The Nigger of the Narcissus

The Nigger of the 'Narcissus' is the tale of a dying West Indian black sailor on board a merchant ship Narcissus. He is suffering from tuberculosis and falls ill during the journey, and his misfortunes arouse the humanitarian sympathies of the crew members, five of whom rescue him from his deck cabin during a storm, placing their own lives and the ship at risk. The ship's captain Alistoun, however, is more concerned with the duties of the ship.

This book was written in 1896, following a journey that Conrad himself had taken from Bombay to London.