November

Novr. 1.
Saturday. We Breakfasted this morning on White Bait with Captain Williamson at his Bungalow on the Esplanade, having rode over in our Gig. — We dined and supped in Town with Major & Mrs. Oakes en famille. — I wrote letters of this date to Colonel Balfour and Captain Mackenzie 75th. Regiment on duty. —

Novr. 2.
Sunday. It rained all this day!, which confined us to the house, and deprived us of our usual morning and Evening walks on the Island; and me also of my Bathing in the Sea, which I do regularly every morning before Sun-rise.

Novr. 3.
Monday. We dined with Mrs. Mackenzie who is residing at present on Coolabah. —

Novr. 4.
Tuesday. I dined with Captain Dunlop; Mrs. M. came into Town with me in the morning and dined at Major Oakes's where I also supped. —

Novr. 5.
Wednesday. Major and Mrs. Oakes, Capt. Cooke, Lieut. R. Gordon, Lt. Thomson and Mr. Draper, and Revd. Mr. Burrowes dined and spent the Day with us on Coolabah. — Mr. Burrowes intends to pass some days with us. —

Novr. 6.
Thursday. I dined this day at Parell House with the Gentlemen of the Sans Souci Club, it being the anniversary of their institution. — I left the Club at half past seven OClock and came home by Nine OClock to the Island; Mr. Maister was President and Captain Williamson was Vice President; the Entertainment was elegant and extremely well conducted, the Company consisted of about Forty Gentlemen. —

Novr. 7.
Friday. Having received an official letter by the last Madras Post from Lt. Col. Hartley of the 75th. Regiment, announcing his intention of embarking for Europe on the 21st. of October on board the Lord Camden Indiaman and desiring the same to be notified to the Commanding Officer of the Forces, and he being absent I waited on the Governor Mr. Dick to acquaint him with this circumstance; in consequence of which Colonel Hartley's Staff appointed [?] of Deputy Quarter Master General becomes vacant, and Major Little is appointed his Successor in that PoSt. — When with Mr. Dick on this business, I took the opportunity of making application to him for Captain Sandiford's House in the Tank Barracks as soon as that Gentleman sails for Europe which he intends doing this season; Mr. Dick's only answer was that he never made promises, and that two or three applications had been already made to him for that House. — From this circumstance I have little chance of getting it. —

Mr. Burrowes and Mr. Harding dined with us today. —

Novr. 8.
Saturday. We dined at home – Mr. Burrowes only with us. — Mrs. Adamson died. —

Novr. 9.
Sunday. Mr. Burrowes went to Town; Mrs. Mackenzie, Mrs. Bampton and Lt. Mackenzie dined with us. —

Novr. 10.
Monday. I was not very well and staid all day at Coolabah.

Novr. 11.
Tuesday. We Breakfasted with Captain Williamson on the Esplanade; I wrote Letters this day for the Malabar Coast, to Col. Balfour, Captain Whitelocke, Adjt. Campbell, and Doctor Anderson. —

We dined today with Mr. & Mrs. Lewis at their House in Town. —

I received letters by this Evening's Post from Captain Auchmuty announcing Sir Robert Abercromby's Permission for my holding my Post of Major of Brigade by deputation, and signifying his assent – in the handsomest manner to my joining my Regiment in the Province of Malabar, without Prejudice to my appointment during my absence there; my going or not going down the Coast depends now entirely on Colonel Balfour's good wishes to serve me; and I cannot finally determine until I hear from him. — I had letters also from Colonel Stirling and Capt. Robertson (Dy. Adjt. Gen [*?*] at Madras) informing me that the letters I sent enclosed to them on the 1st. and 4th. Ulto. for England were too late for the three Indiamen from Madras, which sailed from thence on the 22d. of October; but they promise to send them by the first good opportunity. —

Novr. 12.
Wednesday. I wrote to Doctor Ker in answer to two letters received from him; and have agreed to take his Bungalow and House at the terms he proposes. — I also wrote to Lt. Geo. Gordon of this date, in answer to his letter lately received them. —

Novr. 14.
Friday. We dined today with the Revd. Mr. Burrowes in Town.

Novr. 15.
Saturday. The Endeavour Captain Bampton arrived in the Harbour this Evening with the 2d. Battn. of Sepoys (commanded by Capt. Romney) on board, from the Malabar Coast; to which he sailed from hence on the 24th. Ulto. — I had letters by this Ship from Colonel Balfour, Lieuts. Shaw and Weston and Doctr. Anderson, they had not heard then of the death of Colonel Howson.

Novr. 16.
Sunday. — Lieut.West 75th. Regt. dined with us.

Novr. 17.
Monday. I wrote to Capt. Whitelocke, Doctor Anderson. Lt. Weston and Lt. Shaw of this date, to go by the first Boat. —

Mr. Burrowes and Lt. West 75th. Regt. dined with us today; Mr. Burrowes spent the day and staid with us all night. — Lt. West is come up the Coast to go home on one of the Ships of the Season. —

Novr. 19.
Wednesday. Mr. Roberts and Lieut. West dined with us on Coolabah. —

Novr. 20.
Thursday. We dined in the Country with Mr. and Mrs. Halliday — We slept in Town tonight. —

Novr. 21.
Friday. I Dined with Capt. Williamson and Mr. Torin. — Mrs. M. dined at Major Oakes's; and we supped with Captain Cook and Lt. Gordon. —

Novr. 23.
Sunday. This day we had the following Friends to dine with us – vizt. Mrs. Mackenzie, Lt. Mackenzie, Capt. & Mrs. Bampton, Lieut. West, Miss [*?*], and Lieut. Green. [?] —

Novr. 24.
Monday. Lieut. West and Captain Romney dined with us today.

