Emil Holub was a Czech explorer who made several expeditions in southern Africa in the 1870s. Inspired to travel to the region by the writings of David Livingstone, Holub arrived in South Africa in 1872, where he briefly practised as a doctor in the Orange Free State. After eight months, he went on a short expedition near the diamond fields of Kimberley, hunting and building a large collection of natural history specimens. The following year, he made another expedition, this time focusing on collecting ethnographic material.

In 1875, he set out on his most ambitious expedition, from South Africa to the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. This expedition is notable for producing the first European map of the region around the waterfall. This translation of his travels was made by Ellen Elizabeth Frewer, also known for her accurate translations of the works of Jules Verne.