Friday 25th March 1853

This morning before 9 o’clock the discharge of two of the ships guns announced our arrival in the Bay of Gibraltar... The air was rather chilly but by and by the sun arose above the low slip of land on the eastern boundary of the bay adding light, and afterwards warmth to the scene. We stood in directly for the town, which lay before us at the base of the rock of Gibraltar, a high ridge of rock sloping down to a low projecting point on our right called Europa point, and ending abruptly on the left in an almost precipitous form. Beyond this a low slip of land extended on the left and behind us forming the north western side of the bay, rising up into the high lands of Spain. Far away to the left in the distance stretched the lofty ridge of the mountains in the north of Africa. In passing one of the vessels lying in the bay some of the spars of our vessel came in contact with the rigging of the other, and snapped off its top foremast, with some damage to our own rigging.
At length we got laid alongside of a hulk, from which we were to be supplied with coals; while the passengers were preparing to go ashore, a few as the place of their destination, and also for seeing the towns fortifications. As one of a party for the latter purpose I got into a boat, one of the number gathered near our paddle boxes, the owners of which were vigorously clamouring for customers.Some of these were apparently English, but the majority were dirty swarthy Spaniards. We bargained for our boat fare and were rowed ashore. A long line of fortified seawall stretched along the shore in front of the town a pier or mole of similar structure projecting a little into the bay. We landed and immediately proceeded to one of the principal squares of the town, where we found the Club House Hotel, opposite which stood the Exchange. In the Hotel, after some delay and with some difficulty we got breakfast, there being a press of visitors, and at an early hour. After this we set forth on our excursion led by a guide who had been watching for customers. On our way a party of soldiers passed us, headed by a band marching to church, for it happened to be Good Friday, rather unfortunately, for except those of the Druggists the shops were closed. The various signboards displayed inscriptions, sometimes in English generally in both English and Spanish, and advertisements in both these languages adorned the walls in several places; in one instance I saw a government notice in English, Spanish and Italian-Notice, Aviso,Avviso. The streets were narrow and many of them steep. The houses were built apparently of brick but covered with plaster and generally coloured of an ochre yellow, pretty uniform in appearance. Occasionally a house met our view of superior style of architecture, apparently either a gentleman’s residence or a public building. Whether it was the general appearance of the town or not I cannot tell but at present it struck me as more than usually neat and clean.
We proceeded up steep streets and roads towards the “Galleries”. These are excavations or tunnels cut in the rock on the side furthest from the town. These tunnels run parallel to the surface of the rock at about 6 or 8 yards distance from the external surface, having other excavations communicating with them towards the surface, opening out there by a comparatively small aperture in each of which stands a large gun pointing outwards. Some of these excavations were sufficiently large to allow space for several guns: one containing 5 cannons was called St Georges Hall. In this we were informed a dinner was once given to Nelson and it is occasionally used for balls or similar entertainment during the heat of summer. From the opening in one side of this we could see the Atlantic, from those on the other the Mediterranean. In some places also, outside the rock, were cannons or mortars to be seen and from some of these the view was beautiful.
The bay with its boundaries lay before us, the hills of Spain and the mountains of Africa stretched out on the one side and the other. At our feet lay the low flat narrow neck of land connecting the rock with the mainland. Within the British line of boundary which stretched across this, lay a cemetery dotted over with numerous stones covering the remains of the dead; around this was the racecourse and adjoining, a pretty numerous herd of cattle for the sustenance of the garrison. A little further on,stretched parallel to the other , was the Spanish boundary line, between these two a narrow space of land called the Neutral ground. Beyond the Spanish boundary line the ground sloped gradually upwards and there stood the Spanish batteries, when the Spaniards last attempted to take Gibraltar from the English...

...The inhabitants consisted chiefly of English and Spaniards; with   whom the latter appeared most numerous particularly those of the poorer ranks.. in general dark and swarthy they did not strike me as in other respects handsome; many of the poorer women were the reverse.The hat of the men was one of the most noticeable things; low crowned beavers with broad brims turned up abruptly at a right angle for 2 or 3 inches, with a small tuft on the upper edge of one side of the brim and another on the same side of the edge of the crown. The large cloak of many of those above the poorer grade struck an observer as something unnecessarily comfortable in such a climate. The most pleasing piece of costume was that of the Spanish ladies, many of whom we met on their way to and from church. They were almost uniformly dressed in black silk or satin, generally with a shawl or short mantle of similar material over their shoulders, sometimes with a handsome fringe along its lower border; but the chief peculiarity was the headdress. Their black hair was entirely uncovered all over the forepart of the head; but about the middle in front of the comb, was attached a black veil which hung down over the back of the head neck and shoulders, down to about the waist. In this style they proceeded with somewhat stately gait and composed air along the streets; and though few of them were pretty or tall. Their general appearance was graceful and pleasing....

The full journal will be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India will form a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition which will open to the public on 18 May.