had arrived on the Egyptian coast in quest of M. Gantheaume[1]; and he continued to command that ship, under the orders of Sir John Borlase Warren, till August following, when he was removed to la Carrere, a French frigate taken near Elba[2].
Captain Maitland remained in the Mediterranean till the peace of Amiens; paid off la Carrere Oct. 4, 1802; and eleven days afterwards was appointed, by his steady friend Earl St. Vincent, to the Loire, a remarkably fine frigate, mounting 46 guns.
During the night of June 27, 1803, two boats of the Loire, commanded by Lieutenants Francis Temple and John Bowen, boarded in a most gallant manner, and after a very severe conflict of nearly ten minutes on her deck, carried the French national brig Venteux, of four long 18-pounders, six brass 36-pr. carronades, and 82 men, lying close under the batteries of the Isle of Bas, where she had been stationed to guard the coast, and regulate the convoys of stores, &c. bound to Brest. The British, in performing this brilliant exploit, had 1 warrant officer and 5 men badly wounded. The Venteux’s loss consisted of her second Captain and 2 seamen killed, her commander, the remainder of her officers (4 in number) and 8 men wounded.
On the 16th Mar. 1804, Captain Maitland captured the Braave French ship privateer, of 16 guns and 110 men, on the Irish station. In August following, while cruising for the protection of the homeward bound convoys, he had the good fortune to fall in with, and after a pursuit of twenty hours, and a running fight of fifteen minutes, capture the Blonde of thirty 9-pounders, and 240 men, 2 of whom were mortally, and 5 others badly wounded. The Loire on this occasion had a Midshipman and 5 men wounded[3].
On the 12th May, 1805, Captain Maitland, being in lat. 43° 20' N., long. 19° 20' W., discovered a squadron consisting of one 3-decker, four 2-deckers, three frigates, and two brigs; and having ascertained them to be French ships, kept
- ↑ See p. 232.
- ↑ See Vol. I. p. 431.
- ↑ The Blonde was a frigate-built privateer, belonging to Bourdeaux. Since the renewal of the war she had been of very great annoyance to our trade; and some time previous to her falling in with the Loire, captured a British sloop of war. See Captain Henry Gordon.
