LIGHTNING SHOAL 
2,93 
our alarms were greatly increased by the best bower s parting. 
Our only hopes now were that the sheet anchor, the whole cable 
of which we veered out, would hold till morning ; our little stream 
anchor could otherwise be of no use. The swell and wind were 
greatly increased, so as to render rest impossible ; nor could our 
dead lights protect the cabin from the sea, which worked in by the 
violent pitching of the vessel. Morning at length came, but not to 
bring us comfort. We discovered that we were in a kind of bay, 
formed by two reefs, and a sandy island at the bottom. It was so 
hazy that we could not distinguish whether or no there might be 
a small passage on either side of it. The sea broke so as to render 
it difficult at a distance to distinguish it from breakers. There was 
every reason to fear that no passage existed, as the ground under us 
was extremely foul. Should our anchor part, it was, as the wind 
then blew, impossible to weather either point of the reef; we 
could therefore only trust to Providence. I own, that the dread 
of such another night as the hist ; the certainty that if the cable did 
part in the night, nothing could save us all from destruction ; the 
little hopes that it could hold in foul ground with an increasing 
swell and an undiminished gale, made me almost wish that ere 
night our anxiety might be ended. There was then a hope, though 
a faint one, that our lives might be saved, though the vessel were 
lost, by at once laying her ashore on the island which we then 
supposed to be one of Wellesley's islands. At a quarter past 
twelve the expected event took place. Captain Court was cool and 
collected. He said to me, taking my hand, alas ! poor Panther ! 
nothing can save you — we must now be all broken together, and 
do the best we can for each other. He accordingly determined to 
