it took stuart nearly a year to recover from the expedition. he wrote in a letter: "i lost the power of my limbs for ... six months, and was quite unable to do anything for myself for ... twelve months." for the next few years he was unable to work. the money he had made was spent on doctors and living expenses. in 1849 he moved to near port lincoln on the eyre peninsula and worked on a farm. he soon found work surveying in the area, and met william finke and james chambers. finke and chambers were rich men and they paid stuart to explore for them. they wanted him to find them new farm lands and water, as well as minerals like gold and copper.