In 1857, another excursion to the westward of Lake Torrens was made by a Mr. Campbell, who discovered a creek of fresh water, which he called the Elizabeth.  He also visited Lake Torrens, of which he reported in similar terms to those of previous explorers —­ that it was surrounded with barren country.

In April of the same year, a survey conducted by Deputy Surveyor-General Goyder, over the same country as that lately explored by Babbage, led to some absurd mistakes.  A few miles north of Blanche Water he came to many surface springs surrounding a fine lagoon.  To the north of them was an isolated hill, which he called Weathered Hill.  From the summit of this hill he had a curious example of the effects of refraction in this region in a similar illusion to that which suggested Poole’s inland sea.  To the northward he saw a belt of gigantic gum-trees, and beyond them what appeared to be a sheet of water with elevated land on the far side.  To the eastward was another large lake.  But all this was but the glamourie of the desert —­ on closer examination the gigantic gums dwindled down to stunted bushes, and the mountainous ground to broken clods of earth.

But the greatest surprise reserved for Goyder was at Lake Torrens, where he found the water quite fresh.  He described the Lake as stretching from fifteen to twenty miles to the north-west, with a water horizon, with an extensive bay forming to the southward; while to the north, a bluff headland and perpendicular cliffs were clearly to be discerned with the telescope.  From the appearance of the flood-marks, Goyder came to the conclusion that there was little or no rise and fall in the lake, drawing the natural conclusion that its size was such as not to be influenced appreciably by flood waters, but that it absorbed them without showing any variation in its level.

Adelaide was overjoyed at the news.  The threatening desert that hemmed in their fair province to the north was suddenly converted into a land of milk and honey.  The Surveyor-General, Colonel Freeling, immediately started out, taking with him both a boat and an iron punt with which to float on these new waters.  But there was a sudden fall to their hopes when a letter was received from him stating that the cliffs, the bay, and the head-lands were all built up on the airy foundation of a mirage.  The elves and sprites of this desolate region had been playing a hoax upon Goyder’s party.  But it is no wonder that Goyder had been so open to deception after unexpectedly finding fresh water in the lake that had been so long known as salter than the sea.

On reaching the lake, Freeling found the water still almost fresh; but one of Goyder’s men who accompanied him, told him that it had already receded half-a-mile since the latter’s visit.  An attempt to float the punt was made, but after dragging it through mud and a few inches of water for a quarter of a mile, the men abandoned the attempt as hopeless.  Freeling and some of the party then started to wade through the slush, but after proceeding three miles, and then sounding only six inches of water, they returned.  Some of the more adventurous extended their muddy wade, but only met with a similar result.  Lake Torrens was re-invested with its evil name, only somewhat shrunken in proportions.