REPORTED LOSS OF THE SCHOONER LAUREL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 6, 12 September 1879, Page 2

REPORTED LOSS OF THE SCHOONER LAUREL.

(From the New Zealander.) We have to thank Captain Scott, of the pB. Lyttelton, for particulnrs of this disaster. The steamer Lytteltou, 6 from Blenheim, arrived at 5.30 p.m. yesterday, and Captain Scott reports that when about halfway across the Straits hp was signalled by the barque Mary Bell, bound to Newcastle from Lyttelton. A boat was put off from the barque, and brought aboard the steamer Captain Swede and the crew of thesohooner Laurel, a new vessel, recently built in Tasmania, and owned by Mr Hornby, of Pictou. Tt appears that the Laurel, laden with 50,000 feet of timber from the Sounds for Lyttelton, had sprung a leak and become —waterlogged, and the&rew had to abandon her off the Kaikouras on Tuesday. The barque Mary Bell was in sight, and they put off iv the schooner's boat with their dunnage, and were taken aboard and brought on up the Strait, until falling in with the p.s. Lyttelton. The Mary Bell lay-to all Tuesday night near the waterlogged vessel, but at daylight the Laurel had dsappenred, and the presumption is that, during the night, she sank, as when Captain Swede and his crew left her she was evidently settling down. It may be very possible that she is yet. aflßat as a dere Hot, but the fear is she will be heard no more of. However, to jet the matter at rest, Captain Bendall, on behalf of the underwriters, last night chartered the s.s. Jane Dongtls to go in search of the vessel, and the steamer left at 2 a.m. The skipper of the Laurel seems unluoky, he having pre* viouslyTost the Reliance, and Cynthia. .tit will be remei^mred this fine schooner - paid a visit to Foxton some months ago, ** Captain Abrams being then in command.