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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1315, 13 May 1897, Page 11

A Wash Coaster now in Wellington states that a mining boom is coming on the A r est Coast which should rival that of Auckland. The missing cutter lona is a vessel of about five tons measurement, and under her old name of the Mystery used to take part in tho Napier sailing races about 20 years ago. She ■ has been laid up for several years, but a couple of years since was bought by Mr .Jordan at Port Ahuriri, who practically rebuilt her, and engaged in. the fishing business. One of the missing men is named Jackson, a young man of 23 or so, a resident at Porangakau, who purchased tho lona recently, intending to use her as a fishing trawler off Porangahua. The other man was a sailor named Thomas, about 27 years old, wlr> left tbo ship Taranaki last wool season, and has since been engaged at Port Ahuriri. Thomas, though a sailor, had little knowledge of the coast or of boatsailing, and Jackson had practically none at all. The boat left Napier on the 23rd ulfc. with about a week’s provisions on board, and she was seen in the Porangahau Bight four days later (the 27th), and was in sight there for a couple of days. The only hope for tho men is that they may have been picked up> by some passing vessel, but it is feared there is but a slight chance of this having happened, for if so tho fact would havo been reported by the vessels when passing through. Cook Strait,