The travelogue of Serbian modernist writer and one of the pioneers of Yugoslav surrealism, Rastko Petrović, is based on his journeys through colonial West Africa in the winter of 1928–1929. Covering several thousand kilometers through the jungles and savannas of what are now Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali, he left vivid and poetic accounts of the remarkable people, their dances, songs, and customs.

The book also describes his encounters with stunningly beautiful young women and men, as well as with kings, priests, witches, cannibals, and lepers. The book is illustrated with the author's drawings and photographs.