{"product_id":"2940012564566","title":"KING SOLOMON'S MINES","description":"INTRODUCTION\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow that this book is printed, and about to be given to the world, a\u003cbr\u003esense of its shortcomings both in style and contents, weighs very\u003cbr\u003eheavily upon me. As regards the latter, I can only say that it does not\u003cbr\u003epretend to be a full account of everything we did and saw. There are\u003cbr\u003emany things connected with our journey into Kukuanaland that I should\u003cbr\u003ehave liked to dwell upon at length, which, as it is, have been scarcely\u003cbr\u003ealluded to. Amongst these are the curious legends which I collected\u003cbr\u003eabout the chain armour that saved us from destruction in the great\u003cbr\u003ebattle of Loo, and also about the \"Silent Ones\" or Colossi at the mouth\u003cbr\u003eof the stalactite cave. Again, if I had given way to my own impulses, I\u003cbr\u003eshould have wished to go into the differences, some of which are to my\u003cbr\u003emind very suggestive, between the Zulu and Kukuana dialects. Also a few\u003cbr\u003epages might have been given up profitably to the consideration of the\u003cbr\u003eindigenous flora and fauna of Kukuanaland.[1] Then there remains the\u003cbr\u003emost interesting subject--that, as it is, has only been touched on\u003cbr\u003eincidentally--of the magnificent system of military organisation in\u003cbr\u003eforce in that country, which, in my opinion, is much superior to that\u003cbr\u003einaugurated by Chaka in Zululand, inasmuch as it permits of even more\u003cbr\u003erapid mobilisation, and does not necessitate the employment of the\u003cbr\u003epernicious system of enforced celibacy. Lastly, I have scarcely spoken\u003cbr\u003eof the domestic and family customs of the Kukuanas, many of which are\u003cbr\u003eexceedingly quaint, or of their proficiency in the art of smelting and\u003cbr\u003ewelding metals. This science they carry to considerable perfection, of\u003cbr\u003ewhich a good example is to be seen in their \"tollas,\" or heavy throwing\u003cbr\u003eknives, the backs of these weapons being made of hammered iron, and the\u003cbr\u003eedges of beautiful steel welded with great skill on to the iron frames.\u003cbr\u003eThe fact of the matter is, I thought, with Sir Henry Curtis and Captain\u003cbr\u003eGood, that the best plan would be to tell my story in a plain,\u003cbr\u003estraightforward manner, and to leave these matters to be dealt with\u003cbr\u003esubsequently in whatever way ultimately may appear to be desirable. In\u003cbr\u003ethe meanwhile I shall, of course, be delighted to give all information\u003cbr\u003ein my power to anybody interested in such things.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd now it only remains for me to offer apologies for my blunt way of\u003cbr\u003ewriting. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to\u003cbr\u003ehandle a rifle than a pen, and cannot make any pretence to the grand\u003cbr\u003eliterary flights and flourishes which I see in novels--for sometimes I\u003cbr\u003elike to read a novel. I suppose they--the flights and flourishes--are\u003cbr\u003edesirable, and I regret not being able to supply them; but at the same\u003cbr\u003etime I cannot help thinking that simple things are always the most\u003cbr\u003eimpressive, and that books are easier to understand when they are\u003cbr\u003ewritten in plain language, though perhaps I have no right to set up an\u003cbr\u003eopinion on such a matter. \"A sharp spear,\" runs the Kukuana saying,\u003cbr\u003e\"needs no polish\"; and on the same principle I venture to hope that a\u003cbr\u003etrue story, however strange it may be, does not require to be decked\u003cbr\u003eout in fine words.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAllan Quatermain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[1] I discovered eight varieties of antelope, with which I was\u003cbr\u003epreviously totally unacquainted, and many new species of plants, for\u003cbr\u003ethe most part of the bulbous tribe.--A.Q.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCONTENTS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e       I  I MEET SIR HENRY CURTIS\u003cbr\u003e      II  THE LEGEND OF SOLOMON'S MINES\u003cbr\u003e     III  UMBOPA ENTERS OUR SERVICE\u003cbr\u003e      IV  AN ELEPHANT HUNT\u003cbr\u003e       V  OUR MARCH INTO THE DESERT\u003cbr\u003e      VI  WATER! WATER!\u003cbr\u003e     VII  SOLOMON'S ROAD\u003cbr\u003e    VIII  WE ENTER KUKUANALAND\u003cbr\u003e      IX  TWALA THE KING\u003cbr\u003e       X  THE WITCH-HUNT\u003cbr\u003e      XI  WE GIVE A SIGN\u003cbr\u003e     XII  BEFORE THE BATTLE\u003cbr\u003e    XIII  THE ATTACK\u003cbr\u003e     XIV  THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS\u003cbr\u003e      XV  GOOD FALLS SICK\u003cbr\u003e     XVI  THE PLACE OF DEATH\u003cbr\u003e    XVII  SOLOMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER\u003cbr\u003e   XVIII  WE ABANDON HOPE\u003cbr\u003e     XIX  IGNOSI'S FAREWELL\u003cbr\u003e      XX  FOUND","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47145425076464,"sku":"2940012564566","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012564566_p0.jpg?v=1763570279","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012564566","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}