River of Darkness

Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon

by Buddy Levy · 2011

River of Darkness is a historical account of the 1541 expedition led by Spanish conquistadors Gonzalo Pizarro and Francisco Orellana. Seeking the fabled Land of Cinnamon and the golden city of El Dorado, the expedition faced starvation, disease, and hostile encounters while traversing the Andes and the Amazon jungle. The narrative follows Orellana as he and his men become the first Europeans to navigate the entire length of the Amazon River, documenting their survival against the elements and their interactions with indigenous populations.