The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-20

a of "Califia, queen of California" has been chosen for this condensation, both because it is one of the best of the stories in the romance and also because 1t seems to have an American flavor in it in name at least. At the head of this page Montalvo is given as the author of "Amadis of Gaul" because of lis Ire duetion" of the romance published ln Spain somewhere about 1470 Is the old est undisputed version. It has been credited to many old writers and proba- bly for at least a century before Mon talvo the romance was popular in Spain
 A s every one who has travelled at "A all knows the Terrestrial Para 4 \ disc lies at the right hand of the Indies and near this delectable land lies an island called California. Her nan Corfez, sailing upon the waters of the unexplored Pacific, found land which he named California. But 1t was, apparently, not the land which had been known to Amadis of Gaul. that great fighter and that chivalrous genlema T who was to the continent of Europe what King Arthur was to the islands of Britain. One evidence that the country which Cortez discovered and named California is not he samc island spoken of in the story of Anadis is that in the California of Amadis there were only women inhabitants.
 Queen Califia reigned over that land and she was an Amazon. Many wars did she make with her women soldiers upon the neighboring countries and took captive many men. But tho men were kept captive only a sh ort time and then they suffered death. The male children born among the Amazons were killed at birth, the female chfldrea were brought up carefully and trained to the profession of arms. All the Paclfc was in terror of Queen @alifia. Ske was a sea power in her time and her ships were the Dreadnoughts of the age. It must not be supposed that because Queen Califia and her Amazons slaugh- tered the mere men" they had an in herent dislike to the species. The fact was that they-the Queen and her sub tects-were of such rugged build that they could not endure for any length O. time men more puny than themselves.
 Many nations of fighting men made war upon Queen Caiifia, but the shores of California were high and rugged, with drowning cliffs and sounding surges; and when by any exercise of endeavor the armies of men made a landing upon these stern shores the Queen and her Amazons came oIt and gave them battle, so that there were no survivors, except such of the captives as were selected to be killed thereafter. In the fights with herm enemies Queen Califa employed to great advantage a trained corps of griffins. These grif- fins were caught when young by the women and trained to war by them. The griffins were fed mostly upon men who came to war with Caliia CT men whom she had captured in sone of her naval expeditions. Also all tie male children born among the Amazons were fed to the fighting griffins. But over these fierce animals the Amazons had a complete mastery, so that while they eagerly devoured men and boys, women they dared not harm. These griffins had wings and could fly to great heights. If more food of men and boys were given them than they had an ap- petite for they would take the victims fin their claws, and, soaring high up. would drop them to the earth and kill them that way. Queen Califia was of hugh stature and of marvellous beauty. She was dark, as were all her women, almost black, in fact, but so blooming that no man could see her and not love her.
 But ambition, more than love, moved the heart of the voluptuous queen. Ru- mors from time to time came to her of great wars going on in the world be- yond the purple seas that encir,led her island. Ever she longed to take part In those struggles. Now there came to her, through some of her captives, stories of the great fight which the Paynims were making for the posses sion of Constantinople and the attempt of the Moslem world to end the Roman Empire of the east. Two worlds, that of Asia and that of Europe, seemed to be about to try conclusions upon the ahores of the Bosphorus. Queen Califia called council of her chief fighting women and explained to them what d field for glory lay in the struggle.
 Confident of the prowess of her women troops and the destructive powers of the griffins, Queen Califia had a great longing to take part In the struggle She knew little what was meant by the terms Christians and Pagans, but she knew there was great war going on and no wor,d-conquerer ever longed more for military fame and had a firmer belief in her military prowess that Califia When the great council of women, stern and beautiful, had all assembled she laid the matter before them. She told them how the name of California might be made to resound through the world. She told them that if they stayed at home or ventured snly upon those foraglng expeditions for the capture of men they would die un- known to the outer world It was like being dead to remain in this isolation. They must go forth and take a part in the great affairs of the wide world, So the council approved and Califia prepared her ships and her armies for this distant enterprise
 All California was now stirred by the