i>92 LIGHTNING SHOAL. 
one of themselves to an office something like Dola, who is changed 
annually. We weighed at three, and stood round the south end 
of the island. 
November 19. — Till yesterday morning the winds, though hang- 
ing to the N. of E. enabled us to make tolerable way. The sky 
then began to darken, and the wind to freshen. We were running 
along by a new chain of islands off Port Mornington, which we 
named Duncan's islands, in compliment to the benevolent Governor 
of Bombay. Between these we understood were several passages 
out into the open channel. 
We were within fifteen miles of the track of the Panther in J 795, 
when the wind freshened so much from the northward, as to oblige 
us to lie to, in hopes of keeping our own till morning. We had on 
our former voyage run along at a small distance from the main 
land, and thought all was clear between that and the islands. We 
drifted gradually to the S. W. keeping the lead going. It lightened 
very violently, and about eleven, by a very vivid flash, Captain 
Court discovered we were drifting on a shoal, and at the same time 
the soundings were fourteen fathom. We instantly let go the 
small bower — ^ veered out two-thirds of a cable, and let go the best 
bower under foot. We now thought ourselves safe, and Captain 
Court congratulated me on the Panther's riding so well at anchor 
as to leave us nothing to fear, though it blew very fresh, and a 
very heavy sea was rolling in. However, before one, we parted 
from the small bower; we instantly veered out the whole of the 
best bower cable, and dropped the sheet anchor with a new cable, 
and veered out thirty fathom. In doing this, the hand of one of 
the poor Lascars got jammed in, and was severely bruised. At three 
