PAROA ROAD BOARD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1281, 14 September 1872, Page 2

PAROA ROAD BOARD.

The usual fortnightly meeting "of the Board was held on Thursday last, when there were present— -Messrs O'Connor (chairman), Barnhill, and SymoDS. -s. The minnte3 qE -the previous meetingawere read and confirmed. Correspondence consisting of two letters from Mr Matheson, the contractor for Section No. 2 j a petition from the ratepayers of Maori Gully District, to have sonic trifling repairs done, on the Italian Gully Track ; and an anonymous letter from a " Tenderer," were laid on the table. ' ' The Secretary reported a credit balance at the Bank of New South Wales of L 6 4s 3d, and several accounts were passed for payment. With respect to the petition from, Maori Gully, it was moved by Mr O'Connor, and seconded by Mr Symons, that Mr Barnhill be requested to proceed to Maori Gully and inspect the track in question, in order to see what repairs are necessary to be done, and to report on the extent and cost of such repairs at the next ordinary meeting.— Carried. \ Waters and Go, who applied for permission to remove one of the oul verts on the new road' to a site equally as good as regards the road.and more convenient for their claim, were granted permission accordingly. . ; - Contract for Section No. 1 of the Greymouth road was passed for, payment for the amount of L 193 8s l|d ; and the Board then lyent into committee to consider matters connected with Contract Nos. 2 and 3. In committee, a good deal of discussion took place on the terms proposed to be given to the contractor for Section No. 2, Mr Symons stating that he thought the work for that section could be done at a much cheaper rate than the contract accepted, provided the contractor were to be paid three-quarters in cash, and one-quarter in bills, instead of the original arrangement in the specifications of half cash and half bills. Mr O'Connor would prefer to carry out the terms in the specifications even if ihe rate of interest to be adopted be 12 per cent, on the bills, because that would leave in the Board's hand 3 a little money which might go .towards making up to pay for the remaining section. It was then* decided, upon the motion of Mr O'Connor, seconded by Mr Symous, that fresh tenders for Section No. 3 be called for, and Messrs Symons and O'Connor were appointed to sign the contract for Section No. 2. The Secretary was then instructed, upon tho motion ot Mr O'Connor, seconded by Mr Barn hill, to apply to the Colonial Secretary for information regarding future payments to the Board, and the meeting was adjourned.

Two parties have found two penny weightj to the load, which they say will pay iuj the rainy Reason. Very unwise for anyone to come unless well provided withstock, drays, and rations, as country it quite inipassablo in wet season, and no provisions on the field. No change in cable. . ... . ! We give the following from the South Australian Begister. It conveys a timely warning to the miners of this colony, and it may be hoped that the valuable information it conveys wr'l not be thrown away: — ; We still urge upon all who are thinking of trying their future at the Northern gold fields to wait patiently until Mr M'Lachlan's report is fully considered. If there is any gold worth going for, it will not be all swept away by the first handful of men who reach the ground. In so wild a country, where supplies are as yot not to be purchased, the early pioneers arc far more likely to get more than their share of privation and disaster than of gold. Our Port Darwin correspondent has already pointed out that intonding diggers must not only take with them tools, stores, tents, and every other appliance they will need upon the ground, but even the very meaus of transport to Pino Creek and back. The expense of such an equipment will be a very serious charge upon the profits of the first prospectors, however successful they may be. Nor is this consideration the most pressing one at the present moment. The peculiar character of the climate has to be also taken into account, and this precludes the possibility of working later tban tho end of December. At that time the rainy season sets in, and continues without interruption until the beginning , of April. The quantity of rain that fell last season was upwards of seventy inches, — more than three times as much, as is registered in Adelaide in twelve months. It converts tho climate into a hot steaming atmosphere, in which it is impossible for Europeans to labor. It necessarily puts a stop to mining operations, and turns the whole surface of the country into a morass, over which the lightest buggy cannot make its way. Lakes and torrents appear where a month beforo there was hard dry ground, and travellers unaccustomed to the suddenness and violenco of theso changes run great risk of being cut off from safety and hemmed in upon some low level with water lising all round thorn. We strongly urge, therefurc, upon all who are looking with longing eyes towards tho possible El Dorado of Pine Greek to weigh well these condcrations, and plan their movements so as to roach the ground not earlier than April or May, 1872. They can do no possible good by going sooner, and in the meantime they will hare all the benefit of tho information which the pioneer parties are so diligently collecting. It is quite possible that the result of this wise delay may be that they will not go at all. The following is an extract from a letter received from Mr John Westcott, the leader of the Northern Territory Gold Prospecting Association : — " Palmerston, 31st May— l have to report that I left Soulhport on 25th April, and arrived at the locality of Mr M'Laughlin's diggings 20th May. From Mount TymtoNo. 2 depot the country has every appearance of being auriferous, and from M'Minn's Bluff as far as I proceeded towards the Culleu River. The prospect I got was not payable, but I had but little time to prospect. lam perfectly satisfied of the existence of a good goldfield, and all I want ia the time and provisions to develop it. This is my judgment from the little time. I have had for inspection. I prospected creeks and places where 1 could got jravel on the way down, and always got gold. In some instances it was my opinion, if I could have given a more thorough trial deeper down, I would have got good gold. The reef in the neighborhood of Gaudy's Gully looks remarkably well, and I believe from the prospect got on the hills of reefy gold that rich reefs arc to bo found. There is no game in the country to speak of, and for any rush of diggers with swags and LI or L 2, they would simply starve. The climate at the gold fields is cool and pleasant, and at the present time of the year men can do as much work as in South Australia." The following telegram is from the S. A. Advertiser : — Port Darwin, Aug. 30. About forty tunn are working at Westcott's Creek, 120 miles from Palmerston. Tho present results are about 2dwt to the load of B tuff. Water is scarce, and a considerable distance off. The gold got varies in quality, and tho pieces range from ldwt to 6dwt The means of transport must still be provided by those coming, as nono are yet obtainable here.