A BARQUE MISSING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 184, 6 August 1890, Page 5

A BARQUE MISSING.

. THE KENTISH LASS.

WRECKAGE OFF AUSTRALIAN COAST. __-~ v V _._...-,. Mention waa made,, on Monday last, says the Sydney " Telegraph " of latest date to hand, that the barque Kentish Lass—a vessel of 306 bonß, commanded by Captain Johnston, from Hokianga, N.Z.,bound to Sydney —was considerably overdue, and that grave fears were being entertained in shipping circlesfor her safeby. Nothing has since been heard of themissing barque, although several vessels bhab sailed some days after her bave arrived, and ib is now feared that something serious has happened her. A quantity of wreckage, apparently from some vessel thab has come to grief off the coasb, was passed on Monday by the steamer Western, Captain McGuire, on her passage from Newcastle to Sydney. The wreckage consisted of a vessel's deck-house, floating from the combings up, and a velvet cushion, besides a mast, the latter being on end and showing 4ft above water, with some thing apparently underneath, The mast fromall appearances was perfectly new and Captain McGuire is of opinion bhat ib had only recently been broken off. The deckhouse and cushion were passed when tho Western was six miles off Nora Head and the mast was sighted off Cape Three Points. Captain Hector Boyle, of the steamer Balmain, of Mes«ra W. Howard Smith and Sons' line, also reports sighting wreckage in the broken ground off Terrigal between 11 and 12 o'clock on M onday. Tbe wreckage, Captain Boyle . states, consisted of a vessel's deckhouse. This : was painted a light colour and had tho appearance of having been taken clean off a vessel's deck. Ib was aboub 12f b square and appeared to bo intact, even the beading round the sides being visible. Close to the deckhouse were a number of deck planks of from lOfb to 12ft in lengbh. The planks were clean and had to. all appearances nob been long in bhe water. The heavy sea running prevenbed Captain Boyle from making a careful examination of the wreckage. A reporb was currenb yesterday that the wreckage was bhab of bhe barque Zodiac, which was losb off the > northern coasb recenbly, bub Capbain Boyle, who sailed the Zodiac at one time, is fully convinced bhab bhis is nob bhe case, ab least he is sure thab the deck-house is nob thab of bhe Zodiac. The wreck ot the Zodiac was visited the other day, and waa found to have split in halves lengthwise, the ono half being washed up along the beach and the other half thrown on the rocks with a l*xm wwntity gi timber in it, Opiniona

differ aa to the probability of those who bought the wreck and cargo making anything out of ib. The wreck and cargo, it will bo remembered, were sold at auction for £79.

Tho Kentish Lass had nob turned up at Sydney ab latesb cable advices, and ib is feared thab she has gone down. She is now 48 days out from Hokianga to Sydney, and should have arrived long ago. . She is owned in Wellington by C. and J. Stewart and others, and was built ab Home in 1872.