FOURTH DAY,
MONDAY, 31ST JANUARY, 1870.
319
AUBREY HANEETON, SWOIN, states.--I am third officer of the Bombay. I was on board on the 24th January. I know that a collision took place between the Bombay and another vessel. At the time of the collision, I was on the main deck, by the after hatch. I had finished getting out the mails and was then standing there. I was not a witness to the collision. I wenton'deck I should say two minutes after the collision had occurred. I was not aware that there was another vessel in sight before I went below. The collision occasioned a slight quiver to our ship. I heard the sound of a crash below. When I went on deck, I saw the other ship on our starboard quarter. She was about a ship's length off. I noticed she was a barque-rigged steamer under sail I saw the funnel only. I saw her hull. The stern was to- wards us, and her starboard quarter. I noticed nothing particular about her, but I saw some broken wood between her and ourselves. I took no notice of any damage to her. I could not say how long she was in sight. While I looked at her I could see her distinctly, I did not notice a hole in her stern. I cannot say for certain what 1 saw; but I think it was the starboard quarter and the stern. I did not see ber screw. I saw some lights issuing from the stern but could not say what they were. I could not say whether they appeared to me to issue from a break in the ship, I did not take very much notice. The light did not disclose to me any part of the interior of the ship. I was standing at the bottom of the poop ladder on the starboard side of the Bombay. There were two or three people near me, but I did not notice who they were. I could not say whether any of them were passengers or not, I did not turn round and speak to them. I did not watch the other ship out of sight. I could not see exactly what injury the other ship had sustained. I could not see that she had sustained any injury. I saw no break about her of any kind. When I first saw her there must have been a ship's length between us. I did not hear a steam-whistle. I heard no cries, nor a hail from her. I had no watch till 8 o'clock that night. I was not on deck when an officer came from a man of war to request the Captain to get away. I did not hear the other ship hailed from our ship.
To Mr. DE LONG.-I heard no guns, nor did I see the flash of any.
TO THE COURT-I meant the main deck below the spar deck, on a level with the engine room-The next deck to the upper deck. We fired a gun, two rockets, and lighted a blue light just after passing the light-ship. I did not hear the report of a gun previous to our firing. I heard no gun fired after we had fired. I left the ship immediately we had anchored, and went on shore with the mails. I did not report the collision on shore. I only saw the Postmas ter, not the agent. I went to the P. & O. office, and saw some one. I don't know who it was. I heard of the col- lision from other people when I landed on shore. I have never been in a collision before.
Signed
AUBREY HAMERTON, 3rd Officer.
EDWARD NEWMAN, sword, states.-I am steward in charge of the Bombay. I remember a collision taking place between the Bombay and another ahip. I was in my cabin below at the time of the collision. I'did not remain there. Directly I felt the shock, I went on deck. I thought we had gone ashore or something, never having felt anything of the sort before. I saw the other vessel when I came on deck. I could not say what she looked like, as I did not see her distinctly. She was abaft the bridge. I ran up the fore companion ladder. I went on shore to P. & O. office after anchoring. I reported a message to Mr. Dalziel from the Captain to the effect that we had been in a collision, and we had been not much burt. I did not report the name of the other vessel. I did not know it. I did not make a statement whilst on shore, that we had injured the other vessel and that you could drive a coach and four into the I other vessel. I could not see much of the other vessel. saw a light in ber stern, but could not see what it was. I went down below again immediately. The third officer and I went on shore in the same boat.
To Mr. De LONG-The Captain did send a message by me to the Agent, to report the collision. He told me to take his compliments to the agent and say we had been in collision, but he thought we were very little hurt. 1 he lieve that is just the message I did deliver. I do not think I told Mr. Dalziel anything about the other vessel, but I cannot remember. I went to the International Hotel that evening. I think I did state in the International Hotel, that we had had a collision. I do not remember another gentleman asking me if we liad stopped to see what injury the other vessel had sustained. I do not know that I know Captain Hiltz of the City of Fedo. If any one asked me whether we had stopped to enquire into the injury done to the other vessel, I must have answered, "No." Some one did ask me why we did not stop. I think I replied I did not know-it was best known to the Captain why we did not stop. I might have said in reply to the question " No- there was the mistake." I may also have said "we were making water ourselves." I did not state that the Bombay's bow went into the other vessel. I did not say that I could see some of the officers removing a man who had been burt by the collision. I was not in the Yokohama Hotel that evening. I did not say at any time that evening "we have smashed a hole in another vessel, large enough for a coach to be ran into." I did not say "I could see them through the hole in the other vessel carrying the wounded away I don't remember that I said that anybody else had said so. I heard something of the kind on board the Bombay on the way up; but not about carrying a dead body away. The Carpenterssid he had seen somebody lifted away from what he supposed to be the table in the saloon of the other vessel. I did not repeat what the carpenter had said-not that night, I think. I did say that I thought the other vessel would follow us in, as I thought I saw her
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