Page 26 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

11534. If you could have reached any one of those persons you could have saved the life of that person? - Yes, but I thought at the time, by using my own discretion, that it was not safe in any way to have gone back to that ship as she disappeared. 11535. But, apart from going back to the ship, you could have gone back, could you not, some way to pick up persons, without going into the seething mass of people? - The thing is those people, I suppose, would be together when they go down. 11536. But they do not all stop together? - No, that is true. They do not stop together as a rule. 11537. You were there with ample room? - Yes; we had room say for another eight or a dozen more in the boat. I do not know what the boat’s complement is. 11538. The boat’s complement is 40, and you had 12? - If there were 40 in that boat there would not be room. 11539. What? - I think myself if there were 40 in that boat practically when the sea rose in the morning it would not be safe. 11540. The sea did not rise. If the sea had risen I daresay it might have been so; but we are speaking of a calm night. The sea was quite calm at this time. You quite understood you were to be ready to go back if called? - That is right. 11541. Do you tell my Lord that you determined, without consultation with anybody, that you would not go back? - I determined by my own wish, as I was master of the situation, to go back when I thought that most of the danger was over. 11542. What? - I used my own discretion, as being master of the situation at the time, that it was not safe to have gone back at that time until everything was over. 11543. (The Commissioner.) I want to know why? What was it that you were afraid of? - I was not afraid of anything; I was only afraid of endangering the lives of the people I had in the boat. 11544. How? What was the danger? The ship had gone to the bottom. She was no longer a danger. What were you afraid of? - At that time the ship had only just disappeared. 11545. Never mind, it had disappeared, and had gone down to the bottom, two miles down, or something like that. What were you afraid of? - I was afraid of the swarming. 11546. Of what? - Of the swarming of the people - swamping the boat. 11547. That is it, that is what you were afraid of. You were afraid there were too many people in the water? - Yes. 11548. And that your boat would be swamped? - Yes. The Commissioner: I am not satisfied at all. 11549. (The Attorney - General.) Now, I want to know a little more about that. Was the question raised about your going back to the people who were shrieking at this time? - None whatever. 11550. Do you mean to tell my Lord that nobody ever mentioned, amongst the people that you had in that boat, going back to try to save some of the people who were in the water drowning? - I never heard anybody of any description, passengers or crew, say anything as regards going back. Had there been anything said I was almost sure to have heard it. 11551. You mean nothing was said, either by you or anybody? - I used my own discretion. 11552. You have told us that several times. I understand that you used your discretion, and that you were master of the situation; we have got those phrases. What I am asking you about now is whether at that time you heard anything said by anybody on the boat about going back? - None whatever. 11553. Either by you or by any of the crew? - No. 11554. Or by any of the passengers? - No. 11555. Then, if I understand correctly what you say, your story to my Lord is; the vessel had gone down; there were the people in the water shrieking for help; you were in the boat with plenty of room; nobody ever mentioned going back; nobody ever said a word about it; you just