 Promoted to commander on 30 April 1827, he saw action again when HMS "Ganges" took part in an operation to land a naval brigade in Brazil to protect Pedro I, the Emperor of Brazil, in the face of the Irish and German Mercenary Soldiers' Revolt in June 1828.He returned home when HMS "Ganges" became the guard ship at Portsmouth in 1829.Maitland became commanding officer of the sloop HMS "Sparrowhawk" on the North America and West Indies Station in June 1832 and brought home a treasure freight of $589,405 and 42 bales of cochineal (a scale insect from which the crimson-coloured natural dye carmine is derived) when he returned in May 1833.