Meridiana: The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians In South Africa

Set against the sweeping grandeur of the Orange River and the jagged Duke of York Mountains, a mixed party of English and Russian scholars sets out to chart a meridian across untamed South Africa. Their mission blends scientific precision with the romance of exploration, as astronomers and hunters alike strive to measure the continent’s hidden arc. Guided by a towering, wiry bushman whose restless energy mirrors the land itself, they navigate cataracts, deep gorges, and dense, mineral‑streaked forests that have never felt the axe of a settler.

The expedition’s members clash as much with each other as with the wild—elephants charging riverboats, fierce lions prowling their camp, and sudden storms turning the sky into a riot of colour. Alongside the disciplined Russian officers and the boisterous English adventurers, the bushman's uncanny knowledge of the terrain offers both salvation and peril. As they press onward, the rhythm of their journey becomes a pulse of curiosity and danger, promising listeners a vivid portrait of 19th‑century Africa where science, culture, and the untamed frontier collide.