Eyre describes the extent of Lake Torrens stretching in an arc from west around to the east and with the surface too soft and yielding for any attempt to cross. His expectations of a route to the north and the possible discoveries of pastoral land, flowing rivers and lakes of fresh water, were barred by the appearance of an enormous horseshoe shaped salt lake.

Eyre's 'horseshoe lake' would bar northern progress for another 17 years, frustrating the attempts of the young colony to expand its horizons much beyond the head of Spencer Gulf. The efforts of Babbage, Warburton and Gregory in 1857-8 would show there were gaps between the salt lakes, that it was not one continuous salt barrier. The horseshoe-shaped lake Eyre had seen became Lakes Gairdner, Torrens, Eyre, Gregory, Blanche, Callabonna and Frome as well as a number of smaller ones in the east. The hope of an inland sea would not finally be dispelled until John McDouall Stuart made his crossing to the north coast of Australia in 1862.