The Sea and the Jungle

Considered one of the greatest travel narratives, The Sea and the Jungle is H.M. Tomlinson's firsthand account of the first journey of an English steamer up the Madeira in Brazil. Bored with his unfulfilling job in London, Tomlinson boards the steamer "Capella" at Swansea and embarks on a journey to deliver supplies to the men building railroads for the rubber harvest. The book overflows with vivid descriptions of the sea voyage and the tropics, as well as Tomlinson's dry sense of humor and observations. In his time in the Amazon and at sea, Tomlinson encounters storms, rotted food, yellow fever, angry mules, rapids, mosquitoes, and the foreboding character of the Amazon rainforest. (Summary by Tatiana Chichilla) (8 hr 15 min)