Henry Rider Haggard, who comes before Wilburt Smith?

We all know that Henry Rider Haggard (1856–1925) is fully considered, thanks to Ayesha’s cycle — in particular to the best seller “She”, but also to adventurous Gothic tales such as “The Lady of Blossome” — the precursor of fantasy and imaginative literature, like Lovecraft, Poe, Verne and Stevenson.