King Solomon's Mines (1885)
Published in 1885, H. Rider Haggard's early novel King Solomon's Mines is technically not "fantastic literature", but it's an important part of modern science fiction and fantasy history because it launched the "lost world" sub-genre in the popular consciousness. In contrast to journeys to the moon, this form of adventure took its heroes to unexplored areas of Earth, where they discovered various lost cultures which had been cut off from the modern world. This allowed the protagonists to essentially have "first contact" experiences with all kinds of exotic societies. This concept would further evolve when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel The Lost World introduced dinosaurs to the modern era, and then again when A. Merritt's stories "The People of the Pit" (1918) and "The Moon Pool" (1919) introduced super-powered alien entities thriving in hidden enclaves.
Cassell & Company 1886 / Map leading to King Solomon's Mines (Cassell and Company 1907)
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| Theo Stroefer's Kunstverlag c. 1900, Art: Édouard Riou |
Aside form the "lost world" premise, Quatermain himself is an interesting character. Playing against expectations, he is not much of a fighter, and freely admits to cowardice in the face of overwhelming odds. However, he does have a very sharp mind, and manages to get through several scrapes with his clever tongue and sense of tactics. In contrast, Sir Henry (described as having Danish blood in his veins) plays the "undefeatable warrior" here, and the romantic aspect of the story focuses on Sir Henry's compatriot, the naval officer Captain Good (and his "love at first sight" romance with the native girl Foulata).
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| J. Hetzel & Cie 1888, Art: Édouard Riou |
- Introduction: The text presents itself as the "true testimony" of Allan Quatermain concerning his recent adventures in Africa. He expresses his regret in not including more information on some of the more technical aspects of the discoveries he has made, and hopes that the truth of his tale will carry the reader forward.
- I Meet Sir Henry Curtis: While aboard a ship bound for Natal (South Africa), hunter-trader Allan Quatermain is befriended by a Danish-looking English aristocrat named Sir Henry Curtis and an ex-Royal Navy officer named Captain Good. Sir Henry is seeking information about his missing brother George Neville, whom Quatermain had run into recently.
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The Legend of Solomon's Mines: Quatermain tells the two men about an
incident many years ago in which he had run into a Portuguese adventurer who
had claimed to have discovered the biblical Solomon's treasure, located in
the mountains beyond the desert. The Portuguese had also given Quatermain a
map to the treasure on his deathbed (passed down through generations). More
recently, Quatermain had passed these directions on to Neville, who was
apparently seeking Solomon's lost diamonds. In the end, Sir Henry asks
Quatermain to help him find his brother at the mythic mountains of
Solomon.
- Umbopa Enters Our Service: After arriving at Quatermain's home in Durban, Quatermain helps Sir Henry prepare for the dangerous journey ahead. Shortly before they depart, a Zulu "outcast" named Umbopa volunteers his services, as he wishes to return to his ancestral lands in the north (where the party are heading).
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An Elephant Hunt: Several months later, the party encounter a herd of
elephants while heading north. The white men decide to spend the day
hunting. Nine elephants are killed, but one of their Zulu servants is torn
into pieces during the battle.
- Our March Into the Desert: Just before crossing the southern border of the desert, Umbopa hints that he may know more about the journey ahead than expected. In any case, the party begin their northward trek across the desert, traveling during the night and seeking shelter during the day. Their water begins to run low.
- Water! Water!: By following the Portuguese's map, the party find a
small oasis marked as "bad water". Eventually they reach "Sheba's Breasts",
two snow-capped mountains bordered by a cliff wall on each side. As they
ascend the left "breast", the temperature drops, and when faced with a
snow-covered expanse they seek shelter in a cave.
- Solomon's Road: There, they discover the frozen corpse of the original map-maker, an ancestor of the Portuguese adventurer. Heading down the other side of the Sheba's left breast, they soon reach a much warmer region which is covered in forestry. They continue north on a man-made road ("Solomon’s Great Road"), apparently built during Egyptian times. Eventually, they come across some aborigines, who try to kill the "forbidden visitors". After Quatermain convinces them that they are "star gods", the natives ("Kukuanas") decide to take the men to their king in the capital city of Loo.
