misleading results. These distinctions should be considered when attempting to trace the origin of those names that have come down to us today in such places as San Carlos Bay and Sanibel.

Celi places his own name on the small cape in Hillsborough Bay. Of all the names he bestowed, only "Pta. del Pinal de Ximenez", a piney cape named for the xebec's captain, remains today as Pinellas Peninsula.

Celi's soundings two centuries after Soto and two centuries before our time are remarkably close to modern soundings -- attesting both to Celi's skill and the little net change in water depth.

Spain ceded Florida to England in 1763, and King George immediately ordered a survey of his new territory. Accordingly the cartographer Thomas Jeffrys was dispatched to chart Tampa Bay. His map of 1769 pretty much confirms the soundings of Celi but extends the knowledge of depths with soundings of the neglected north channel entrance -- really the best one -- and the two north bays which Jefferies renamed Tampa and Hillsborough.

CARLOS-CHARLOTTE SOUNDINGS

Celi's journal of his outbound passage gives us useful information about the water depths of other channels that might have been used by Soto.

After picking his way past Marquesa Keys -- the Tortugas of Ponce de Leon -- Celi made land-fall in familiar territory:

"We arrived at daybreak Tuesday in sight of land, which we descried in the middle of the bay of Carlos and at a distance from it of three leagues. At this time the order was given to steer NW by N, as a sounding showed four and one-half fathoms with rocky bottom." Again, a close match to Ranjel's measurements.

"From Punta Tancha (Cape Sable) to Punta Larga (Cape Romano), the coast runs NW and SE a distance of 20 leagues. From Punta Larga to Punta Sanibel, which is one of the band of keys north of Carlos Bay, the coast and keys run NW and SE with one another. They turn away for a distance of 15 leagues, and in this distance form said cove-figure in the shape of a half moon, having a depth in its entrance of eight to nine palms (5½ to 6¼ feet). Inside the bay there is a depth of 32 to 40 palms (22 to 27 1/2 feet, approximately 4 fathoms), so that it is suitable only for fishing vessels.

"From Punta Sanibel the coast runs W N W 5 degrees W,

and continuing on this same course one and one-half leagues there is a bay or hidden mouth. Running along this same course for two and one-half leagues is another inlet which they call El Captivo (Captiva Pass) in which there is a depth of seven to eight palms (5 to 5 1/2 feet).

"Finding ourselves at a distance from land of about one league with the xebec, we steered NNW a distance of two and one-half leagues with a depth of four and one-half to five fathoms. We arrived somewhat beyond a pass which is called Boca Grande in which there is a depth of 15 palms (10¼' feet), and inside up to 30 palms (20½ feet). At 9:45 we steered NW, having unexpectedly encountered sand bars extending outward from the land a little more than one league. Note: I advise that one should navigate along the coast in a depth of six fathoms which will go safely by all danger.

"At 10:00 a sounding was made showing six fathoms with shell bottom; whereupon we steered NNW and at 10:30 were almost becalmed. This day has been noted by a difference by dead reckoning, to that by observation, of 11 miles more to the north, for which I allowed with the first correction.

From this position the entrance to Tampa Bay bears to the north three leagues NW, a distance of 17 leagues." From these entries we learn that Celi made landfall at Carlos Bay which he described as shaped like a "half-moon," A true ensenada. He gives the entrance depth as a scant fathom, with twice that inside.

He mentions the next inlet, Blind Pass, and notes its entrance hidden by sand bars. Captiva Pass had less than a fathom of water. Boca Grande Pass is given close to two fathoms, with twice that inside. Significantly there was no opening at what is Red Fish Pass today.

ROMAN'S JOURNAL

To Celi's measurements we can add some equally brief soundings of Bernard Romans in 1774. His map of Florida was quite detailed for its day. Unfortunately it contains errors that rob his work of complete reliability.

It is obvious, for example, that he confused the Manatee and Hillsborough Rivers. He was about 3 1/2 minutes off latitude in locating the principal passes into Charlotte Harbor, and he was considerably off in the directional trend of the Caloosahatchee River and Carlos Bay shore line.

Romans fixed into the charts for all time the mislocation of Tampa which Herra first committed in his map of 1601.