Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Macdonald akabatana neRoyal Navy muna 1833. Akashanda muhondo yechisere yeXhosa
somutungamiriri weHMS "Ferret". Akakwidziridzwa kuva Kaputeni muna 1854, akaraira HMS "Hogue", HMS "Arethusa" uye ipapo HMS "Bellerophon". Akagadzwa Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet muna 1872 uye kubva muna 1873 akava mutungamiri wechi21 weClan Macdonald weClanranald.