Sunday 20th March 1853

David Waldie's Travel Journal

This morning we went on board the vessel, which was now lying at the entrance to the dock, between 8 and 9 o’clock. Immediately after receiving the mail at 9 the Ripon began to move slowly out the dock. Some amusement was caused by a passenger hurrying forward to come on board, after she had moved off. He proceeded however by passing down a ladder with some trepidation into a small boat thence reaching the deck by the companion ladder. So he managed at the last hour to avoid being left behind.

On reaching the extremity of the pier the vessel quickened her pace and after waving adieus to our friends on shore we proceeded rapidly down the Solent or rather the estuary of that river at the top of which Southampton is situated. It was a beautiful clear frosty morning suggestive of the change of climate we looked forward very speedily to experience....

....The number of passengers was not great- about 80 of all kinds I afterwards learned, consequently we were not crowded and I found that I was the only occupant of my berth which was intended to accommodate four. The list of passengers included a number of ladies, some married and 6 children. Among the gentlemen I found one whom I believe I had met with in Liverpool and who was acquainted with a friend of mine there, all of us Scotchmen...

.... Two Hindoo women were also on board apparently servants of passengers and I also observed a rather fine looking Hindoo of other oriental of the male sex. There were also three or four women, one with a child (English or European) apparently servants, in the fore part of the vessel.

At 4 o’clock the bugle sounded for dinner. The company assembled after having paid some attention to the toilet-, but by no means in formal dress. The dinner was good, with wine, dessert and fruit, and the passengers were beginning to become acquainted with one another. On deck we found some canvas was spread aloft to help us on our way. Between 7 and 8 o’clock the bugle again summoned the passengers to tea which was brought in cups by the waiters as the company wished it. After tea feeling rather chilly I walked smartly along the deck for about an hour before going to bed. It was a beautiful clear moonlight night and closed agreeably my first day’s experience of living on shipboard.

At 10 o’clock I retired to my berth in which a candle lamp had been burning for some time, went to bed and having had little sleep for some days previous, was soon in a state of blessed unconsciousness.

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.