rd of an explosion of shells
which had taken place in May on board the _Theseus_, 74, resulting in
the death of her commander, Captain Ralph Willet Miller. A vacancy had
thus occurred in the Mediterranean before the admiral quitted that
station. He used his privilege as commander-in-chief and promoted
Maitland to the rank of commander in the _Cameleon_ sloop-of-war, the
promotion to date from June 14. Maitland at once went out to join his
new ship, which was then on the coast of Egypt under Sir Sidney Smith.
After the signing of the convention of El Arish he was sent home with
despatches. He returned and regained his ship, in which he made
several captures.

On December 10, 1800, he was appointed by Lord Keith to the
_Wassenaar_, 64. As she was then lying at Malta unfit for service, he
obtained permission to accompany Sir Ralph Abercromby's expedition to
Egypt.

The fleet anchored in Aboukir Bay on the 2nd of March 1801. On the
8th, Abercromby effected a landing in face of a large and strongly
posted French force. To Maitland fell the duty of commanding the armed
launches employed to cover the landing. The enemy were driven from
their positions, and retired towards Alexandria with the loss of seven
guns. Abercromby at once followed them up, and advanced on the neck of
sand lying between the sea and the Lake of Aboukir, leaving a distance
of about four miles between the English and French camps. On the 13th
he again attacked the French, and forced them back upon their lines
before Alexandria. The right flank of the British force rested on the
sea, the left on the Lake of Aboukir, and the flanks were covered by a
naval flotilla, the boats on the sea being under Maitland's command,
and those on the lake under that of Captain James Hillyar. Seven days
later Sir Sidney Smith, who commanded the naval battalion serving on
shore, received from a friendly Arab sheikh a letter informing him
that it was General Menou's intention to attack the British camp next
morning. The news was thought too good to be true, as in a few days
Abercromby would have been compelled to attack the lines of Alexandria
under every tactical disadvantage. It was, however, confirmed, and on
the 21st of March the battle of Alexandria was fought, the fate of
Egypt was decided, and Abercromby received his death-wound. Maitland
again covered the British right flank from the sea. In the detailed
plan of the battle given in Sir Robert Wilson's _History of the