- We Enter Kukuanaland: The leader of the Kukuana party, Infadoos, explains that their people have armies to defend against periodic invasions from the north, and also because of a recent civil war in which the ageless witch woman Gagool had installed a false king in a coup. That night, they sleep in a Kukuana military camp.
- Twala the King: Soon they reach Loo, a massive compound guarded by eight thousand Kukuana warriors. During an audience with their gigantic and grotesque King Twala, a shrunken witch-doctress (Gagool) accuses the white men of seeking jewels and gold. She also suspects Umbopa of being more than he at first seems. Although Twala is suspicious of the travelers, he promises that no harm will come to them - yet.
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The Witch-Hunt: Back in their hut, Umbopa reveals that he is Ignosi,
the rightful king of Kukuana, exiled many years ago as a child by Twala
after the coup. Infadoo promises to try and rally supporters to Umbopa's
side. First however, the travelers are forced to witness a Kukuana ritual in
which Gagool's "witches" point out "sinners" amongst the warrior crowd and
mark them for immediate executed.After over a hundred Kukuana are slain, Gagool points to Umbopa. When the "star gods" object with their "death tubes" (rifles), Twala allows Umbopa to live.
- We Give A Sign: That night, Infadoos brings several Kukuana generals to Ignosi in the hopes of gaining their support for a rebellion. In order to convince them of the "star gods'" power, Captain Good promises that they can eliminate the moon from the heavens. The next night, another ceremony occurs in which a girl named Foulata is chosen to be sacrificed. As darkness falls, Quatermain warns Twala of his power over the heavens. In short order, the moon begins to darken from a lunar eclipse (predicted by Good's almanac). When Twala's son tries to kill Sir Henry, the burly, armored Englishman retaliates and kills the boy instead. While Twala and his retainers flee, Infadoo leads the resistance party to an encampment outside the capitol under cover of the moonless night.
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Before the Battle: At the resistance encampment, Infadoos gathers
twenty thousand warriors and makes preparations for Twala's inevitable
attack. Unfortunately, Twala's force outnumbers Ignosi's force two to one.
In a couple days, Twala's forces approach in three divisions, designed to
attack the camp from three sides.
- The Attack: In the first attack, Ignosi's forces manage to hold their position and repel Twala's initial force. However, more forces arrive to join Twala's army, and the water begins to run out in the encampment zone. Quatermain urges Ignosi to strike Twala first before it is too late. They formulate a plan in which Sir Henry leads Infadoos' elite Grey Warriors in a frontal attack at a narrow pass to distract from hidden flanking attacks lead by Good and another Kukuana chieftain. In a second frontal line, Ignosi (with Quatermain) will try to break through and target Twala.
- The Last Stand of the Greys: That night, the battle begins. At the pass, the frontal force of Greys is whittled down until Sir Henry, Infadoos and the remaining Greys are surrounded by Twala's forces. Ignosi and Quatermain then rush in to attack, but even this force is eventually surrounded. Fortunately, the flanking forces (including one led by Good) then arrive and Twala's surprised army is driven into a retreat. After reasembling his victorious warriors, Ignosi's army marches into Loo and confronts Twala in his pavilion. There, Twala challenges Sir Henry to a final duel, but after a bloody fight, Sir Henry cuts Twala's head off with Twala's own axe.
- Good Falls Sick: In the ensuing days, Good becomes ill from an infected wound in his leg, but Foulata nurses him back to health. After Ignosi consolidates his rule, he orders Gagool to show the white men the way to the secret treasure cave in the north. Although initially resistant, Gagool eventually relents - however she also hints that the place is cursed.
