required to bring Gallegos within sight of the large ships anchored two leagues or more from Ocita.

This conclusion is supported by eyewitness statements which have puzzled writers.

First of all, Soto's reference to an "ancon," or indentation in the shore, certainly does not describe so huge a body of water as Charlotte Harbor. The very size of the port, however, gives Soto's term validity. He was not alluding to the harbor as a whole, but only to a somewhat protected anchorage therein. The curving shoreline of Live Oak Point fits admirably.

Secondly, Ranjel's report that a gathering of Indians was driven from a nearby island becomes identifiable when related to Charlotte Harbor topography.

The assemblage of Indians may have been the villagers who fled Ocita. Fearing they might be organizing a war party, Soto sent Anasco in boats to disperse them. Anasco raked the Indians with cannon, killing nine or ten, but could not dislodge them. This suggests the island was large enough for its defenders to retreat beyond cannon range.

Anasco then called for a reinforcement of soldiers to intercept the Indians on the mainland opposite. This strategy indicates that the island was separated from the mainland by a shallow channel that could be waded or swam by a large body of Indians on foot.

The plan was sound, but the shores were deep marsh which threw General Porcallo's flanking movement into disarray. The natives slipped away in the thick mangroves, while Porcallo had to be rescued after spurring his horse into the muck.

Hog Island conforms exactly to these circumstances. One is tempted to speculate that the name of this feature, of unknown origin, is somehow connected to the drove of hogs Soto brought along for a traveling meat market.

THE ROUTE NORTH

Having found no gold, nor even decent farmland, Soto set out to explore the interior, starting with Urriparacoxi.

Biedma, the king's factor, states the army marched first "toward the setting sun." This route would approximate Highway 41 northwest out of Port Charlotte.

Ranjel says they crossed the River of Mococo on two bridges and bivouacked there the first night.

Seemingly the bridges utilized one of the many mid-river islands to reach the west bank where the army turned upstream. On the second day, while making camp near Lower Myakka Lake, the horses were stampeded by a rabbit. Disgruntled cavaliers dubbed the place Lake of the Rabbit.

The Spaniards passed Mococo's town at Upper Myakka Lake the following morning but declined his invitations to stop and visit. This latter body of water was given the important name of Saint John because of its larger size and association with their Indian ally.

The two lakes so early encountered are part of the Myakka River which most likely was the River of Mococo. Mounds on the northwest shore of Upper Lake Myakka attest to an Indian town there.

Urriparacoxi was 25 leagues (65 miles) from Ocita over a somewhat circuitous path, according to distances mentioned by Garcilaso. Mococo was said to be eight leagues from Ocita, and Captain Gallegos had marched ahead 17 leagues beyond there to reach Urriparacoxi. Interestingly the total is the median of Biedma's 20 leagues and Elvas' 30 leagues.

The direction of travel from Mococo was very close to north. Biedma said the expedition "turned northwest," while Garcilaso reported it marched "north and turning a little toward where the sun rises," that is, northeast. As Garcilaso warns us, the cavaliers paid little attention to anything but gold so we should not take their directions too precisely.

The most likely location of Urriparacoxi's town, 17 leagues northward of Lake Myakka, would be Bartow on the Peace River. It was the junction of Indian trails which ran east-west between Tampa and Lake Kissimmee, and north-south along the Peace River.

An old Spanish helmet was dug up a few years ago southeast of Bartow during phosphate mining operations. It now is in the possession of a retired teacher, Miss Elizabeth S. Brown of Bartow. Was the artifact lost there by a hapless soldier in Soto's army, or carried there from somewhere else by a victorious Indian warrior?

Soto's secretary said that after leaving Lake Saint John the army marched two days on "a great plain" -- such as that which stretches north and east of Charlotte Harbor.

On the third day Soto stopped at a little town named Luca where Captain Gallegos, who had been at Urriparacoxi's town, "came" to meet him. Gallegos' soldiers joined the main army the next day. We can assume from this that the rendezvous