but also to lessen the ships' drafts. Elvas says camp was pitched "on the sea-side, nigh the bay, which runs up closely to the town" of Ocita. In other words, the landing place was so close to the Gulf it was considered a beach of the sea, near the bay extending inland 10 or more miles.

A remarkable confirmation of the relative locations of the camp and Ocita is Garcilaso's reverse version of Elvas' description. Garcilaso declares Ocita was "near the sea and closest to the bay" -- that is, Ocita was primarily bay-related, yet near the sea 10 miles back.

We can be sure the camp was not on an outer island, else the army could not have marched two days toward Ocita. Soto's point of disembarkation most likely was the beach on the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor opposite Boca Grande Pass.

This was one of the few spots in the port not obstructed with mangroves, according to the 1868 hydrological chart. A large village existed near here until the Indian Removal, and it was the base for a Seminole war party which destroyed a trading post now recalled as Burnt Store.

Soto's people spent the day stretching their legs on the white sand beach and slept there that night. It was a short night, however, as they had to beat off an Indian attack at dawn. The surprise raid further supports a mainland landing because Indians could not have crept up undetected on a small island and then retreated by foot. Nor could General Porcallo have then "beat up the country half a league about."

Next morning the army began marching north, swinging inland to head great mud flats and creeks running up from the harbor. Soto impatiently rode ahead with some of his cavalry, losing his way and floundering for 12 leagues. At nightfall he reached the north shore of Punta Gorda opposite Ocita, after trying unsuccessfully to get around the eastern end of the roadstead.

Soto's attempt to ride into Ocita on his horse was thwarted by the boundless marshes which still block the lower reaches of Peace River and Shell (Prairie) Creek. Some researchers challenge Ranjel's statement that Soto and his cavaliers required 31 miles of hard riding to reach Ocita. The village was less than half that far by boat.

Nevertheless, such a distance would be reeled off easily by searching five miles or so east of the bay and then backtracking to Punta Gorda.

Ranjel says the exhausted men and horses spent the night there,

but Elvas states that Soto came to the deserted village at night in the pinnaces with 100 men. This apparent contradiction may indicate that Soto was able to signal across to General Porcallo who had gone with some soldiers in the pinnaces to occupy Ocita. In this case, Soto and a contingent of men would have crossed at night while the horses and remaining men slept until the pinnaces returned at daylight. That the rear guard slept scattered about suggests a feeling of security in the vicinity of imminent rescue.

The main body of army came up the following day and likewise was ferried across to Ocita.

LOCATION OF OCITA

With all hands finally assembled, Soto per-formed the solemn act of taking possession of the land for Spain -- another demonstration of Spanish belief that Ponce and Narvaez had landed and taken possession elsewhere.

Shortly after the formalities Johan Ortiz, the captive Christian, was brought into camp; and Chief Mococo, his benefactor, was introduced to the Adelantado.

Ocita consisted of seven or eight large palm-thatched lodges on a "very high mount," or mound, characteristic of Florida Indian construction. At the other end of the village was a temple on which perched a "carved wooden fowl with gilded eyes" -- a good description of a Timucua charnel house guarded by a totem vulture. The ground was "fenny," or marshy; and many high trees (pines?) were felled to make running room for the horses.

Mococo became a firm ally of Soto, welcoming him on all occasions. The chief's town was eight leagues, or two days' walk, from Ocita; across a river half-way between; near the Gulf coast where movements of ships were observed and fish caught; and along a broad, straight road that led to Urriparacoxi's town 17 leagues distant.

Garcilaso reports that Captain Baltasar de Gallegos and his men were three leagues down the road to Mococo's town when an Indian guide misled them towards the shore marshes. The deception was discovered when top-sails of the anchored ships were seen through a clearing.

This incident furnishes evidence that Mococo lived northwest of Soto's head-of-the-harbor camp. A road to the northeast would have led quickly to the shallow, marshy end of the harbor. Therefore, we can assume that Soto's base was well into the upper reach of Charlotte Harbor. Three leagues of arching travel from that point would be