THOMAS.) THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCE. 647 



are forced to the coiicliisiou that his iuformatiou was derived fntm par- 

 ties who had seen them. Take for example the following passage: 



The town and the houses of the caci(iue Ossaehile are like those of other eaciiiues 

 in Florida. » ' ■• The Indians try to place their villages ou elevated sites; hut 

 inasmuch as in Florida there are not many sites of this kind where they can con- 

 veniently build, they erect elevations themselves in the following manner : They 

 select the spot and carry there a quantity of earth, which they form into a kind of 

 platform two or three pikes in height, the summit of which is large enough to give 

 room for twelve, fifteen, or twenty houses, to lodge the cacique and his attendants. 

 At the foot of this elevation they mark out a S(iuare place, according to the size of 

 the village, around which the leading men have their houses.' » * ♦ To ascend 

 the elevation they have a straight p.assageway from bottom to top, 1.5 or 20 feet 

 wide. Here steps are made by massive beams, and others are ])lanted (irmly in the 

 ground to serve as walls. Ou all other sides of the platform the sides are cut steep. - 



The gentleman of Elvas, speaking of the town of Ucita, where De Soto 

 first lauded in Florida, which was undoubtedly some point on Tampa 

 bay, says^ "The town was of seven or eight houses. The lord's house 

 stood near the beach upon a very high mount made by hand for 

 strength." It is quite probable that tradition is correct in fixing the 

 final landing place at Phillippi's point, near the head of what is known 

 as " Old Tampa bay," as it is stated by the authority last quoted that 

 after the horsemen had been landed " the seamen only remained on 

 board, who going u]) every day a little with the tide, the end of eight 

 days brought them near to the town."* 



Now it so happens that, at this point of De Soto's fruitless expedi- 

 tion, which can be determined ^\ith greater certainty than any other, 

 the shore is lined with mounds and shell heaps; for full description and 

 plats of which the reader is referred to the report of Mr. S. T. Walker.'* 

 Speaking of a mound at Phillippi's point, he says: 



This is one of the largest mounds on Tampa bay, and it is unfortunate that there 

 are impediments in the way of exploration. The structure is nearly half an acre in 

 extent and four different men claim an interest in it, a land corner being located on 

 it; besides this, it supports an orange grove. The location is beautiful, the laud 

 fertile, and fresh water abundant. Some years ago a storm drove the waters of the 

 bay against it, carrying away a portion of the eastern base and exposing its internal 

 structure. It is built of sand and shell in alternate layers. It is said that many 

 bones were washed out of it at the time; but its structure and general appearance 

 indicate that it was designed as a domiciliary mound like others of Its class."'' 



Mr. Walker found on opening another mound, 8 miles south of the 

 one just mentioned, a mass of human bones disposed in three strata or 

 layers : 



lu the lower stratum I found no ornaments and but little pottery, but in the mid- 

 dle and top layers, especially the latter, nearly every cranium was encircled by 



' The opeu area or square liere spokeu of is still very frequently observed in the village sites of tlio 

 mound-builders, as noticed several times ou the preceding tield report. 

 ' Historia de la Florida. Edition 1723, Lib. l. Pt. I, cap. xxx, p. 09. 

 3 Bradford Club Series. Vol. 5, p. 2;i. Hist. Coll. La. vol. 2, p. 123. 

 ' Op. cir. p. 23, Hist. Coll. La., vol. 2, ]>. 123. 

 ' Smithsonian Ee|)ort, 1879, pp. :i92-422. 

 'Op. lit., p].. 410-411. 



