The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians In South Africa by Jules Verne
Author: Jules Verne | Published: 1871
The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians In South Africa Synopsis
Meridiana, or The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa (French: Aventures de trois Russes et de trois Anglais dans l'Afrique australe), is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1872.
The novel follows a young man named William Emery, an astronomer working at the Observatory at the Cape. Emery is waiting at the Falls of Morgheda in South Africa for his colleague, Colonel Everest, to join him. Emery is accompanied by a hunter named Mokoum, who is familiar with the area. They have been waiting for three days, and Emery is confident their colleagues will arrive as promised.
While they wait, Mokoum goes off hunting while Emery watches the river. After some time, Mokoum signals to Emery that he has spotted something. Emery follows his gaze and sees a streak of light, indicating the approach of a ship.
Excerpt from The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa Online Book
On the 27th of January, 1854, two men lay stretched at the foot of an immense weeping willow, chatting, and at the same time watching most attentively the waters of the Orange River. This river, the Groote of the Dutch, and the Gariep of the Hottentots, may well vie with the other three great arteries of Africa—the Nile, the Niger, and the Zambesi. Like those, it has its periodical risings, its rapids and cataracts. Travellers whose names are known over part of its course, Thompson, Alexander, and Burchell, have each in their turn praised the clearness of its waters, and the beauty of its shores.
About Jules Verne
Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French writer widely regarded as one of the pioneers of science fiction literature. Born in Nantes, France, on February 8, 1828, Verne was fascinated with travel and exploration from an early age. However, his father wanted him to pursue a legal career, and Verne reluctantly studied law in Paris.
Despite his legal studies, Verne's passion for writing persisted, and he began to contribute articles and plays to various publications. In the 1850s, he met Pierre-Jules Hetzel, a publisher who recognized Verne's talent and encouraged him to write adventure stories for young readers. Find out more about Jules Verne on sevenov.com.