on 1 january 1861, stuart with a group of 12 men and 49 horses set off from chambers creek. the hot weather made it hard to find water and many waterholes from his earlier trips were dry. in february stuart sent back two men with five horses. they reached the northern border of south australia at about the same time that burke and wills reached the gulf of carpentaria. he was able to travel 240 km north of attack creek, where he found a large waterhole he called glandfield lagoon, after the mayor of adelaide. chambers later changed the name on stuart's maps to newcastle waters, after the duke of newcastle, a british politician. from here stuart again looked for a way to go north west to the victoria river, but he was unable to find water. with the food running out, the men becoming sick, and horses in poor condition, stuart again decided to return to adelaide. burke and wills had not returned to cooper creek and were missing.