arms shorter than the staff. There are no bar ends. Two other ground crosses have been discovered: another at St. Augustine and one at Sebastian Inlet by Homer Cato. These latter crosses were constructed of conch shells by mission Indians in the Latin style.

Ponce is said by Herrera to have left a cross of stone at a river, three weeks or more after he first landed and took possession of the land for Spain. The assertion that Ponce "left" the cross, rather than erecting or laying out one, could imply he set up a specially carved cross brought along for the purpose. Did he leave a similar one at the time he took formal possession? Without priests no Mass was held.

Spanish explorers customarily set up large crosses as visible notification of their presence. Ribuat in 1562 set up two stone columns ornamented with the royal French coat of arms. The Spaniards removed one, but Laudonniere on the second French voyage to Florida two years later found the Indians worshipping the other column at Jacksonville.

Until the St. Augustine cross and parchment are better substantiated, we must regard them with caution.

GULF STREAM DISCOVERED

Ponce's second anchorage did not occur until 12 days after the turn south. Then he secured once again in open sea near a shore-side village, probably at Ponce de Leon Inlet near New Smyrna. It is the first opening in the barrier islands south of Matanzas Pass, and Indians customarily built just inside passes convenient to land and sea.

The 1846 topographical map notes "6 feet low water, 9½ feet spring tides" for Ponce Inlet. The season was spring, of course, so Ponce might have had an opportunity to take his ships into harbor. However, as he stood away we note once again his reluctance to venture into shallow water. A description of the Inlet in a 1923 local history gives 9 feet in this "natural passage to the open sea." Modern dredging has produced a 14-foot channel.

The New Smyrna area was heavily populated by Indians of large stature. A village there named Caparaca marked the dividing line between two of their chief tribes. A 50-foot mound -- named Turtle from the earliest maps til present -- is located on the outer island Eldora. The mound, easily visible from sea, is one of the largest in Florida. Near by were others of 40 feet. Some skeletons unearthed in these mounds measured seven feet in length.

Next day the ships swung out to deeper water "by the edge of the sea," probably the continental shelf drop-off, to avoid Cabo Aracife (Cape of Reefs) now Canaveral.

The fleet was driven back by the powerful Gulf Stream which here deflects an inshore counter-current and releases reef-building sand. The two largest vessels dropped anchor to resist the current. The brigantine, however, was swept back.

While stopped, Ponce fell for the oldest of piratical tricks. He went ashore in the long boat, most likely at Indian River Inlet (Ft. Pierce), in response to a seemingly friendly hail from Indians. He had to fight his back to ship, lucky to escape in the dark with only two wounded.

RIVER OF THE CROSS

Ponce then proceeded south to a river where he wooded, watered and waited in his first protected anchorage for the errant brigantine. Once again he skirmished with the natives. Because of the historic importance, let us examine the possible location in detail

During this stop, Ponce and his men undoubtedly observed the traditional Festival of the Cross on May 3. Herrera says they left a stone cross there and named the place "River of the Cross." This historical memento has never been found, perhaps because legend has it that Ponce threw the cross into the river so it would not be desecrated by Indians after he left.

St. Lucie and Jupiter Inlets just north of Palm Beach are possible locations for this layover, but it is difficult to choose between them. They are close together and resemble each other in configuration. They frequently opened and closed under the impact of local hydrological forces, so we cannot know their condition in Ponce's time.

Bernard Romans in 1773 and John Lee Williams in 1833 likewise were confused by the openings and nearby landmarks.

Roman's map, engraved by Palm Revere of Boston, shows an inlet immediately opposite the mouth of the St. Lucie River. However, in his book accompanying the map Romans speaks of "an island" stretching 39 miles north of Hobe (Jupiter) Inlet. This implies that St. Lucie Inlet was not open then. He goes on to say there was a shallow sound extending south from the mouth of the St. Lucie, and that his local guides brought a schooner of five-foot draft through it and "out at Hobe." This latter statement implies that Romans entered the sound at St. Lucie.