Got up in time to go on deck this morning before breakfast and found the breeze gently moderated and now directly from the north... Nothing particular was to be seen on deck, as we had been out of sight of land since we had left Malta. In the course of the day a bell was rung suddenly on deck giving an alarm of fire, and on going out of the saloon I found a water hose lying along the main deck with a number of crew and officers about it. On enquiry I found that it was only an exercise , for the purpose of accustoming the crew to the use of the apparatus for extinguishing fire, and instructing everyone to know where to go in the event of any such occasion requiring it, instead of running about, at a loss alike where to go and what to do. This plan had been adopted since the catastrophe of the burning of the Amazon in January 1852. In the afternoon the passengers made up their lists of parties of 6 each for the vans across the desert and one of the ships officers drew lots for the order in which they were to proceed....
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.
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