Theodor Koch-Grünberg (1872-1924) was a noted German ethnologist and explorer whose work on the indigenous peoples of Brazil and Venezuela is still consulted by anthropologists, ethnologists and linguists. His most important publication was this five-volume account of his 1911-1913 expedition from the sandstone mountains bordering Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana through uncharted territory westwards to the Orinoco. Volume 1 is a description of the journey, based on the diaries in which Koch-Grünberg recorded his immediate impressions. This entertaining informal travelogue covers a huge variety of topics including insect life, illness, gambling, theft, food supply and hunting, myths and shamanic rituals, as well as the practical difficulties of covering the terrain. Koch-Grünberg vividly describes the individuals he meets, and his reactions to his experiences, ranging from fury and frustration to amusement, admiration, and gratitude. The book has over fifty illustrations, mostly the author's own photographs.
