took place a day's journey south of Urriparacoxi and near present day Wachula.

After waiting in vain for a meeting with Urriparacoxi, Soto went on to Vicela in one day, and to Tocaste "which was on a large lake" the next day. Some historians suggest that Tocaste was on an island in the lake, and that Lake Kissimmee with its several islands and ancient Indian population is the best candidate.

Biedma's statement that the expedition kept about 12 leagues from the west coast makes it most likely that Soto maintained his usual pace north-ward rather than turning far inland past a half dozen unmentioned lakes to reach Lake Kissimmee. The phrase "on the lake" does not usually imply an island. Even today we tell our friends we have a cottage on a lake, when we mean on the lake's shore.

Urriparacoxi's sphere of influence extended south and west a considerable distance. His natural line of communication to the Gulf coast would have been the Peace River. Soto does not mention crossing a stream at this stage of his march, and the Peace River surely would have been noted by one of the chroniclers.

The best deduction from these clues is that Lake Hancock, north of Bartow, was the locale of Tocaste.

THE GREAT SWAMP

From Lake Hancock an Indian path, now Highway 98, veered northwest (Biedma's recollection) to an important junction near Dade City. It was on this leg of his march that Soto encountered the "great swamp" that has fascinated historians next only to the landing place itself.

Two large mid-Florida swamps occur here. Green Swamp, originally known as Big Cypress, is headwaters for the Withlacoochee River. The Withlacoochee Swamp downstream encompassed a complex of shallow ponds collectively called Tsala-Apopka Lake. These waterways were impenetrable except by canoe well into recent times. Even though the area has been drained extensively it still is formidable wilderness.

Large swamps were created by streams that flowed through nearly level land. The upper reaches of Peace River was overflowed and called "the deadening" by early settlers. The Caloosahatchee River originated in a drainage swamp from Lake Okeechobee. Several sections of the Kissimmee were drowned, including a large area west of Lake Tohopekaliga.

Significant clues, however, point to Green Swamp as the probable place of Soto's first major obstacle.

Biedma said nothing about the swamp, but the other three narrators are unanimous in describing it as very large with a broad and strong current in the center.

Garcilaso gives us an intriguing clue that convincingly identifies the stream. He said that "two years previously Pamphilo de Narvaez had passed along this same route with his ill-fated army."

Narvaez is believed to have crossed the Withlacooche River at Dunnellon where the river widens before discharging into the Gulf. A dam in recent times capitalizes on this width and creates a reservoir called Lake Rousseau.

Soto's men undoubtedly received their information about Narvaez from Indians captured at this point to serve as guides. Narvaez' route, within a days journey of the coast would have taken him west of the Withlacoochee Swamp. Soto, on the other hand, was three day's march from salt water and passed the Withlacoochee Swamp to the east.

Soto's scouts blundered into the Great Swamp three leagues from the town of Urriparacoxi. It took them several days, with the help of Indian guides, to find what appeared to be a passage through it. The army spent a day crossing a swampy stretch only to find the way blocked again "because of streams that ran out of the main swamp and flooded the countryside."

Leaving the army there, Soto took a small contingent of men and retraced his steps to seek another route. "Then for three days he travelled up one side of it, sending out scouts," says Garcilaso.

Exasperated with the failure of his Indian guides to lead him out of the endless marshes, Soto cast four of them to the dogs to be eaten alive. With this, the fifth Indian led them quickly to an "open, flat and broad road that lay far from the swamp." Four leagues along this road they turned once again to the marshes where they found another passage which could be crossed with wading and a bridge.

It appears that Soto first was misled into Green Swamp north of Lake Parker and was stopped by tributaries of the Withlacoochee River. He then travelled "up" the stream, if Garcilaso is not victim of another faulty recollection by his informant. A trek upstream would have led away from the desired direction and into the increasingly mucky heart of Green Swamp.