Monday 21st March 1853

Rose this morning in time to have a walk on deck before breakfast which is ready at 9 o'clock. Tea and coffee are brought in cups to the passengers as they require it is ready milked while sugar is on the table, with ham and eggs, fish, cold meat and fowls as well as rice and curried meat or fowl with cold water. I observed one gentleman breakfast on ham and eggs followed by rice and curry with cold water- the Indian style I suppose. The swell on the water had become greater and few ladies made their appearance at the breakfast table.

After breakfast I go to my desk and commenced this journal writing in the saloon till between 12 and 1 o’clock. At 12oclock luncheon is served...As I did not care for eating so often I took none except a glass of wine but afterwards doubted the propriety of this as the breeze had been increasing in strength and the ship tossing about more. I went on deck and kept walking about till dinner time to keep off a tendency to nausea, the more necessary as the rolling of the vessel was increasing. Only one lady appeared at the dinner table. After dinner went on deck again and walked till teatime, or sat and read. After tea, about 8 o’clock a band consisting of a violincello, two violins, a clarinet, and two trumpets a piston (that is their players) took their places at stalls in the saloon, and played until about 10 o’clock, when wine and spirits with sugar and hot water and biscuits was put on the table...

...About ½ past 10 went to bed but the rolling of the vessel jigging one about from one side of the bed to the other, the perpetual slamming of doors and often recurring crashes, as if of broken glass or stoneware for a long time kept sleep away. At length however the wished for oblivion came over me.
Such was the routine of the two first days of my voyage and a repetition of the details will now be unnecessary...

The full journal will be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow in May. 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.