Page 8 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

11120. Just let us see what was done. Was this what was done, that you did pull as hard as you could for some considerable time? - For a time, yes. 11121. Did you then rest a bit? - Yes. 11122. Did you then pull again? - We kept on resting and pulling. 11123. At the time the “Titanic” went down had you rested and pulled, rested and pulled, several times? - Yes. 11124. And all that time had you been pulling away from the ship in the direction the other boats had gone? - Yes, we were pulling about, and just keeping watch of them at the same time. 11125. By the time the “Titanic” went down were you many hundreds of yards from the ship? - I could not say. 11126. Have you any judgment at all about distances at sea? - As I said before, somewhere about 200 yards. 11127. But you pulled in the first instance what you considered 200 yards, did you not, with a strong pull to get away from the ship? - Yes, but we were not pulling right straight away all the time. We were pulling away, and going along a little bit, and coming back again. 11128. I suggest you were pulling in the direction the other boats had gone and pulling away from the “Titanic”? - We were pulling away, yes. 11129. Up to the time the vessel sank. When the vessel sank she left the sea in darkness at the point where you had been able to see her lights? - Yes. 11130. And was all you were able to see of the “Titanic” the outline of the figure as the stern rose in the air and the boat went down? - Yes. 11131. Can you tell the Court whereabouts you were sitting in the boat? - In the bow. 11132. That would have been, as near as possible, to Horswill, who was keeping the look-out? - Yes. 11133. Simmons was in the stern of the boat? - Yes. 11134. And he was steering? - He was steering. 11135. And was Simmons there in charge of the boat and doing his duty in a very seaman-like way the whole of that night? - Yes. 11136. And in absolute command? - Yes. 11137. I understand you to say that you came to the conclusion the boat ought to have gone back? - Yes. 11138. When did you come to that conclusion? - At the time when she sank and we heard the cries. After we heard the cries, I sang out in the boat, “It is up to us to go back and pick up anyone in the boat.” 11139. You thought that then? - Yes. 11140. When did you first tell anybody that from the time you were on board the “Carpathia”? I am not speaking of the time you were in the boat; I will deal with that presently. From the time you got on board the “Carpathia” until the present time, when did you first tell anybody that, while you were in the boat, you thought the boat ought to go back? - I told the Court here last week. 11141. Was that the first time you have told anybody? - The first time to my knowledge. 11142. Now, I understand your present impression to be that the boat was prevented from going back by the action of Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon? - Yes, they protested against going back. 11143. When did you first make that statement to anybody? - Last Thursday. 11144. Did somebody take your proof of what happened on board this boat? - I could not say. 11145. Did not anybody take down a statement from you in writing of what you were able to say here to throw light upon the matter? - I never said anything about Sir Duff-Gordon at all. I made a statement which I gave at Plymouth, just the workings of the boat, what I knew went on on board the boat.