Page 78 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13
P. 78
position is bad enough. Do you think it is fair to put a question of that kind to him? I do not. 12669. (Mr. Harbinson.) If your Lordship says so I will not pursue it any further. (To the Witness.) Did you hear any lady in the boat make any protest against the boat going back? - No. 12670. There were only two ladies in the boat, of course? - Yes. 12671. Had you any conversation with Lady Duff-Gordon? - I spoke to her several times. 12672. About the time had you any conversation with Lady Duff-Gordon with reference to an attempt to rescue any other people? - I have said that the question did not arise in the boat. 12673. What was the nature of the conversation you had with Lady Duff-Gordon? - Simply hoping she was a little better, and so on. I was merely talking to her in a quiet way like that, saying nothing that I could possibly remember or repeat. 12674. Did you see the lights in the ship that we have heard so much about? - We followed what we thought to be a fishing boat or a sailing boat for a considerable time at starting. 12675. Were you following those lights at the time the “Titanic” sank? - I think we were. We were going in that direction. 12676. Did you hear, on Friday, Horswill say that at the time the “Titanic” sank you were rowing towards those lights? - I did not hear him say so, but - 12677. Would you think it would be true if he did? - I should think quite likely. 12678. Had you heard the officer who was in control at the time No. 1 emergency boat was lowered give instructions that the boat should remain within a certain distance of the sinking liner? - No, I did not hear that. I said so, I think. 12679. Would it be right to say that from the moment you got into the emergency boat the boat proceeded away from the “Titanic” and in the direction of those lights? - I cannot say that. You see, it was pitch dark; when I say pitch dark there were stars, but it was complete darkness, and I did not know which way we were rowing. 12680. Did you hear any instructions given in the boat as to the direction which this boat should take? - In what boat? 12681. The emergency boat? - Did I hear it in the emergency boat? 12682. Yes? - No, I heard no instructions at all. By whom? 12683. By any person? - In the boat? 12684. Yes? - No. 12685. Did you hear any suggestions made? - What about? 12686. By any members of the crew or any of the passengers in the emergency boat to the coxswain as to the direction the boat should take? - No, I do not think I did. There was one man, one of the passengers called out two or three times, “Let us go that way,” “let us go the other;” but I do not think any notice was taken of it. 12687. “Let us go that way and let us go the other”? - I heard him through the night. 12688. Now we have it that a suggestion was actually made in the boat after the boat was lowered as to the direction in which the boat should go? - No, I cannot say it was a suggestion. The man said “There is a light there; go after that.” I think no attention was paid to him at all. 12689. Was this a suggestion made by the man in the bow of the boat? - No, it was not; he was not in the bow of the boat. 12690. Where was the man sitting who made the suggestion? - The man who kept calling out those things? 12691. Yes, as to the direction that the boat should go? - Where was he sitting? 12692. Yes? - He was sitting two seats in front of me, he was sitting in the seat nearest the stern with his back to the stern; he was sitting facing. 12693. With his back to the stern? - Yes. 12694. Was that the man who was steering? - No. 12695. With his back to the stern? - He was sitting in the seat.