King Solomon's Mines tells of the search by Sir Henry Curtis, Captain John Good and the narrator,Allan Quatermain, for Sir Henry's younger brother George. He has been lost in the interior of Africa for two years in the quest for King Solomon's Mines,the legendary source of the biblical king's enormous riches. The three companions encounter fearful hardships, fierce warriors, mortal danger and the sinister and deadly witch Gagool.In one of the finest adventure stories of its age, Quatermain, with touches of humour and great excitement, tells the tale of their struggle through unmapped Africa in pursuit of unimaginable wealth.

Now that this book is printed, and about to be given to the world,a sense of its shortcomings, both in style and contents, weighs very heavily upon me. As regards the latter, I can only say that it does not pretend to be a full account of everything we did and saw.There are many things connected with our journey into Kukuanaland that I should have liked to dwell upon at length, to which,as it is, I have scarcely alluded. Amongst these are the curious legends which I collected about the chain armour that saved us from destruction in the great battle of Loo, and also as to the "Silent Ones" or Colossi at the mouth of the stalactite cave. Again,ifI had given way to my own impulses, I should have wished to go into the differences, some of which are to my mind very suggestive, between the Zulu and Kukuana dialects. Also a few pages might have been devoted profitably to the consideration of the indigenous flora and fauna of Kukuanaland.* Then there remains the most interesting subject - that, as it is, has only been touched on incidentally - of the magnificent system of military organisation in force in that country, which, in my opinion, is much superior to that inaugurated by Chaka in Zululand,inasmuch as it permits of even more rapid mobilisation, and does not necessitate the employment of the pernicious system of forced celibacy. Lastly, I have scarcely spoken of the domestic and family customs of the Kukuanas, many of which are exceedingly quaint, or of their proficiency in the art of smelting and welding metals. This science they carry to considerable perfection, of which a good example is to be seen in their tollas, or heavy throwing knives, the backs of these weapons being made of hammered iron and the edges of beautiful steel, welded with great .skill on to the iron frames. The fact of the matter is, I thought, with Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, that the best plan would be to tell my story in a plain, straightforward manner, and to leave these matters to be dealt with subsequently in whatever way ultimately may appear to be desirable. In the meanwhile I shall, of course, be delighted to give all information in my power to anybody interested in such things. And now it only remains for me to offer apologies for my blunt way of writing. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to handle a rifle than a pen, and cannot make any pretence to the grand literary flights and flourishes which I see in novels - for sometimes I like to read a novel. I suppose they- the flights and flourishes - are desirable, and I regret not being able to supply them. At the same time I cannot help thinking that simple things are always the most impressive, and that books are easier to understand when - like the Bible - they are written in plain language, though perhaps I have no right to set up an opinion on such a matter. "A sharp spear", runs the Kukuana saying, "needs no polish;" and on the same principle I venture to hope that a true story, however strange it may be, does not require to be decked out in fine words.

I Meet Sir Henry Curtis
The Legend of Solomon"s Mines
Umbopa Enters Our Service
An Elephant Hunt
Our March into the Desert
Water! Water!
Solomon"s Road
We Enter Kukuanaland
Twala the King
The Witch-Hunt
We Give a Sign
Before the Battle
The Attack
The Last Stand of the Greys
Good Falls Sick
The Place of Death
Solomon " s Treasure Chamber
We Abandon Hope
Ignosi"s Farewell
Found