Tuesday 22nd March 1853

Awoke this morning and found the rolling and pitching of the vessel worse. The fiddles at breakfast did not prevent me from getting some of my coffee on my lap, and on going on deck I found the waves high and rolling the wind blowing strongly the vessel rising alternately stem and stern, now leaning over by one side now to the other making it not a little troublesome for the landsmen to keep their feet and occasionally causing even the officers of the ship to totter. Spray occasionally washing over some part of the deck, and occasional blast of rain & hail made walking the deck agreeable only the few who perhaps like myself, had a mind to brave it out and by accustoming themselves to it probably get rid of sickness altogether during the remainder of the passage. I felt just so much tendency to nausea as made me fear that if I gave way to it & sat moping below, I might get sick; so today I took some luncheon at 12 o’clock and I think will benefit. The weather became worse after dinner, when towards evening the sea became rather quieter and continued so. Yesterday forenoon we had entered the Bay of Biscay; this evening about sunset we were leaving it, and got a distant view of Cape Finisterre. In the evening the improvement in the weather was indicated, by a lady, hitherto laid up with sickness, making her appearance after tea, and a greater number of gentlemen also becoming visible and the evening passed pleasantly   the company as they chose playing cards chess or draughts, reading, writing or merely lounging and listening to the band.

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.