Afloat in the Forest; Or, a Voyage Among the Tree-Tops
1868
When their father dies and a treacherous lawyer robs them of their inheritance, two Cornish brothers set sail for Peru with nothing but ambition and a childhood promise to return wealthy. Ralph dreams of gold in the mountains; Richard believes fortune favors the trader. But the Amazonian wilderness they encounter is nothing like the gentle hills of Cornwall. In the flooded forests of the Gapo, they build a life among the tree-tops, navigating treacherous waters, encounters with indigenous peoples, and the constant threat of nature's deadliest creatures. Mayne Reid, the Victorian adventure writer once compared to Scott, spins a tale where brotherhood is tested by hardship and the jungle becomes both adversary and sanctuary. The novel pulses with the raw excitement of a lost era when a voyage to South America meant stepping off the edge of the known world. For readers who grew up on Robinson Crusoe and dream of uncharted territories, this is a reminder that adventure once meant something literal and absolute.
