RIVER RAPIDS

None of the early maps indicate the little rapids distinguishing two of the rivers which must be considered as possibly associated with Soto's landing.

The Caloosahatchee rapids -- described as a "falls" by the first settlers -- held back the waters of Lake Flirt and was dynamited away in 1882 to start the drainage of Lake Okeechobee.

The Hillsborough rapids 20 miles up river was called El Salto (The Waterfall) on a 1757 chart which also named the stream itself River of Saint Julian of Arriaga.

In a flat land where tumbling water is a rarity, it would be expected that Soto and Narvaez would mention such an important landmark.

INDIAN NAMES

An interesting line of research seeks to find clues in the translation of Indian names for localities.

Fonteneda gives us some leads with place names remembered from his days of captivity.

John Swanton, an etymologist associated with the University of Florida, examined the Soto landing question from the standpoint of native terms. He concludes that all Indian names mentioned by the chroniclers -- from the first camp at Ocita until the winter camp at Apalache -- were of Timucua origin.

The town of Ocita, Ucita or Ecita is believed by Swanton to derive from the Timucua word ahosita meaning "to declare." He points out, however, that the people of Ocita and Mococo spoke different tongues. This leaves the possibility that the Ocita people -- with whom Soto never made contact -- might be of Calusa origin. The speed with which Ortiz managed to explain himself on that first day in Chief Mococo's village does suggest only a dialectic difference between Mococo and Ocita, rather than a basic language difference.

Following are the other Indian names, in geographical order, mentioned in the Soto narratives, and Swanton's translations:

NAGUARETE -- from nabua, meaning "honor"; and arita, meaning "to have."

CAPALOEY -- from apalu, for "fort"; and ka, for "this."

ORRIPARACOGI -- also spelled Orriparagi, Urriparacoxi, Urripacoxit, Hurripacuxi and Urribarracuxi. From the words huri, meaning "out-side in the forest"; and from paracusi, meaning "chief" or "war leader."

GUACOCO -- derived from guaco, meaning "to pass over." The second "co" evidently is the Indian equivalent of the grammatical article "the" or "a."

ACELA -- untranslatable.

TOCASTE -- a combination of toco, "to pour out"; and toca, meaning "more" -- thus, "to pour out more."

UQUETEN -- from uque, "grease"; or possibly from uquesinoma, meaning "a snare."

OCALE -- from huguele, meaning "it rains." The Eto in Etocale means "to fall down."

ACUERA -- from acu, meaning both "moon" and "all'; and from ero, meaning "year"; or from hero, meaning "to become."

ITARAHOLATA -- also spelled Ytara. A combination of three words: ita, "to increase"; itori, "to fast"; and holata, meaning "chief."

POTANO -- from either putu, "to flee" or "hasten"; or from puti, "to war against"; and from no, meaning "to."

UTINAMOCHARRA -- from utina, meaning "powerful," as applied to a chief; and from charam, meaning "material on which to paint," probably animal skins or bark.

CHOLUPAHA -- a combination of three words: chola, "to drop"; chula, "to loosen"; and paha, "house."

AGUACALEYQUEN -- also spelled Aguacalecuen and Caliquen. From abo, "above" or "up"; cala, "fruit"; and quene, "like."

GUATUTIMA -- from a combination of three words: patu, "cold"; ti, "not"; and ma, "the."

URIUTINA -- from huri, meaning "outside"; utina, "powerful"; and iri, "war."

NAPITUCA -- also spelled Napetaca. From no, "something"; pita, "to finish"; naba, "inside" or "within"; and taca, "fire."

APALU -- also Hapaluya. From apalu, meaning "fort" or "stockade."

OCACHILE -- Also spelled Uzachil and Osachile. Derived from oso, meaning "quickly."

AGILE -- also spelled Axille, Aguile and Ochile. Taken from Aha, meaning "acorn."

IBITACHUCO -- also spelled Ivatachuco and Vitachuco. From ibitano, "noble" or "nobleman"; and chuco, meaning "black."

UZELA -- possibly the Timucua equivalent of Calachuchi.

CALACHURCHI -- perhaps an Apalache name derived from kali, meaning "spring"; and