Isle of the Amazons in the Vermilion Sea : 39 West Press : 9781946358141 : 1946358142 : 23 Apr 2019 : Adventurer Gregory MacDonald narrates recollections of Baja California and the Sea of Cortéz--from the mid-sixteenth century to the present--as told by well-known authors and those who have been moved to record their personal impressions and experiences. Original illustrations by award-winning printmaker Judith Palmer transform Isle of the Amazons in the Vermilion Sea into a masterpiece. Myth has it that Baja California was once ruled by a giant queen, Calafia. Her subjects were black Amazon women, and they lived in a land of ferocious griffins, tall mountains, precipitous cliffs, and deep valleys. Baja was also said to be an island of gold and precious stones. Spanish explorers, lured by tales of riches and beautiful women, were drawn to this mythical place. Jesuit priests, adventurers, fishermen, hunters, and the curious soon followed. Montalvo, Cortéz, and Padre Eusebio Kino--in 1