- The Place of Death: Three days later, Gagool leads the adventurers north until they reach three small mountains. In between the mountains, they find a gigantic mining pit, and beyond the pit giant statues of three pagan gods (two male and one female). Behind the "Silent Ones", a tunnel leads to a cathedral-like cave of stalactites. Eventually, Gagool shows them the "Place of Death", a room containing a long table with a horrifying, gigantic skeleton at its head holding a threatening spear (the "White Death"). Seated around the table are the petrified remains of the previous kings of Kukuana. On the table they see Twala's corpse (with his head in his lap), being slowly transformed into stone by dripping stalactites.
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Solomon's Treasure Chamber: In a hidden recess, Gagool triggers a
switch which causes a massive stone door to rise up into an upper recess.
Behind the door the party finally reach Solomon's treasure chamber. However,
while the Englishmen marvel at the diamonds and gold, Gagool rushes towards
the exit and triggers the lowering of the stone door with the intention of
trapping the men inside. Foulata tries to stop her but is mortally wounded
and soon dies. However, Gagool is too slow to escape the door's descent and
is crushed underneath the massive stone. Unfortunately, the men soon realize
that they are trapped in the chamber.
- We Abandon Hope: After a day spent in despair, Good discovers a stone ring in the floor. This eventually opens up to an underground passageway. After a long period of wandering, the three men emerge at the bottom of the mine. They climb out of the mine and reunite with Infadoos' party. Quatermain also emerges with a few diamonds still in his pockets.
- Ignosi's Farewell: After recovering from their ordeal, the three Englishmen inform Ignosi that they are going home. Although sorry to see them leave, Ignosi warns them that no white men (treasure seekers, missionaries, etc.) will be allowed into Kukuanaland from that point forward. He also gives them some guides which show them a much easier route back to civilization than the way by which they had arrived.
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Found: When the party reach an oasis, they discover Sir Henry's lost
brother George, who has been marooned there for two years due to a crippled
leg. After emerging from another long journey through the desert, Quatermain
returns to Durban, while Sir Henry, his brother and Good return to London to
sell the diamonds.
King Solomon's Mines at Standard Ebooks
Illustrations at VisualHaggard.org
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| The Reader's Library 1920, Art: Albert Morrow |
SHE: A History of Adventure (1887)
In Brief: Professor Holly and his ward Leo receive an artifact which leads them to believe that one of Leo's ancient ancestors had been executed by an immortal white African sorceress. They mount an expedition into Africa and eventually come across the Amahaggar, who serve "She" (apparently the immortal sorceress). Although nearly sacrificed in a cannibal ritual, Holly and Leo are eventually escorted to the secret land of Kôr, where "She" resides. The immortal reveals herself to be named Ayesha and claims that she is 2000 years old. She is haunted by being the cause of her lover Kallikrates' death. However, when she sees Leo, she believes that Leo is Kallikrates reincarnated. Ayesha takes them to a volcanic chamber where the Fire of Life resides, which she claims originally gave her immortality. When Leo is hesitant to enter the flames, Ayesha volunteers to re-enter the Flame to prove its safety. However, a second exposure to the Flame causes her to shrivel and die. Professor Holly and Leo escape the secret chamber as a landslide covers the entrance forever.
Detailed Synopsis
Introduction: The narrator describes a chance meeting with Cambridge Professor Holly and his associate Mr. Vincey. Years later, he receives a written testimonial from Holly. Holly asks that the author publish the following account, while he and Vincey's son Leo go on a final adventure.
1: My Visitor: The narrator (Professor Holly) is visited by Vincey, who is in an disturbed state of mind. Vincey gives Holly charge of his son Leo, as well as a locked box to be opened on Leo's 25th birthday. The next morning, Vincey is found dead.
2: The Years Roll By: Over the following years, Holly raises Vincey's son Leo into an exceedingly handsome young man. A servant named Job is hired to help care for the boy.
