the south australian government offered a prize of £2,000 to the first person to cross australia from the south to the north. they hoped this would be a route for the australian overland telegraph line that would connect australia to the line that came from europe. stuart and chambers plans for the trip were not accepted by the government. the government sent alexander tolmer to lead the trip. his expedition did not make it out of the settled areas. in august 1859, one month after his last trip, stuart went back to do more surveying for chambers at chambers creek. with william darton kekwick and two other men, they took 12 horses and explored the west side of lake eyre. chambers and stuart believed that the lake might hold water. instead stuart found mud after he walked several kilometres into the dry salt lake. he found another artesian mound spring, more than in height, which he named william springs, after one of chamber's sons. he then set off for the spring of hope. he saw grasslands and eventually made a base at freeling springs. he explored much of the surrounding area hoping to find gold. on 6 january 1860, with his food supplies getting low, and two of the men refusing to go any further, stuart once again returned home.