Facing the Forest: European Travellers Crossing the Mucuri River Valley, Brazil, in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Abstract Between 1816 and 1859, some European travellers visited the Mucuri River Valley, part of the Brazilian territory where the Atlantic Forest once flourished. From the travellers' accounts, we discuss the conditions of exploration, and some aspects of the historical changes that took place in that territory. Their reports comprise a rich documentation for the debate that is still alive on varied interactions among human societies and transformations of the natural environment. The tropical forests remain a challenge to be faced.