3: The Shard of Amenartas: On Leo's 25th birthday, they open Vincey's locked box. Inside, a letter from Vincey describes a strange ancestral secret deep in the jungle. Engraved on a piece of pottery is a message from an Egyptian princess (Amenartas, apparently an ancestor of Vincey's) to her son Kallikrates. The princess describes a mysterious, immortal white woman deep in the jungle, who had murdered her husband for rejecting her advances. Leo declares that they will go in quest of this white African sorceress.
4: The Squall: The travelers try to relax on their ship when a storm hits. The adventurers make it to their whaling ship and barely make it to calmer waters.
5: The Head of the Ethiopian: The travelers sight a giant head-shaped sculpture (also described in Vincey's letter) and a stone wharf, and proceed into the swamplands.
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| E. K. Johnson |
6: An Early Christian Ceremony: After a harrowing journey up the river, the troupe encounter the Amahaggar people ("People of the Rocks"), who decide to bring them to "She who must be obeyed". One of the Amahaggar women (Ustane) kisses Leo and he kisses her back, which Ustane mistakes as part of a bonding ritual.
7: Ustane Sings: The travellers wait with the Amahaggar in a large encampment while their leader Billali departs for further instructions from She. Holly learns more about the customs of the Amahaggar. One night, Ustane sings a song of love to Leo, but breaks off when the song seems to hint at a dark fate for their love.
8: The Feast, and After!: At a feast, the Amahaggar try to kill Mahomed, the travellers' Arab servant. When Holly shoots Mahomed's captor (and Mahomed by accident), the tribesmen attempt to kill the remaining travellers. After a great battle they are overcome by numbers, but are suddenly spared from death by a command to "cease".
9: A Little Foot: Saved by the return of Billali, the antagonistic tribesmen are sentenced to death. Billali shows Holly a perfectly preserved foot from the sepulchre, impressing Holly with its highly preserved state.
10: Speculations: Billali leads the party on a journey to Kôr, city of She. Billali's litter falls into the swamp but Holly saves Billali's life.
11: The Plain of Kôr: The party are escorted through a secret passage cut into a mountain side and emerge in the city of Kôr, located in the crater of a mountain.
12: She: The visitors are clothed and fed in a cave complex, but Leo is still very ill from the earlier attack. Billali escorts Holly alone to see She, who teases Holly for his false bravado. He reprimands Billali for the earlier attack the visitors had suffered.
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| Maurice Greiffenhagen |
13: Ayesha Unveils: She reveals herself as Ayesha, and professes to be over two thousand years old. When Holly sees her unveiled, he is stunned and entranced by her beauty, but also senses evil and sadness within her. Ayesha becomes excited when she sees a scarab ring which the party had retained from Leo's father's cache.
14: A Soul In Hell: Holly begins to suspect that Leo is the lover Ayesha has been waiting for all these centuries. Following a secret passageway, he spies Ayesha cursing an unknown woman (Amenartes) before the corpse of ancient Kallikrates.
15: Ayesha Gives Judgment: The warriors who had earlier attacked Holly and his friends are sentenced to torture in a hearing ceremony. Ayesha explains to Holly that this must be done in order to enforce control in the city.
16: The Tombs of Kôr: Ayesha gives Holly a tour of the tombs of Kôr, where the citizens of the lost civilization are perfectly preserved at the moment of their deaths. The inscriptions describe the downfall of Kôr through plague.
17: The Balance Turns: Holly returns to Leo and finds that he is nearing death. After preparing an elixir, Ayesha arrives and recoils when she recognizes Leo as her lost love Kallikrates. After a tense moment, the medicine works and Holly and Ayesha relax.
18: Go, Woman!: Ayesha is angered when she realizes that Ustane loves Leo. She uses her power to drive Ustane away. When Leo awakes, Ayesha pretends to be a humble handmaiden and tries to comfort him.
19: "GIVE ME A BLACK GOAT!": The travellers are witness to an Amahaggar nighttime dance/pantomime, lit by burning mummies. In one dance, a woman drinks the blood of a sacrificial goat. Holly and Leo are secretly approached by Ustane, but Ayesha suddenly appears.
