The sky was overcast with clouds, and at about 3 o’clock afternoon rain came on, the first we had had for a long time, I thought since the showers during the gale between Malta and Alexandria, except according to some of the passengers, a very slight shower at Suez. It came down like rain in a thunderstorm in England, and continued for about three quarters of an hour: as it poured upon the deck the Lascars took the opportunity of washing their clothes as it ran along the deck, and many of them got a good soaking themselves. Had it been early in the morning I daresay that many of the passengers would have been very glad to have got the opportunity of the shower bath....
...Later in the evening sheet lightning, less brilliant than that of last night, shot up from the horizon, north east, north west and south.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Sunday 1st May 1853
This, like the last, was a quiet Sunday, very unlike those at Alexandria and Aden. Prayers were read morning and evening. Since yesterday we have run 133 miles only. Many of the passengers had prepared letters yesterday; in anticipation of the Hindostan passing us on her way to Aden from Galle but neither yesterday nor today was she visible.
The evening was beautifully starry though somewhat cloudy. On the northern horizon flashes of sheet lightning appeared at short intervals often very brilliant shooting upwards and sometimes laterally, shining brightly above or between the clouds.
Later in the evening, between 11 and 12 o’clock, I saw a meteor higher in the sky in the same direction, like a very large and brilliant star.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
The evening was beautifully starry though somewhat cloudy. On the northern horizon flashes of sheet lightning appeared at short intervals often very brilliant shooting upwards and sometimes laterally, shining brightly above or between the clouds.
Later in the evening, between 11 and 12 o’clock, I saw a meteor higher in the sky in the same direction, like a very large and brilliant star.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 28th 29th 30th April 1853
The runs respectively have been 140, 159 and 145 miles the wind has been very light, and this day Saturday are for the first time westerly. Should we go on as we have been doing and no other accident occurs we may expect to arrive at Galle on Tuesday or Wednesday...
...Nothing worthy of particular notice occurred during these three days. The passengers amused themselves in various ways, reading writing, cards ,chess and quoits in a small way on deck. During the day I generally read or wrote in the saloon or in my own cabin: I found reading anything that required close attention to be very difficult, being very apt to fall asleep over it from, I suppose the combined effect of the heat and the rocking motion of the vessel, gentle though that was. At least, so a fellow passenger thought who had lived many years in India who experienced the same thing on board but not on land. In the evenings while the moonlight lasted I generally walked about upon deck watching the sunset which was frequently very beautiful and afterwards enjoying the comparatively cool air and the soft moonlight; as the moonlight left us, frequently I engaged at a game of chess...
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
...Nothing worthy of particular notice occurred during these three days. The passengers amused themselves in various ways, reading writing, cards ,chess and quoits in a small way on deck. During the day I generally read or wrote in the saloon or in my own cabin: I found reading anything that required close attention to be very difficult, being very apt to fall asleep over it from, I suppose the combined effect of the heat and the rocking motion of the vessel, gentle though that was. At least, so a fellow passenger thought who had lived many years in India who experienced the same thing on board but not on land. In the evenings while the moonlight lasted I generally walked about upon deck watching the sunset which was frequently very beautiful and afterwards enjoying the comparatively cool air and the soft moonlight; as the moonlight left us, frequently I engaged at a game of chess...
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Wednesday 27th April 1853
Today at noon we had run 163 miles and were now at S Lat 8 deg 57m E Long 64 deg 2min therefore more than halfway between Aden and Galle. The air was very calm, the sea almost without a ripple.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Tuesday 26th April 1853
Our run since yesterday was 150 miles therefore still improving. This evening the moon did not rise till about 9 o’clock and was now evidently on the wane.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Monday 25th April 1853
The calm continued today we were gratified by the intelligence that our run since yesterday had amounted to 142 miles. This evening greater part of the passengers amused themselves by holding a court at the bow of the vessel, and enacting the proceedings of a court of justice in a criminal case. The performance appeared to create great amusement but I attended only for a few minutes.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Sunday 24h April 1853
The weather still continued warmer, there being little wind: the run today being 121 miles. Prayers were read in the saloon forenoon and evening. The crew mustered after breakfast; one of the officers informed me that they amounted in all to about 200; the stewards and a comparatively small proportion only of the sailors being English, the remainder chiefly Lascars. Tonight the moon appeared to be at her full.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
The full journal will soon be published by Annet House Museum, Linlithgow. Waldie's journey to India forms a key feature of the museum's Waldie exhibition.
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