Bombay Days
Throughout 1789 (and 1790) Macquarie's writings indicate his eagerness
for military action — principally for the chance to acquire prize-money and
the possibility of further promotion.
On 30 March 1789 Lieutenant Macquarie learned with great excitement that
he had succeeded in gaining promotion to the rank of Captain. Otherwise,
his descriptions of life in Bombay revolve around the mundane activities
of garrison duty, the distractions of social balls and dinners, the documenting of the arrival and
departure of British vessels, and the letters that he received or sent to
friends and/or officials. Macquarie had quickly come to understand that his
principal opportunities for advancement and financial success would
arise from patronage links rather than from individual merit.
Macquarie's first excursion outside the boundaries of the British
settlements on the islands of Bombay took place on 14 October –
over fourteen months after his arrival in India . On this date, he
travelled by boat and landed on the mainland coast east of Bombay at a Maratha fortress
listed by Macquarie as 'Bellapore', and visited Butcher Island.
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