Novr. 25.
Tuesday. This day sailed for Calicut the Endeavour Captain Bampton with the 9th. Battalion of Sepoys on board. — I wrote letters to my friend Anderson, Captains Whitelocke and Spry. — I have promised and written all of them to go down in the Endeavour on her return when she makes her third trip to the Coast, and have written them that I now only wait to see Colonel Balfour, and that I hope to be with them on or before the 25th. of December. —

Novr. 26.
Wednesday. Having learned that the Queen Cruizer commanded by Captain Robinson had arrived in the Harbour late on the Preceeding [sic] Night from Calicut with Colonel Balfour on board, and being informed by a message from himself by his Peon, whom he had dispatched to me over-night, that he slept on board and would land early in the morning. I got up at Gun-fire this morning, drove over to Town in my Gig, and went on board the Queen a little after Six OClock to receive the Colonel to whom I gave an invitation to my House, and to live with us until his own Quarters in the Tank Barracks should be fitted up for him: — the Colonel accepted of this invitation, and apparently received me very kindly when I went on board the Queen. — The Bunder Boat being ready for him, we went into it and came on shore together in it, and tho' no one was with us but the Boat's Crew he never said a word on the subject of the letter I wrote him applying to be one of his Staff; this surprised me a good deal, as, from the expectations I had formed, and the intimate, friendly, confidential footing we had always been upon for almost seven years past, I had every reason to suppose he would have at least offered one of the appointments in his gift to me, especially, as I had applied to him for it; but, I can easily discover from the tenor of his conversation that he does not intend to offer me either the one or the other; and from what has fallen from him I have reason to suppose he intends both of them for Lieut. Weston; this, I confess, is rather a disappointment to me as I really imagined that Colonel Balfour had a sincere friendship for, and a wish to serve me, but I am now fully persuaded he has neither; and it serves to prove, what I have long suspected, that all his views are confined to his own interest alone, and that he is not capable of doing a friendly office to any one but as far as it tends to his own advantage; in short I have done with him as a friend, in which light I have hitherto considered him, but, I must henceforward look upon him in a very different point of view – in short, I consider him what he really is, a most selfish, sordid, avaricious unfeeling character; and as such, I withdraw my friendship entirely from him from this day henceforth.

On coming on shore I accompanied Colonel Balfour to Colonel Bowles and Major Oakes's – then drove him in my Gig to Mr. Dick's in the Country, returned with him and Breakfasted with Colonel Bowles, after which he came and took up his residence in our House in Town. — I invited the Colonel to dine with us on the Island today, but having a good deal of business to do in Town he accepted of an invitation to dine with Major Oakes. — I am resolved, notwithstanding his very unkind, unfriendly and uncivil conduct towards me, to treat him with every attention whilst he stays in my own House. —

We dined today with Mrs. Mackenzie it being her Husband's Birth–day. —

Novr. 27.
Thursday. I came into Town early this morning to wait on Colonel Balfour. — He is appointed in this day's Government Orders to take the command of the Army, and his last as Senior Member at the Military Board in virtue of his situation as Acting Commander in chief.

I had some conversation with Col. Balfour this morning on the subject of my letter to him wherein I made application for one of his Staff appointments, and I told him that I was heartily sorry I ever made any, and that he might depend upon it I should intrude upon him in that way again. — He made some very lame awkward excuse for not appointing me and the conversation closed on this head: thank God I am independent of him. —

I wrote of this date to Doctors Anderson and Ker by a Boat going to Calicut. —

Colonel Balfour and Captain Dunlop dined with us this day on the Island. — We came into Town in the Evening, to be present at the marriage of a young Ward of ours Miss Charlotte Richardson who was this Evening married to Thomas Thomas Clerk in the Genl. Pay office. — We supped with Lieut. Robert Gordon and Captain Cook who gave a Party to Mrs. Dundas and some other Friends. — We returned to the Island at Night. —

Lieut. John Campbell arrived in the Ship Experiment this afternoon from Madras. — He continues still in very indifferent health. —

Novr. 28.
Friday. — I came into Town early this morning to wait on Colonel Balfour and transact some business; Colonel Balfour, Capt. Dunlop, Revd. Mr. Burrowes, Lt. West 75th. Regt., and Lt. Jno. Campbell 77th. Regt. dined with us this day at Coolabah.

Mrs. Mackenzie, Mrs. Bampton, and Lt. Mackenzie supped with us.

Novr. 29.
Saturday. — As we are now fully resolved on going down the Coast, it becomes necessary to make all our preparations for that event; we therefore moved this Day, from our sweet little retreat on Coolabah to our House in Town, Colonel Balfour having left it and gone in to his own Quarters in the Tank Barracks, on the preceeding [sic] day. —

We were at a Wedding this Evening. — Lt. Green and Miss Kihn both having requested that we would witness the ceremony of their being married at her Mother Mrs. Kihn's House, we accordingly attended and were present at the celebration of their Nuptials.

The Revd. Mr. Burrowes, Mr. Forbes, and ourselves were the only Company besides Mrs. Kihn and the young Couple, — We supped with them and broke up early. —

Novr. 30.
Sunday. Colonel Nicholson dined with us. —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Journal No. 2: 26 March 1792 – 28 December 1794.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A768 pp.218-239 [Microfilm Reel: CY299 Frames#355-#365].