and yet so close
among them that the words of command in French and Spanish could be
distinctly heard. At daybreak she was about gunshot distance from the
whole Spanish fleet. When they saw her their admiral signalled a
number of launches to tow a brig of 14 guns to attack her, but on
their arrival within shot from the little _Penelope_, the reception
she astonished them with was so spirited that the enemy dropped astern
again and retired; and a faint hope of escape appeared, for, there
being no wind, the cutter's boats were kept ahead all the forenoon,
towing to the southward. Then every ship in that mighty fleet, except
one frigate, actually turned their heads to the southward to give
chase to the cutter. But the frigate stood to the northward, and as
the afternoon's westerly breeze got up, it brought her down under
studding-sails near the _Penelope_, before the air had reached her.
When she was within cable's length, the frigate opened her broadside
fire. Mr Maitland told the cutter's crew to lie down upon the deck
till the frigate had discharged all her guns. The men lay down very
smartly; but when ordered to rise, splice the top-sail braces, and get
the vessel's head about, not a man of them would stir. 'Fighting,'
they said, 'was not their employ; they were not hired for it, and,
should they lose a limb, there was no provision for them;' and thus
the frigate now renewing her fire, the little _Penelope_ was taken.

"To the honour of the Spanish admiral it must be added, that, having
witnessed this bravery and heard that it was Lord St Vincent's
flag-lieutenant that had displayed it, he sent Mr Maitland in a cartel
to Gibraltar, declaring him free without exchange."

Tucker, who wrote in 1844, was not quite correct in saying that the
anecdote was "as yet untold." It had been given long before in
Marshall's _Naval Biography_. Marshall mentions, among other details,
that "the _Penelope_ had on board a sum of money intended for Minorca,
which it was not deemed advisable to remove, under the pressing
urgency for her immediate departure from Gibraltar. When her crew
found there was no chance of escape from the combined fleets, they
made an attempt to plunder the treasure, which Lieutenant Maitland
most honourably and successfully resisted, alleging that as public
property it was the lawful prize of the captors."

Lord St Vincent returned to England in August 1799, accompanied by
Maitland. On reaching Portsmouth he hea