Shortly after entering orbit, the male ape gets into an altercation with Major Fritch, the female astronaut. During their minor tussle, the spaceship is steered off course and is forced to return to Earth. They are unable to land at their preferred destination, however, and touch down outside of New Guinea, which Forrest believes to be a land of cannibals. 

Through the spaceship windows they see a group of natives looking at them. When they go outside, a large man who calls himself Big Sam introduces himself. He was a former Yale student and is now a prominent member of the tribe. He says that they are indeed cannibals, and his people wanted to eat Forrest, Sue, and Major Fritch. For now, he says he has stalled them, but if they want to stay alive, they’ll have to stay on the island and help the natives pick and plant cotton. 

They work the cotton fields for months. Big Sam teaches Forrest to play chess, and soon Forrest is beating him every time. Major Fritch begins sleeping with a native man named Gruck, and moves into his hut. Forrest and Sue, the ape, begin to communicate through sign language.