Voyage Up the River Amazon

In 1846, Edwards, an American naturalist and author of "Butterflies of North America" headed for the Amazon. He made it back and published one of the first adventures about anacondas, piranhas, electric eels, and army ants, as well as the richness of the jungle and peculiarities of the native societies. This very book inspired Bates and Wallace to go to the Amazon the following year.