R. M. Ballantyne, a Scottish author, wrote the boys' adventure book ''The Gorilla Hunters'' in 1861. Ralph, Peterkin, and Jack, the three lads from his wildly popular 1858 novel The Coral Island, are the main characters of this sequel, which is set in "darkest Africa." The themes in the novel echo those of The Coral Island, where the lads attest to the benefits of missionary activity among the locals. A major theme of the book is the hunt for gorillas, an animal that was unknown to Westerners until recently but has since become crucial in discussions about evolution and the interactions between white Westerners and Africans. A slave trader is the focus of the second part of the book's plot, and the three hunters and their guide spend weeks pursuing him to stop him and his crew from occupying and enslaving Mbango's people. They are too late; Makarooroo's fiance is one of those who have been taken. The three plan the fortifications and successfully repel the trader when he attacks Jambai's settlement. The hunters rest for a few weeks in the village of a different tribe, which is governed by a Jambai family member.