January

Jany. 1.
[Wednesday]. This being New Year's day we had asked some time before a select party of our Particular friends to dine with us; and the following friends dined and spent the day with us — vizt. Mr. & Mrs. Morley – Colonel Balfour – Colonel Nicholson – Mr. Thistleton – Mr. Forbes, Mr. Chas. Forbes, Lieut. Geo. Gordon, Capt. John Macdonald, and Doctor Anderson. —

Jany. 4.
We dined with Mr. & Mrs. Halliday this day in the Country. —

Jany. 6.
I dined with Mr. Forbes at an extra Sans Souci Club given this day by him at the Grove. — Mrs. M. called on me in Mr. Tasker's carriage in the Evening, and I accompanied her to a Ball and Supper given by Samuel Wilson at Parell House. — On our way thither we called on Colonel and Mrs. Kerr (formerly Miss Dick) to pay them our Compliments on their marriage. —

Jany. 7.
We went in Mr. Tasker's Carriage to a Ball and Supper given by Mr. Reeves to a number of his Friends on the occasion of christening his child to whom Mrs. Macquarie stood as Godmother. —

Jany. 10.
Friday. We had the following friends to dine with is today in honor of Mrs. Morley as a farewell Dinner to her previous to her departure for England; – vizt. Genl. Carnac, Mr. Rivett, Mr. Torin, Capt. Williamson, Capt. Torin, Capt. Crawford, Mr. Tasker, Capt. Welladvice, Capt. Grant, Colonel Balfour, Lt. Wilson & Mr. Morley; – Mrs. Morley being unfortunately indisposed did not make one of our Party, which I was very sorry for, as the entertainment was principally intended for her. —

Jany. 11.
Saturday. We were at a Ball and Supper given by Genl. Carnac at Belvidere House, to a Select Party of Ladies and Gentlemen; this Ball was in honor of the Ladies returning to England. —

Jany. 12.
Sunday. We dined at Mr. Morley's as usual on this day; and I fear this will be our last Sunday's Dinner with Mrs. Morley for some time to come. —

Jany. 13.
Monday. I dined today with Mr. Morris at the Sans Souci Club, of which he was this day the President, – this was given as a farewell dinner to Mr. Henshaw, (one of the Members) returning to Europe. —

Jany. 15.
Wednesday. We removed this day to a New House, opposite to the Dock Yard, and lately occupied by Lt. Colonel Nicholson, the Chief Engineer, who, very obligingly left it, entirely to accommodate us. — It is a very neat convenient House, and suits us very well; — the rent is One Hundred Rupees Per Month, which is fifty less than the Rent of our former House; our Landlord is Daddy Nasserwanjee. —

We took a farewell Supper with Mrs. Morley previous to her departure for England. —

Jany. 16.
Thursday. This being the day that the London and Barwell sail for England, and that Mrs. Morley must consequently take her departure on the former Ship, my dearest Girl went to her Sister's House immediately after Breakfast and staid with her there until she set out to embark; the moment of their parting was a hard trial on them both, and proved extremely affecting – my lovely Girl was quite overcome with Grief and suffered exceedingly on the occasion; we were obliged to tear them from each other's embraces, and Mrs. Stirling was so obliging as to stay at Mr. Morley's House with Mrs. Macquarie until she got herself composed; whilst Mrs. Morley with a heavy heart quitted her Sister and proceeded to the Dock Pier to embark, accompanied by Mr. Morley, Mr. Thistleton, Major Stirling and myself; all of us went on board the London with her in One Bunder Boat, about twelve OClock; the Ships weighed anchor about One OClock and proceeded on their voyage. — Mr. Morley, Major Stirling and myself staid on board until the Ships had got out a very considerable way beyond the Light House: – we then took leave of our lovely friend, and her dear little ones Maria, Charles and Hariot, [sic] all with heavy aching Heart: – Mrs. Morley I thought, looked more lovely than ever in her tears; and it was a most beautiful sight, to see her in the Stern Gallery surrounded by her sweet babes, waving her hands to us, after we had quitted the Ship and taken our leave of her: may all that is good attend her is my most fervent wish. Mr. Morley, Major Stirling and myself with several other People came on shore in the Pilot Boat between Four and Five O'Clock. —

