We soon found ourselves in a field of bergs, and had
to alter course several times to clear bergs; weather fine, and
clear, light air on sea, beautifully clear night, though dark.
"We stopped at 4 A. M., thus doing distance in three hours
and a half, picking up the first boat at 4.10 A. M.; boat in charge
of officer, and he reported that Titanic had foundered. At
8.30 A. M. last boat picked up. All survivors aboard and all
boats accounted for, viz., fifteen life-boats, one boat abandoned,
two Berthon boats alongside (saw one floating upwards
among wreckage), and according to second officer (senior officer
saved) one Berthon boat had not been launched, it having
got jammed, making sixteen life-boats and four Berthon boats
accounted for. By the time we had cleared first boat it was
breaking day, and I could see all within area of four miles.
We also saw that we were surrounded by icebergs, large and
small, huge field of drift ice with large and small bergs in it,
the ice field trending from N. W. round W. and S. to S. E., as
far as we could see either way.
"At 8 A. M. the Leyland S. S. California came up. I gave
him the principal news and asked him to search and I would
proceed to New York; at 8.
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