20: Triumph: Ayesha brings them all to her inner chamber. After Ustane professes her love to Leo, Ayesha kills her with a gesture, and uses her powers to mesmerize the outraged Leo. She leads them down to her resting chambers to show them proof that Leo is Kallikrates.
21: The Dead and Living Meet: Ayesha shows them the preserved body of the Kallikrates she had killed in jealousy two thousand years past, and then destroys it, now that Leo has returned as the "new" Kallikrates. Holly and Leo return to their chambers, with no hope of escape.
22: Job Has a Presentiment: Job describes a dream where his dead father tells him that they will be together soon. Ayesha tells Holly and Leo of her plans to make Leo immortal and then to conquer the outside world.
23: The Temple of Truth: Ayesha takes Holly and Leo on a trip to the ruins of the city of Kôr.
24: Walking the Plank: In the morning, Ayesha describes bad dreams. The party moves on, and eventually begin climbing the lip of a volcano crater. Ayesha and her guests are forced to cross a great chasm by walking across a flimsy plank.
25: The Spirit of Life: Reaching a hidden chamber, Ayesha decribes the deceased Noot, a protector of the magical fire of life. She explains that in the ancient days, she had brought Kallikrates and Amenartas to the same spot, and, after she had received her powers, killed Kallikates in jealousy. Eventually they continue deeper into the bowels of the volcano and come to a cavern which contains a flashing pillar of fire: the magic fire of life.
26: What We Saw: When Leo is hesitant about the safety of bathing in the magic fire, Ayesha offers to bathe in it first herself to show its beneficial effects. Unfortunately after she emerges from the flame she undergoes rapid aging and dies. Job also dies from shock.
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| Maurice Greiffenhagen |
27: We Leap: Leo and Holly barely make it out of the volcano, accidentally causing a rockslide which buries the path to the magic flame of Life. They reunite with Billali outside.
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| E. K. Johnson |
28: Over the Mountain: With Billali's aid, Holly and Leo manage to make their way out of the swamp and eventually back to England.
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| Michael Whelan |
Benita, An African Romance (The Spirit of Bambatse) (1906)
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| Longmans, Green and Co. 1906 |
19 years after SHE, Haggard introduced a new female protagonist in Benita, An African Romance (also known as The Spirit of Bambatse). This adventure features a heroine named Benita who is drawn into a quest for hidden gold located somewhere in the remote fortress of Bambatse, a fictional city located in deep Africa populated by natives of probably Egyptian descent. Accompanied by her ailing father and his unscrupulous partner Jacob Meyer, Benita also becomes caught in between a tribal war between the peace-loving scholars of Bambatse and the aggressive Matabele, a neighboring warrior tribe bent on conquest. Aside from the adventure aspects of the story, elements of the supernatural appear when Benita begins to commune with the spirits haunting the fortress. Unfortunately, an unwanted psychic link also develops between Benita and the predatory Meyer, who slowly goes mad during the course of the story.
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| Newcastle Publishing Co., 1979 |
(Illustrations by Gordon Browne)
- Confidences: On board the Zanzibar, a ship bound for Africa, a woman named Benita Beatrix Clifford meets an English sharpshooter named Robert Seymour. Benita tells Seymour that she will be meeting her distant father in Africa after a long separation. Seymour mentions that he had once met her father near a haunted fortress named Bambatse while searching for a lost Portuguese treasure.
- The End of the Zanzibar: Impulsively, Seymour professes his love for Benita and asks her to marry him, but before she can answer the Zanzibar hits a rock, causing it to start sinking. When Benita is knocked unconscious, Robert carries her aboard a lifeboat.
- How Robert Came Ashore: When the lifeboat spots a woman and her baby adrift on the sea, Robert gives up his own spot on the boat so that they can be rescued. After dropping overboard, Seymour eventually makes it to shore after an arduous swim and falls unconscious. Meanwhile, the lifeboat carrying Benita is eventually picked up by a steamer named the Castle.
