Monday 28th March 1853

It had blown hard all night and to a great extent interrupted or prevented the sleep of the passengers. About 7oclock of the morning we passed Galeita at some distance, a rugged rocky island of small size; afterwards we passed the Cane rocks (Canis -or dog rocks); and about 3 o’clock afternoon Zemba Island, a still smaller rocky island than Galeita. These two islands are either uninhabited, or used as penal settlements by the Sicilian or Maltese governments.
The wind continued to blow all day, though not quite to such an extent as on Saturday afternoon and night. About 5 o’clock of the afternoon, while the table cloth was removing preparatory to the dessert, intelligence was brought downstairs that the “Indus” was in sight-(one of the Company’s steamers) on her way to Gibraltar. Most of the passengers immediately repaired to the deck, and there was the vessel with her masts and funnels rather obscurely visible on the eastern horizon through the spray and mist, forcing her way against the wind and waves; on our right a bold promontory stretched out towards the east, Cape Bon on the coast of Africa; and gradually but rapidly the “Indus” made her way between our vessel and the land, soon disappearing behind us...

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.