In her breathtaking, edifying and hilariously entertaining autobiographical report Mary Kingsley tells about her expedition into the deepest West African jungle, an unheard-of undertaking for a 19th century British woman travelling on her own. It was an adventure full of life-threatening episodes, from sudden lone encounters with crocodiles and leopards to staying for the night in a cannibal village - and, "convinced that it was almost as safe and far more amusing to be born lucky than wise," she loved every moment of it. Mary Kingsley was also a keen and unprejudiced observer, and her book provides us not only with entertainment, but also with exceptional insights into 19th century African tribal societies, as well as into the mentality and the lives of the European settlers and colonists.
This ebook is based upon the original unabridged edition, with 28 chapters and 3 appendices.
The plain text version of this ebook is free.