Over the Equator

Philip Efremov, an intrepid Russian adventurer from the eighteenth century, chronicled his nine-year wanderings in a handwritten journal titled Nine-Year Pilgrimage and Adventure in Bukhara, Persia and India. But a part of his journey is missing from the pages of his tome. These writings were recently discovered and included in this new book, Over the Equator, which details Efremovs time spent in Africa. Departing from India in October of 1781, Efremov describes his adventure-filled travels: the culture he experienced, to the flora and fauna he observed, to the characters he witnessed. From Malinidi to Zanzibar to Pemba, Madagascar, and Lesotho and points in between, Efremov learns about seasickness, becomes a slave, discovers treasures, and feasts with Indian tribes. Over the Equator provides a deeper understanding of the culture and beauty of East and South Africa through the eyes of Philip Efremov, a little-known Russian trailblazer who lived the experience and wrote about it.