# Allan Quatermain — King Solomon’s Mines character guide > Allan Quatermain in King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Quatermain, Mr. Quatermain, Hunter Quatermain, Macumazahn **First appearance:** 0004-i-i-meet-sir-henry-curtis ## Snapshot A fifty-five-year-old elephant hunter and trader, self-described as timid and sick of adventure, who narrates the expedition with wry honesty and hard-won caution. ## Who they are Quatermain has spent his life trading, hunting, and fighting in southern Africa, and he opens the book laid up in Durban with a lion-mauled leg and a pile of money he barely trusts. He agrees to lead Curtis and Good into the interior partly for the money and partly because he cannot resist a map, even though he insists he is too old for this sort of thing. His voice—practical, superstitious, self-deprecating, and deeply knowledgeable about the land—is the lens through which the whole adventure is filtered, and his judgment about people and terrain repeatedly saves the party. ## Relationships ### [Sir Henry Curtis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/characters/sir_henry_curtis) _friendship_ Loyal friends and fellow hunters who share a deep mutual respect and trust. ### [Ignosi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/characters/ignosi) _friendship_ Allan Quatermain respects Ignosi and helps him as a trusted ally in the rebellion. ### [Sir Henry Curtis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/characters/sir_henry_curtis) _friendship_ Loyal friends and fellow hunters who share a deep mutual respect and trust. ### [Ignosi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/characters/ignosi) _friendship_ Allan Quatermain respects Ignosi and helps him as a trusted ally in the rebellion. ### [Sir Henry Curtis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/characters/sir_henry_curtis) _friendship_ Loyal friends and fellow hunters who share a deep mutual respect and trust. ## In the story ### [Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/dedication) The narrator and author of the dedication, presenting his story to the readers. ### [Author's Note](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/author-s-note) Referenced as 'our old and departed friend' by the author, indicating his enduring legacy in the story. ### [King Solomon's Mines](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/king-solomon-s-mines) Narrator and protagonist; agrees to lead the expedition to Solomon's Mines. ### [I Meet Sir Henry Curtis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/i-i-meet-sir-henry-curtis) The narrator and protagonist, a fifty-five-year-old hunter and trader, who is writing the story from Durban while recovering from a lion wound. ### [II: The Legend of Solomon’s Mines](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/ii-the-legend-of-solomon-s-mines) Narrates the legend of Solomon's Mines and expresses caution about joining the expedition. ### [III: Umbopa Enters Our Service](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/iii-umbopa-enters-our-service) Narrator; agrees to join the expedition after deliberation, setting conditions for payment and his son's support. ### [IV: An Elephant Hunt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/iv-an-elephant-hunt) Narrates the journey and the elephant hunt; reflects on the dangers and the loss of Khiva. ### [Our March Into the Desert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/v-our-march-into-the-desert) Narrates the chapter; organizes the camp, translates between Sir Henry and Umbopa, and expresses suspicion of Umbopa's knowledge. ### [VI: Water! Water!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/vi-water-water) Narrates the chapter; describes the sight of Sheba's Breasts, leads the search for water, and shoots a bustard for food. ### [VII: Solomon's Road](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/vii-solomon-s-road) Takes the bone pen used by da Silvestra; delivers a threatening speech to Infadoos and Scragga; reflects on the dangers of exploration. ### [VIII: We Enter Kukuanaland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/viii-we-enter-kukuanaland) Narrates the journey and questions Infadoos about the history of the Kukuana people. ### [IX: Twala the King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/ix-twala-the-king) Narrates the journey to Loo and the audience with King Twala; observes the landscape and the Three Witches mountains. ### [X: The Witch-Hunt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/x-the-witch-hunt) Narrates the chapter; questions Infadoos about Twala's cruelty and later observes the witch-hunt with horror. ### [XI: We Give a Sign](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xi-we-give-a-sign) Narrates the chapter; speaks on behalf of the white men to Twala, declining offers of wives; restrains Good from intervening prematurely; proposes the eclipse as a sign to the chiefs. ### [Before the Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xii-before-the-battle) Equips himself lightly for mobility, wearing a mail shirt over his clothes and bare legs; acts as spokesperson in rejecting Twala's terms. ### [The Attack](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xiii-the-attack) Recovers from a blow to the head; participates in the war council and advises an immediate attack; accompanies Ignosi in the second regiment. ### [XIV: The Last Stand of the Greys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xiv-the-last-stand-of-the-greys) Observes the battle, feels a rare martial ardour, and worries for Sir Henry's safety. ### [Good Falls Sick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xv-good-falls-sick) Exhausted and bruised, with a violent headache from a blow; suffers from an old lion wound; reflects on the horrors of battle and the night's wailing. ### [XVI: The Place of Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xvi-the-place-of-death) Narrates the chapter; identifies the diamond mine pit and speculates on the origins of the Colossi. ### [XVII: Solomon’s Treasure Chamber](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xvii-solomon-s-treasure-chamber) Narrates the chapter; trembles with excitement as the treasure chamber is opened; picks up diamonds and declares them the richest men in the world. ### [XVIII: We Abandon Hope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xviii-we-abandon-hope) Narrates the ordeal, initially despairing but ultimately assisting in the escape effort. ### [XIX: Ignosi's Farewell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xix-ignosi-s-farewell) Narrates the farewell; reflects on the treasure and the impossibility of returning to the chamber; fills his pockets with diamonds before leaving. ### [Found](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/xx-found) Narrator who discovers George Curtis's hut and later receives Sir Henry's letter. ### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/chapters/endnotes) Referenced as the author of the main narrative; his observations and references are corrected and annotated by the editor. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/characters/allan_quatermain - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_solomon_s_mines_se/characters