December

Decr. 3.
Tuesday. This day we had company again – vizt. Mr. & Mrs. Morley, Mr. Crokatt, Colonel Balfour, Captain Williamson, Mr. Thistleton, Doctor Spink, Captain Dunlop, Mr. Reeves, Mr. Gregory Page, Lt. Wilson and Doctor Anderson – in all Twelve Guests – Mrs. Crokatt being indisposed sent an excuse. — The day went off very pleasantly. —

Yesterday morning, arrived from England, (which she left the 7th. of July.) the Earl Fitzwilliam Indiaman commanded by Capt. Tweedle; – I received some letters by her from the Agents and Lts. Neilson & Mc.Leod of 77th. Regiment.

Decr. 4.
Wednesday. — We dined this day with Mr. John Forbes. — I attended the Funeral of the late Captain Bell of the Artillery, on the invitation of his father in law, Counsellor Lewis, at five OClock in the Evening. —

Supped and spent the Evening with Mr. Tate, who gave large Party on the occasion of the launch of the Honble. Company's Frigate, called the Bombay. — We had a fine view of the launch from Mr. Tate's House; she went off most beautifully, about half past Eleven OClock, her upper works being all illuminated and prettily lighted up; – it was one of the grandest sights of the kind I ever beheld; we had a Dance after the Launch and spent a very pleasant Evening with Mr. Tate. —

Decr. 12.
Thursday. We gave a Dinner to the following friends vizt. Doctor and Mrs. Crozier, Major & Mrs. Oakes, Mrs. John Taylor, Mrs. Coggan, Colonel Kerr, Lieut. Robt. Gordon, Lt. Geo. Gordon, Lt. Weston, Capt. Spry and Capt. Whitelocke – in all Twelve Guests – we passed a very sociable agreeable day. —

Yesterday, the Honble. Rear Admiral Cornwallis, in the Minerva Frigate, anchored in the harbour, after having convoyed his noble Brother, Marquis Cornwallis in the Swallow, as far as 7 Degrees South Latitude. —

Decr. 13.
Colonel Nicholson, Capt. John Mc.Donald, Ensign Mc.Donald, Honble. Lt. Cochrane, Lt. John Campbell & Lt. A. Campbell, dined with us in the family way; Mr. Morley, Mr. Thistleton, Mr. Tate, Mr. Reeves, Mr. Harding, Mr. Lemessurier, and Capt. Romney, supped and spent the Evening with us. — Mrs. Crokatt and a number of Gentlemen visited us this Evening. —

Decr. 14.
Saturday. Colonel Balfour gave Mrs. Macquarie and a number other friends a very pleasant and agreeable Party at Parell, at a Garden House belonging to one of the Native Merchants; we dined there and spent the rest of the day very merrily – the company consisted of Col. Balfour himself, Mr. & Mrs. Morley, Mr. & Mrs. Geo. Simson, Major & Mrs. Stirling, Mr. & Mrs. Shaw, Colonel Nicholson, Lt. Wilson, Doctor Anderson, Lt. A. Campbell, Lt. Geo. Gordon, Capt. Whitelocke, Mrs. Macquarie and myself – in all Seventeen — We were all very happy and did not break up till pretty late after Supper — Mrs. M. and myself went in Mr. Tasker's Chariot.

This day arrived from the coast the London & Barwell Indiamen where they went some time before to take their Lading of Pepper; and by them came the Packet of letters brought out by the Belvedere Indiaman, lately arrived at Tellicherry from England. — There also arrived this day an overland Dispatch, with accounts from Europe as late as the 1st. of September.

I have not been so fortunate as to receive any letters from my Friends by either of these conveyances.

Decr. 15.
Sunday. I was this day gratified with a very kind and agreeable letter, from my much esteemed good friend Captain Hall, Aid–de–Camp to Sir Robert Abercromby dated at Calcutta 18th. November; wherein he announces to me a piece of very interesting and pleasing intelligence – vizt. that Captain Coleman late of the additional Company of the 77th. Regiment, having been lately removed to the Guards without purchase, that Company becomes vacant and is sent out to be disposed of at the option of the Commander in Chief in India; and that he has signified to Capt. Hall, that I should succeed to the Company since he has the giving of it away: – this is indeed Good News! and I have every reason to be thankful for my good fortune in this, as well as in many recent instances.

Decr. 16.
Monday. We Supped with a large Party at Mr. Herring's in the Country; – met with Genl. Carnac lately return'd from the Coast, and with Mr. Rivett lately arrived from Europe at Mr. Herring's: – I did myself the pleasure of visiting them both in the forenoon, but they were from home.