- Mr. Clifford: When the Castle arrives at Durban (Southeast Africa), Benita is reunited with her relieved father, Mr. Clifford. However, when she learns of Seymour's apparent death, she tearfully admits that she would have happily agreed to his marriage proposal. In any case, she joins her father on a trip towards his horse farm at Rooi Krantz.
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Jacob Meyer: On the way to the farm, Clifford and Benita become separated from their wagons and become lost in the veldt. However, they are eventually found by Clifford's partner, an ambitious German Jew named Jacob Meyer, who Benita instantly takes a disliking to. Strangely, Meyer claims that he had responded to thoughts "sent" to him by Benita.
- The Gold Coin: Several weeks pass without word of Seymour and Benita loses hope that he might have survived the shipwreck. One night, Clifford and Meyer tell Benita that they are planning to search for a cache of lost Portuguese gold hidden at Bambatse. Hundreds of years ago, native Zulus had cornered a Portuguese party there. After the Portuguese had all starved to death, the last survivor, a female, had then thrown herself into the river below the fortress, declaring that no one would ever find the gold until her return. Clifford gives his daughter a gold coin, a souvenir left behind by the Portuguese and proof of the stories truthfulness.
- The Messengers: Native messengers from Bambatse arrive and claim that Benita looks like the ghost of the Portuguese woman. They also tell Clifford and Meyer that their leader needs guns, and in return they will be permitted to search for gold at the Bambatse fortress. Benita joins their party and they soon set out with the guns.
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Bambatse: Several months later the party arrive at Bambatse and meet
the Molimo, the leader of the Makalanga (the natives living at the
fortress). The Molimo tells them that he has had a vision from the White
Lady promising that her descendant will soon visit. However, he also fears
an attack from an aggressive tribe to the north, the Matabele.
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The Oath of Maduna: Three Matabele warriors arrive and deliver an
ultimatum to the Makalanga, and threaten their three guests. When the
Matabele leader threatens Benita, Meyer spontaneously shoots him. When Meyer
threatens to shoot the other two, Benita asks that they be spared and
released. Before departing, one of them, Maduna, promises that he owes her a
life debt.
- The Mountain Top: After preparations are made for a defense against a Matabele attack, the Molimo brings Clifford, Meyer and Benita to the central structure of the fortress. There they find a granite cone, apparently used for ritual purposes. The Molimo then asks that Benita alone accompany him to a cave he calls the "place of death".
- The Sleepers In the Cave: Inside the cave, Benita sees the skeletons of the Portuguese who had died of hunger while under siege from the natives. After this "greeting", the Molimo allows the other two men to enter as well. Meyer spots a well in the middle of the cave and decides to descend into it in search of the gold.
- The Beginning of the Search: Toxic gases prevent Meyer from investigating too deeply into the well. Later, the searchers discover an underground chamber, but it also contains no gold, only a dead monk. When Meyer begins cursing the dead, the Molimo prophecies that Meyer will suffer for his indiscretions.
- Benita Plans Escape: In the following days, Meyer begins to show a more possessive interest in Benita, and even intimates that he can read her mind through some kind of mental link. Alarmed, Benita hatches a plan to escape with her father, leaving Meyer behind at Bambatse.
- The Flight: The next day, Benita and Clifford prepare horses and provisions and secretly depart Bambatse. However, in a couple days they run into Matabele scouts.
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The Chase: When Clifford and Benita are spotted by one of the scouts,
Clifford kills him with his rifle. When Matabele warriors begin chasing
them, Clifford and Benita race back towards Mambatse. Just as Clifford and
Benita are about to be overtaken by Matabele warriors, Meyer appears with
rifle-bearing Makalanga and fights them off. Meyer claims that he had
received a mental signal from Benita calling him to their aid.
- Back at Bambatse: When Benita recovers from her ordeal, the Molimo tells her that he had sent spies to look for them, as he knew they would return. After he departs to the outer fortress walls, Meyer appears and tells Benita and Clifford that he has just sealed off the entrance to the central portion of the fortress containing their cave so that no one can come in or leave. Meanwhile, the Matabele surround Bambatse.
