The blind lion of the Congo

A seventeen-year-old boy accompanies his uncle and hired companions on an expedition up the Congo, beginning with thorough outfitting and a steamer passage to the interior. The voyage brings dangerous wildlife, river navigation, and tense relations among the party, while encounters with pigmy villages and sacred rites introduce cultural mystery. Illness, a dramatic rescue, and growing suspicion of a crewmate complicate the mission as the group seeks a legendary blind lion and an ivory stronghold. After a period of solitude, a recovered diary and a hazardous raft descent down the Makua help unravel the expedition's dangers and secrets.