The Gorilla Hunters: A Tale of the Wilds of Africa follows the adventure of three young men in "darkest Africa." Ralph Rover is living on his father's inheritance on England's west coast and occupying himself as a naturalist. He gets visited by his old friend Peterkin Gay, whose "weather-beaten though ruddy countenance" he does not recognize. Peterkin has hunted and killed every animal on Earth except for the gorilla and now comes to Ralph to entice him on a new adventure. The two are joined by the third friend, Jack Martin, and they leave for Africa.

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825-1894) was a Scottish author of adventure fiction, best known for his western stories and sea tales. Ballantyne went to Canada aged 16 where he traded with the local Native Americans for furs. It required him to learn about them, to travel by canoe and sleigh, and those experiences formed the basis for many of his novels. Upon returning home, Ballantyne gave up business to focus on his literary career, and began the series of adventure stories for the young with which his name is popularly associated. He was also an accomplished artist, and exhibited some of his water-colors at the Royal Scottish Academy.