The protagonist Allan Quatermain is an interesting character who plays a little against type as an action/adventure hero. To begin with, he's a bit older
Of the three Englishmen, Sir Henry is the one most written as a stereotypical hero: he's brave, a strong and skilled fighter, treats everyone with respect, is an honest and generous employer, and is motivated not by the possibility of finding Solomon's mines, but only by the desire to locate his missing brother. Of course, you could argue that he's so rich that he doesn't need the treasure, but I've never known- or known of- any rich folks who weren't up for getting some more wealth if it was in the offing. Not Sir Henry, though: he promises Allan and Captain Good that they can keep any and all treasure they find and, more remarkably, he keeps his word. Frankly, he's a bit unrealistically good and unselfish, but fortunately he's more than balanced out by the other characters, none of whom can be regarded as saintly in nature.
In my next post, I'll discuss the rest of the main characters and my thoughts on the plot as a whole.