329
NINTH DAY.
FRIDAY, 11TH FEBRUARY, 1870.
THE COURT RE-OPENED.
into the
Mr. Yates to bare meant that the order to starboard was
Mr. Yates to say that Capt. Willians had corrected him, LLEWELLIN STYLES DAWSON, Lientenaut H. M. S. Sylvia, and I understood that it was in order to avoid the collision, I only give you Mr. Yates's words. I understood bim to Aworn, states: I remember the morning of the 25th January; the Sylvia went to sea that inoruing to look say that Capt. Williame and Mr. Mouldaur gave him the or for the wreck of the Oneida. 1 remember Mr. Yates der to starboard in order to avoid the collision; but when of the Oneida, coming down
wardroom questioned, he replied that Capt. Williams was carried on deck at the time of the collision. I thought at the time of the Sylvia. In the course of conversation he
this statement was strange, and as I said before Mr. Yates related the circumstances of the collision between the Bombay and the Oneida, I cannot recollect the details of appeared to be confused. I had no particular object in questioning Mr. Yatea. I was anxious of course to hear the narrative, which he told us. He stated that he saw
the circumstances of the collision. I did not carefully wote the lights, not the ship. I did not hear him say what lights what Mr. Yates said. At the time Mr. Campbell spoke to he saw. He told me that upon seeing those lights he order ed the heir to port. He did not give me to understand, Mr. Yates said: "I am not now speaking before a st what length of time previous to the collision this order Court, but to gentlemen and officers; and I don't expect what I say to be repeated." I was in no way excited at was given. He did not say that he starboarded his helm at
the time. It is quite possible that I may not resember or any time; he said that Mr. Moldaur and the Captain ordered him to starboard his belm. From what I understood, this remember incorrectly portions of the conversation. I did not hear Mr. Yates say anything about Capt. Williams hav- was before the collision took place, and after he had seen the lights. He said that the Captain and Mr. Moldaur cor- ing been in his cabin. I cannot say whether I understood rected him and said "always starboard," this was after he himself had given the order to port. He did not express given before or alter Capt. Williams was carried on deck. I don't think Mr. Yates stated that he gave the order to port I did not an opinion as to whose fault the collision was.
in order to avoid the collision or that Captain Williams hear him find fault with the handling of the Bombay nor
gave the order to starboard in order to avoid the collision. with that of his own ship.
L. S. DAWSON,
Lieutenant. JAMES CAMPBELL, Paymaster, H. M. S. Sylvia, sworn, I remember his states.-I know It. Yates of the Oneida. coming on board the Sylvia on the morning of the 25th January. The Doctor of the Oneida was also present. I took more notice of what the Doctor said than I did of Mr. Yates's conversation. Mr. Yates was talking about the accident, but I cannot remember what he said. I remem ber advising him to lie down on the sofa and go to sleep, and to say nothing more about the collision. I thought he The Doctor said was suffering from mental excitement. that just before the collision, he heard an order from the forecastle "port," and then that an order to "starboard ” The Doctor was not at was given by an officer on desk. all excited at the time. He said that the order to "star- board" was given from the quarter deck of his own vessel. I think he even said that the officer of the deck had given it. I don't think it possible that the Doctor could have said that he heard the order "starboard" from the deck of the other vessel. I fully understood that it was from the deck of the Oneida.
