Cape of Good Hope 12th. Octr. 1809.

I do myself the honour to inform your Lordship of the safe arrival of His Majesty's ships Hindostan and Dromedary at this Port on the 23d. of last month; having sailed from Rio de Janeiro on the 23d. of August. — The Sickly state of that Division of the 73d. Regiment on board the Hindostan forced us to touch at Rio de Janeiro, where we had all our Sick landed immediately on our arrival, and I am happy to say the result proved favorable; for, in Fourteen Days we were able to reembark them all again pretty well recovered, with the exception of only one Soldier, who died on shore, out of upwards of Fifty that were landed there. —

We have only lost six men in all, up to this day, since we left England, which is a smaller number than we could reasonably calculate upon, considering the length of the Voyage, and being rather crowded in both Ships. —

Having now replenished our Water and Provisions, and completed all other Equipments at this Place, we again prosecute our Voyage from hence early tomorrow morning for N. S. Wales, where I still hope to arrive about the latter end of November. —

I did myself the honour of addressing your Lordship from Madeiro [sic] on the 13th. of June last; and I wrote to Mr. Cooke from Rio de Janeiro, under our letter 12th. of Augt., informing him of the cause of our touching at that Port, which I hope your Lordship will approve of. —

I take the liberty of respectively reminding your Lordship of the request contained in my letter of the 13th. of June from the Island of Madeira, respecting my being honoured with the appointment of a Brigadier General in N. S. Wales; which, as it cannot Supersede or in the least interfere with any senior Officer, I would fain indulge a hope that the Commander in Chief would move His Majesty to honor me with, in the event of your Lordship's being kindly pleased to recommend me once more for this appointment; with which I should certainly feel most highly gratified, and gratefully contented. —

I have the honor to be with the highest respect, My Lord,

Your Lordship's much Obliged
& most faithful hble Servt.

L. M.

Lord Visct. Castlereagh,
&c. — &c. — &c. London.

Provenance
'Lachlan Macquarie to Viscount Castlereagh' 12 October 1809,
MACQUARIE, Lachlan. Private Letter Book 1808-1810.
Original held in Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A796 pp.38-39. [Microfilm copy: CY Reel 306].

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