was leaving the Tagus, when she grounded on Lisbon bar and became a
total wreck. Maitland was tried by court-martial at Gibraltar, and
acquitted of all blame in connection with her loss. Immediately after
his trial he was appointed flag-lieutenant to Lord St Vincent.

On June 23, 1799, the French and Spanish fleets effected a junction
at Cartagena, and in the following month they retired from the
Mediterranean and took refuge in Brest. They passed the Straits of
Gibraltar on July 7, when Maitland had an adventure which is described
in Tucker's _Memoirs of Earl St Vincent_.

"It is," he says, "an as yet untold anecdote of the presence of mind
and courage of one of the highest-minded characters that ever adorned
the British Navy, the late Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Maitland.

"At this period that gallant officer was Lord St Vincent's
flag-lieutenant; and when the fleets were first descried, Johnny
Gilpin, as his lordship used to call him, was sent to order the
_Penelope_, a little hired cutter, to go, count, and dodge them. The
lieutenant commanding the cutter was found too ill to utter an order.
But Mr Maitland, well knowing his Chief, and that this was service
which must be done, at once assumed the command, and got the vessel
under weigh. He stood over to Ceuta. The night was so pitchy dark and
so calm that the cutter was unperceived by the enemy,