The Society of Bombay have lost a number of very pleasant and agreeable members by the departure of these two Ships; besides Mrs. Morley, there are gone in the London, Mrs. Ashburner, Mrs. Drummond, Col. [*?*] Mr. Scottoe, [sic] Mr. Kirkpatrick, and several other Gentlemen. — In the Barwell, there are gone Mrs. Crokatt, Mrs. Baillie, Mrs. Ersden; [?] Mr. Bruce, Mr. Henshaw, Mr. Corkran, Capt. Crawford, and several other Gentlemen; – this last Ship is very much crowded. —

I wrote letters by these Ships to the following friends at home vizt. – Uncle Lochbuy; General Maclean; Mrs. Col. Maclean Clephane; Jas. Allan Park Esqr.; Colonel John Small; Captain John Abercromby 75th. Regiment; and Letters of business, as Paymaster and Major of Brigade, to Messrs. Cox & Greenwood; Colonel Marsh; Sir Geo. Yonge Secretary at War; Thomas Bowlby Esqr. Commissary General of Musters; and Messrs. Robt. Fras., and Wm. Gosling, Bankers in Fleet Street London; (in whose hands my Wife's Fortune is lodged by her Trustees.) — I have kept copies of all these letters in my Publick [sic] and Private Letter Books of Correspondence. — I announced in these letters to my Friends, my late good fortune and change of situation. —

As we find it inconvenient to be without a Carriage in this Country, my dearest Jane and myself have commissioned our Sister Mrs. Morley to send us out one from England, by the Ships of next year along with sundry other articles of Plate &c. &c. &c. – and until then we must do as well as we can without one. — I wrote by Mrs. Morley also to my good Mother in law Mrs. Jarvis, to request of her to sit for her Picture in miniature for me, and at my expence. —

I sent by these Ships also, Duplicates of my letters to Mrs. Jarvis, and Thomas Jarvis Esqr. (my Mother and Brother in law) of date 28th. September last, wherein I announced to them my alliance with them. —

I omitted to mention under its proper date, that I had done myself the honor of addressing a letter of thanks to Major Genl. Sir Robert Abercromby K.B. Commander in chief of the Forces in India, under date 27th. of November last; immediately after receiving the accounts of his having confirmed me as Major of Brigade; — I wrote to Sir Robert again on the 1St. of January, thanking him for my Promotion to a Company, and mentioning several other circumstances to him. —

I also omitted to mention in its proper place, that I had written [sic] under date 25th. Decr. last, to my Brother in law, Ensign George Ralph Paine Jarvis, of the 36th. Regiment; then with his Regiment on the Coast of Coromandel, and some little time before arrived from England. —

Jany. 31.
I received letters this day from Bengal from Capt. Samuel Auchmuty, the Actg. Adjutant General to His Majesty's Forces in India, who informs me, that from some circumstances lately come to the knowledge of Sir Robert Abercromby, there is reason to imagine that Captain Colman's Company, lately filled up in the 77th. Regiment is by Purchase, and that it should have been sold accordingly for the Regulation; but as things are now circumstanced, the General does not wish to alter the Promotion, and wishes it to remain as it is; he therefore wishes me to keep the Company and to let it go on as a Purchase; and as I did not mean to Purchase at all, in order to accommodate the matter for me, Captain Auchmuty advances the difference (£550.) betwixt the Captain Lieutenancy and the Company, in the meantime; and to reimburse him in this advance, he is to receive from me, as it becomes due, the difference of Pay betwixt Capt. Lieut., and Captain of a Company, until the whole sum is paid, or, a Company becomes vacant without Purchase in the 77th. Regiment. — I must acknowledge, I do not altogether like, or admire the situation I am placed in, by this mode of accommodation, but, as I am under very particular obligations to Sir Robert Abercromby, I did not wish to disoblige him by declining to keep the Company on the aforementioned terms; and therefore wrote to Captain Auchmuty that, I had no objections to the terms he proposed. — It is a little singular, that this piece of bad news should reach me on my Birth day – being this day Thirty three Years of age. —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Journal No.2: 26 March 1792 – 28 December 1794.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A768 pp.173–189. [Microfilm Reel CY299 Frames #281-#289].