March

Mar: 4.
Wednesday! — This day sailed on a Secret Service The Hon'ble Company's New Frigate Cornwallis Commanded by Capt. Thomas Hardie, giving convoy to the Sarah, Ardaseer, Milford, Friendship, &c. &c. ; on board of which are Embarked One Company of European Artillery, and the 1st. and 7th. Battns of Bombay Sepoys, under the command of Lieut. Colonel James Romney - who has a suitable Staff attached to him. —

Mar: 9.
Sunday! — The Country Ship Asia arrived late this Evening from England, by which I had the pleasure of receiving a number of Letters from my Friends at Home. —

Mar: 12.
Thursday! — This day the Country Ships Lowjee Family and Shaw Kai Kusseroo sailed on Secret Service with Troops, Stores, and Cattle, to join the Fleet which sailed hence on the 4th Instant. —

I wrote by this opportunity to Colonel Murray – and to Lieut. Colonel Romney, enclosing the latter a Letter for my Broyr. Charles, in case he should have an opportunity of forwarding it to him. —

Mar: 21.
Saturday! — The Suffolk 74 Commanded by Capt. P. Malcolm Anchored this forenoon in Bbay Harbour – last from Trincomalé in the Island of Ceylon; having under her Convoy a large Fleet of Transports on board of which are embarked the Troops destined for the Secret Expedition, under the Command of the Hon'ble Colonel Arthur Wellesley of the 33d. Regt. – Brother to Marquis Wellesley.

Colonel Wellesley, with his suite, came Passengers on the Suffolk, and landed in the afternoon - Colonel Wellesley taking up his Quarters at Government House. — His Suite consist of Lt. Col: Colman Dy Adjt. General; Capt. West A.D.C. & Secry; Capt. Ogg Persian Translator, and Lt. Col: Capper, a Volunteer, Acting as an Honorary Aide de Camp.

It now is no longer any Secret (– to me it was none from the beginning from my Confidential Situation with The Governor –) what the Destination of this Expedition is; it being now publickly [sic] known that it is destined for the Red Sea and Egypt, in order there to cooperate with Sir Ralph Abercromby's Army in expelling the French out of that Country. —

The Island of Ceylon, where the Troops for the Expedition were directed to assemble and rendezvous from the other three Presidencies in India, not affording the necessary Supplies for so long a Voyage and so large a Body of Troops; Colonel Wellesley has found it necessary to touch with his Fleet at Bombay for the purpose of completing the Ships with all sorts of Stores, Provisions and Water for six months; – and the Bombay Government have accordingly set seriously and most zealously to work to complete the Fleet with all the necessary Supplies with the least possible delay, so as to admit of Colonel Wellesley's sailing with the Expedition for the Red Sea before it is too late in the Season.

Mar: 24.
Wednesday! — During these four days past Ships belonging to the Expedition, with the Troops on board, have been dropping in from Ceylon in twos and threes at a time and anchoring in the Harbour. — The Troops on board these Ships destined for the Expedition consist of the following Regiments and Corps – Vizt. – H. Majesty's 10th., 80th., 86th. Detachment, and 88th. Regiments; – 1 Company of Bengal Artillery with Do Lascars, and 1 Company of Madras Artillery; 1 Battn. of Bengal Volunteer Sepoys; Bengal Horse Artillery – and the Madras Pioneer Battalion. This Force is to be joined in the Red Sea by the Bombay Troops lately sent thither, and by the 86th. Detachment and half Compy. of Artillery Embarked some time since on Adml. Blankett's Squadron. — It is also to be joined there by a Body of Troops from the Cape of Good Hope, and a Squadron of Ships of War under Commodore Sir Home Popham, which are expected to arrive in the Red Sea early in April. —

I find my old friend Capt. Mitchie commands the Bengal Sepoy Volr. Battalion sent on this Service, and I was very happy to see him here. —

Mar: 26.
Friday! — This Evening a Dingey sailed for Bussorah with this Month's overland mail for England. — I wrote several Friends at Home by this opportunity.

The Government of Bombay, and Colonel Wellesley himself are indefatigable in their exertions in Completing the Fleet with all the necessary Supplies for six months; and it is expected the Expedition will be able to sail for the Red Sea by the first of next month; tho' it is much feared even that will prove too late from the already far advanced period of the Season.

Mar: 30.
Monday! — By this Day's Tappal from Calcutta accounts were received by the Bombay Government from the Governor General of India that he had appointed Major Genl. David Baird to the Chief Command of the Expedition and of all the Troops sent from India to the Red Sea to Co-operate with the British Army in the expulsion of the French from Egypt; but that his Brother The Hon'ble Colonel Wellesley is still to continue as Second in Command of this Expedition under Major Genl. Baird. — This news, I believe, was very unexpected, and it appears to affect Colonel Wellesley very sensibly indeed, being much hurt at this Supercession.

Mar: 31.
Tuesday! — Early this morning The Wasp – Gun-Boat anchored in Bombay Harbour from Bengal, but last from the Island of Ceylon, having Major General David Baird and his Suite on board.

General Baird landed immediately and arrived at the Government House at 8,O'Clock, attended by Captain George Molle his Aid de Camp, and Capt. Hugh Falconar his Major of Brigade. — The General after Breakfasting with the Governor and the Hon'ble Colonel Wellesley, Communicated to both of them his Instructions from Marquis Wellesley the Governor General of India, and immediately thereupon assumed the Command of the Expedition and of all the Troops now here destined for the Red Sea. —

In the afternoon as we were walking up and down together in the Verandah of the Government House, General Baird called me to one side, and to my agreeable Surprise asked me if I would like to accompany him on the Expedition to Egypt now on foot, and that if I did he should be happy to appoint me the Head of his Staff as Depy. Adjt. General of his Army. —

This offer, done in so very handsome and friendly a manner, was both too tempting and too flattering to be rejected. — I therefore without any hesitation told the General that nothing would make me so happy as to accompany him on the present Service in so high and very honorable a situation as that he had so kindly offered me, and at same time expressed my most grateful acknowledgments to him for the highly flattering and proud Selection he was thus pleased to make of me for the Head of his staff.

I mentioned, however, one difficulty that stood in the way of my accepting this appointment; namely, my present confidential Situation in the Family of Governor Duncan, without whose consent and concurrence, I could not with propriety or Delicacy, resign it to accept of any other Appointment. General Baird removed this difficulty immediately by saying that he would make a particular request in writing to Governor Duncan to dispense with my Services for the present, and to permit me to accompany him on this Expedition as his Depy. Adjt. General. — The General accordingly immediately wrote to the Governor, who returned a very handsome answer – saying, that he most readily acquiesced in Genl. Baird's request, by dispensing with my Services during the continuance of the present Expedition without prejudice to my appointment as his Military Secretary, which he hoped I would resume again on my return to Bombay whenever the present Service was at an end. —

Thus – everything succeeded exactly as I could have wished – my good friend the Governor being perfectly reconciled to my accompanying General Baird on this Expedition; – and all my friends at Bombay are rejoiced at the honor thus conferred on me by so distinguished an Officer as General Baird. — My own joy on this gratifying occasion is greatly enhanced by the pleasing reflection that I shall in all probability have the felicity of meeting my beloved Brother Charles in Egypt before long, in case we should be so fortunate as to form a junction (as intended) with the British Army in that Country! —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Journal No.4: 28 September 1799 - 11 September 1801.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A769 pp.84-99 [Microfilm Reel: CY299 Frames #580-587].