A small Portuguese caravel battered by a storm is driven onto a little-known South American coast, forcing a ragged crew and a determined young nobleman to attempt survival. Shipwrecked sailors must combat wreckage, hostile terrain, and encounters with local tribes reputedly cannibalistic while improvising small boats and weapons. Tensions between pragmatic seamen and the protagonist's bravado shape their decisions as they scavenge, flee through jungle paths, and engage in desperate skirmishes. The narrative emphasizes sea peril, leadership under crisis, and stark clashes of cultures amid relentless action and narrow escapes.