To Mr. Da LONG.-I did not see Mr. Yates 'when he first came on board. I saw him in the wardroom. He appear ed to be very excited, fatigued and moved. He appeared ill, and as if he could hardly realize the calamity. While the above conversation took place, Mr. Yates was addressing him self particularly to Lieut. Gambier. I could not say exactly who else among the officers of the Sylvia wore present. There was a sofa in our wardroom. After his tiffin, Mr. Yaten laid down and went to sleep on that sofa. This conversa. tion took place while he was waiting for tiffin, and during tiffin time. I am not sure whether Lout. Lyon and Lieut. Anthony were present or not. They were on board at the time, but I cannot recollect whether they were in the ward- room. Lieutenant Istomin of the Russian Corvette was pre- sont at the time of the conversation. I cannot remember what the first thing I heard Mr. Yates say was; about the first thing I can recollect him saying was, that he was the only surviving executive officer of the Oneldo. I don't re- member what was said in reply to that. I really cannot remember what was the next thing said, it is so long ago. I can remember that Mr. Yates gave me a narrative of the eircumstances. I remember Lieutenant Gambier asking Mr. Yates how the collision took place. He described the occurrence as I have already said. Ho quid he was the exe cutive officer on deck; that when he saw the Bombay's lights be ordered the helm to port, that the Captain and Mr. Moldaur corrected him and ordered the helm to starboard and said "always starboard." He described that the Bom bay struck the Oneida on the quarter; he described the bravery displayed by some of the officers, that the assis- tant engineer refused to leave the engine room; the manner in which the ship sank, Captain Williams refasing to leave the bridge; how he himself had been overboard; how he got ushore to the Japanese village; the difficulty he had in pro euring food, and his meeting the next morning the officer of the Idaho. That is all that I remember Mr. Yates himself having said. I heard Lieutenant Gambier say to Mr. Yates, "I heard that Captain Williams was ill; how was it that ho Mr. Yates said was on deck at the time of the collision ?" he was carried on deck at the time of the collision. I re member Lieutenant Istomin asking when he saw Mr. Tallock last, but I don't recollect his reply. I remember Mr. Camp bell saying to him that he advised him to say nothing more about the collision, but to put it on paper; and lie down and go to sleep. I don't think I remember anything more. Mr. Yates did reply to Lieutenaut Istomin, but I don't remem- ber what he said. I did hear the reply, it has not impressed itself upon my memory.
I did not know Mr. Tullock, and I did not regard Mr Yates' reply to a question about him. think it was the same evening at the Naval Hospital that the conversation was alluded to by me. Mr. Maxwell of the Sylvia and Lieut. Roys of the Pearl were present. I can. not answer that I told them word for word what I bave now said; but certainly the substance of what I said was the same. I certainly remember Mr. Yatos saying that Capt. Williams had been on deck at the time of the collisi- on. I did not hear that Capt. Williams had been on deck before that time. It was at this time that I understood
JAMES CAMPBELL,
Paymaster.
FREDERICK WILLIAM JEREAD, Sab-lieutenant, H. M. S. Sylvia, sworn, states. I recollect Lieut. Yates coming on board the Sylvia the morning after the Bombay and the Oneida had come into collision. I don't recollect his de- I don't recol. scribing the circumstances of the collision.
lect if he said anything of what had taken place on board the Oneida before the collision. I recollect nothing at all of what Mr. Yatos said. I was on deck most of the time he was on board,
FREDERICK W. JERRAD,
Narg. Sub-lientenent. JAMES WILLIAM GAMBIER; first Lieutenant, H. M. S. Sylvia, sworn, states. I remember Lient. Yates coming on board the Sylvia on the 25th January. I heard him at different times, while on board, relate the circumstan ces of the collision between the Bombay and the Ossido. Mr. Yates's story to me, was, that when he saw the lights ahead, (not specifying any particular coloured light,) he ordered the helm to be ported. I asked him "how long he saw the lights before the collision occurred?" and he said "About 20 minutes." He then said that the Cap. tain and Navigating Lieutenant came on deck, or were ou deck, and ordered the helm to be starboarded. Mr. Yates remonstrated, thinking it was dangerous; and the Cap- tain then said "Starboard Mr. Yates, you'll keep your helm a starboard." That's all I heard Mr. Yates say myself.
TO THE COURT. I mean to say that Mr. Yates told me that the Captain and the Navigating Lieutenant had come on deck and ordered the helm to be starboarded before the collision occurred. I did not ask Mr. Yates the question as to how the Captain came on deck; but it struck me at the time that it was curious how the Captain and Navigating Licatenant had suddenly come on deck. This conversation
EX