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The First Experiment: Meyer claims that Benita must be the key to the treasure, as prophesied by the Malalanga's beliefs . He proposes to mesmerize Benita in order to probe her mind for buried secrets. Fearful that Meyer might enslave her through mesmerism, Benita only allows him to instruct Clifford in the art. During the instruction Meyer hints that he had already put a spell of some sort on Clifford in order to preserve his loyalty. Clifford ultimately fails to mesmerize Benita, although when Meyer tries to intervene he almost puts Benita into a dangerous trance.
- The Other Benita: In the following days, the Matabele try to attack Bambatse, but the Malalanga repulse them with guns, at least temporarily. Growing desperate, Meyer mesmerizes Benita while she is asleep and draws forth a consciousness which recalls memories starting from 33,000 years in the past. Eventually, her mind is possessed by the Portuguese woman, Benita da Ferreira, and this alternate Benita states that she has passed on the location of the gold to the modern day Benita.
- The Awaking: Clifford forces Meyer to release his hold on Benita, after which she returns to bed. The next morning, Clifford tells his daughter what Meyer had done the previous night, infuriating Benita. When Meyer asks to mesmerize her once again, Benita flatly refuses, as she already feels that Meyer has established some kind of uncanny influence over her will.
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Jacob Meyer Sees A Spirit: One day, Benita climbs to the top of the central cave cone, and from this height seems to see a white man amongst the surrounding Matabele hoard. However, he soon disappears. Then, while Benita is fetching water from the cave's well, Meyer tries to exert his mental control over her. However, just as Meyer puts his lips on Benita's his spell is broken and she pushes him away. Later, a terrified Meyer emerges from the cave claiming to have seen a female ghost kneeling at the statue of a crucified Christ. He runs off on a panic.
- The Message From the Dead: In order to prevent Meyer from returning and killing Clifford, Benita and her father make a new camp inside the cave in which Meyer had seen the ghost. They also barricade the entrance. While Meyer waits for them to come out for food, inside Clifford begins to fall ill. While praying at the foot of the carved crucifix statue, Benita receives a message from the spirit Benita, revealing to her a secret passage below the crucifix which leads to the gold.
- The Voice of the Living: After Clifford convinces her to leave him in order to seek out help, Benita goes down the secret stairs under the statue and finds the Portuguese gold. Nearby, she finds another set of stairs which takes her out of the complex to emerge in the swamp just outside Bambatse's outer wall. Benita decides to seek out the white man she had seen earlier amongst the Matabele. This turns out to be Seymour.
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Benita Gives Her Answer: Benita learns that Seymour had been captured by the Matabele as he was approaching Bambatse in search of Benita. The Matabele then approach Seymour's wagon and tell him that their king has ordered them to abandon the siege on Bambatse. However, they plan to execute Seymour first for deceiving them earlier. Benita realizes that they are being addressed by Maduna, who still owes her a life debt. She uses this to save Seymour's life and obtain some oxen from the Matabele.
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The True Gold: After returning to the cave through the secret
passage, Seymour and Benita discover that Clifford is still alive. They then
break down the barricade and enter the central section of the fortress which
Meyer had earlier sealed off from the main sections. When Meyer detects
their arrival he tries to shoot Seymour. Fortunately, he misses and is
eventually brought down by a tackle. When Meyer sees the gold treasure, he
claims to see a ghost and then drops dead, apparently of a seizure of some
sort. Benita notes that here are mysterious footsteps in the sand leading to
Meyer's body. As they depart Bambatse, the Molimo tells Benita that the
Spirit of Bambatse had helped her through her recent struggles, but has now
gone to the heavens.
Wikipedia Entry
Illustrations at Visual Haggard
https://www.southafricabooks.com/h-rider-haggard/1885-king-solomons-mines
https://swordsofreh.proboards.com/thread/502/rider-haggard-influence-classic-author