Decr. 18.
I accompanied Colonel Balfour to pay my respects to the Honble. Admiral Cornwallis at his House in Town; – he was gone out, but we left our names. —

Decr. 19.
Thursday. We dined with Colonel Kerr and Mrs. Coggan. —

Decr. 20.
This Evening at Five OClock, a Race was run over Back–Bay Sands, from the General Hospital to the Arbour, between Mr. Morley's arab Horse Sheik and Lt. ODonnell's arab Horse Sultan; the latter Horse won the race; the sport was highly pleasing, and a very numerous company of Ladies and Gentlemen attended – my dearest Mrs. M. rode on Horse–back, and I went thither in my Palanquin. —

Decr. 21.
Saturday. I accompanied Colonel Nicholson and Mr. Thistleton, Superintendant of the Honble. Company's Marine, to wait again on Admiral Cornwallis; – we found him at home, and Mr. Thistleton introduced the Colonel and myself to him. — he appears to be a plain honest blunt man, and quite the gallant brave Sailor in his appearance he [re]ceived us in a very polite mild Gentleman–like manner. —

We Supped this Evening with Mr. and Mrs. Shaw in the Country – We went in our Palanquin. —

Dect. 24.
We spent the Evening with Doctor Anderson who gave a large Supper Party.

Decr. 25.
Wednesday. This being Christmas Day, we dined at Mr. Morley's with a numerous and agreeable Party. — Mrs. M. being indisposed we were obliged to come home without spending the Evening there. —

Decr. 26.
We had a large Party this Evening to sup with us – vizt. Mr. & Mrs. Morley, Mr. & Mrs. Stirling, Major & Mrs. Oakes, Majr. & Mrs. Woodington, Mr. & Mrs. Shaw, Col. Balfour, Col: Nicholson, Mr. Thistleton, Mr. Herring, Mr. Reeves, Mr. Chas. Forbes, Capt. Grant of the London, Lt. Grant, Lt. R. Gordon, Lt. G. Gordon, Capt. Macdonald, Capt. Romney, Doctr. Anderson, and Lt. A. Campbell. —

Decr. 27.
Friday. This being the anniversary of Lt. John's Day, the Free Masons of Lodge No. 1. gave a Ball and Supper to the Ladies and Gentleman of the Settlement of Bombay; – there was a numerous and respectable Company attended on this occasion, and the entertainment gave universal satisfaction – I had the honor to be nominated, and [*?*] as one of the Managers for conducting this Entertainment. — The Bretheren [sic] met at the Lodge in the morning, marched in Procession to the House of the Provincial Grand Master Wm. Lewis Esqr.; Breakfasted there – proceeded from thence in procession to Church, where Prayers & Sermon was given by the Revd. Brother Wade, after which they returned in the same order of procession to the Lodge, and arranged the conducting of the Evening ceremonial and Entertainment for the Settlement.

Decr. 28.
I dined today with my honest good friend Lt. Samuel Wilson who gave a Dinner to a large party of friends at the Government House; and having sat as Crupier to assist him in doing the honors of his Table, I came home a good deal intoxicated with wine. —

Decr. 29.
Sunday. This day's Post brought me official accounts from Sir Robert Abercromby the Commander in chief of the Forces in India. Of my being promoted by him to a Company without purchase in the 77th. Regiment by the removal of Captain Coleman of the Additional Company to the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. — The Company is gone throughout in the Regiment, Lt. Trevor succeeding to the Captain Lieutenancy, and the Eldest Ensign Mr. Grieve to the Lieutenancy, the date of our respective Commissions being the 10th. of September last. —

His friends, by keeping him this year at home, have done my poor Brother Charles an irreparable injury in regard to his Promotion; – for, was he now in the Country, he would have succeeded to a Lieutenancy in the Regiment without purchase by the removal of Lieut. Tucker to the 76th. Regiment, and in whose room an Ensign from an other Regiment is promoted into the 77th. Regiment over the head of my Brother, who has lost and forfeited the Step from his not being present with his Corps; — Sir Robert Abercromby had every inclination to promote him but could not with justice break through the established rules and regulations observed in these cases. —

I was extremely sorry to learn by this Day's Dawk, that my worthy and amiable friend Lt. Colonel Shelly Dy. Qr. Mr. Genl. to His Majesty's Forces in India, died lately at Bengal; much and justly regretted by all who knew him.

I had the honor of dining with the Honble. Rear Admiral Cornwallis at his House in the Tank Barracks, and found him extremely polite, affable and attentive. —

Decr. 30.
We dined this day with Lieut. and Mr. Weston. —

Decr. 31.
Colonel Balfour gave the Party he had last at Parell – we were invited, but were not able to go on account of Mrs. Macquarie being indisposed. —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Journal No. 2: 26 March 1792 – 28 December 1794.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A768 pp.158–172 [Microfilm Reel CY299 Frames #274–281].