February

Feby. 8.
This day the Army were drawn out in rear of the Right of the Line, in a Semi Circle, under the Command of Lieut. Col. Balfour; in order to see the execution of two Soldiers for the crime of Desertion: – one belonged to the 75th. Regt., and the other to the 1st. Bombay European Regt. —

Feby. 10.
I went to the Camp of our Allies, the Troops of the Rajah of Travancore, which is about a mile in front of our own Line; their Encampment is regularly laid out, but dirty.

Feby. 11.
I took a very pleasant ride along with Doctor Anderson to the mouth of the River of Billiapatam, distant about Six Miles from our Line. —

Feby. 19.
Major Hay Macdowall of H.M. 73d. Regt. arrived in Camp from Madras.

Feby. 22.
The Advanced Brigade, the 73d. Left Wing, & 7th. Battn. N. Infantry, marched this morning at Daybreak, under the command of Lieut. Col. Hartley. —

I wrote letters of this date to Genl. Maclean, and of date 20th. Inst. to my Uncle Lochbuy, Broyr. Chas. & Archy Scour: – I sent my Uncle & Broyr., the second Sets of the Bills upon London; These letters are to go in the Worcester East Indiaman, lately arriv'd from Bombay and soon to sail for England from this Coast – I entrusted my letters to the charge of Town Major Lewis of Tellicherry. —

Feby. 23.
The 77th. Regt., 2d. Battn. N. Infantry, and the Corps of Artillery marched early this morning from Billiapatam Camp towards the Ghauts. — Our Route at first was Southerly untill [sic] we passed our old Ground of Encampment near Cananore; but, after then it was nearly North East: – about Twelve, we halted on a Battee Field near the Banks of the River Billiapatam after an easy and pleasant march of Twelve miles.

The Park of Artillery and all the heavy Stores were sent up the River in Boats within about half a mile of the Ford, and Town of Illiacour (alias Irrecour); which, is Twenty two Miles from the mouth of the River; no Field Pieces accompanied us; — Lt. Col. Balfour commands this Division of the Army; — the 10th. Battn. did not come on with our Brigades, Genl. Abercromby and his Suite passed us on the Road on his way to Illiacour. Our Tents and Baggage soon came up with us, and we encamped immediately; a small Rivulet ran close to our Front, which Supplied us with water; and some Bullocks were shot in the Woods arround [sic] us to supply the Officers and Men with Beef. — The Soldiers carried Five days Bread, besides their Arms, accoutrements, ammunition – (Forty Rounds) and Necessaries: – with this Load, and in such a climate, Twelve Miles is a long enough march. —

Feby. 24.
The General beat at Five and the Assembly at half past Five OClock, at which time we fell in and immediately marched; – the Road at first led through Battee Fields and afterwards through Woods and over some Hills. — At Eleven OClock we arrived at the Ford on the River Billiapatam immediately opposite to the Town or Village Illiacour alias Irrecour belonging to the King or Rajah of Cherica; this was about Ten Miles march, and a very pleasant one, excepting the Two last miles, which was very bad road. — We pitched our Tents for the Men on this Ground, but Hutted in the Woods along the Banks of the River – a very romantic pleasant situation. —

Feby. 25.
Crossed the Billiapatam River and marched through the Town of Illiacour up a very steep Hill – our Route from this Place was nearly North East; the commander in chief went on after the Advanced Brigade before we crossed the River: — I was sorry this day to be obliged to leave sick behind at Illiacour my useful and Faithful European Servant Donald Campbell, who was very ill with a Dysentery, and consequently unable to proceed. — This was a very fatiguing hot disagreeable Day's March; through narrow bad Roads, and a great deal of up and down Hill; the descents and Ascents of which were in general exceedingly steep and rough: – we saw a number of dead Bullocks on the Road belonging to the Advanced Brigade, that had died of fatigue owing to the badness of the Roads: – and how the Battering Train of Artillery is to be brought along this Road I know not; – if it is, it must be attended with immense labour and Fatigue of Men. — The Corps of Artillery remained at Illiacour. — At One OClock we arrived on our Ground after a march of about Twelve miles, near the Village of Viator in the Cherica Country. — Our Men were obliged to Hutt [sic] themselves in the Woods, our Tents not being brought up from the last Ground; – a Party was sent out to shoot Bullocks in the Woods, but did not find any; so that our Men had nothing to eat but a little Biscuit. —

Feby. 26.
We continued on the same Ground. — The Travancore Troops went Forward. —

Feby. 27.
Sunday. Intelligence arrived this morning that Lieut. Col. Hartley with the Corps in advance, had got possession of the Corga Ghaut on the 26th. Inst., and that he had taken post there for the present. — The Woods in the rear of the 2d. Battn. N.I. were set on fire about 1'OClock, (supposed by disaffected Natives), and continued to burn all round our Ground for several hours, but fortunately did no injury to the Troops or Cattle. — The Commander in chief arrived in Camp in the Evening from the Corga Ghaut, on his way back to Illiacour. — we are likely to remain on our present Ground for some time, untill [sic] the Battering Train, Stores and Provisions are brought up from Illiacour. —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Journal No. 1: 15 December 1787 - 24 March 1792.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A768 pp.231-237. [Microfilm Reel CY299 Frames #121-124].